Community Navigator Program

COMMUNITY
NAVIGATOR PROGRAM

What are Community Navigators?

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Community Navigator Pilot Program (CNPP) is an American Rescue Plan initiative designed to reduce barriers that underrepresented and under-resourced entrepreneurs often face in accessing the programs they need to start, grow, or recover their businesses.” The U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC) and 20 USBC Black Chambers of Commerce serve African American and minority/women-owned firms (MWBEs) under this program. In addition to directly connecting MWBEs to SBA programs, lending, and local resources, our team ensures that small and micro-businesses receive support and access to technical assistance services, available grants, business financing, and certification and contract opportunities to help firms grow, expand, and sustain over time.

We have created this online portal for you to access and reach out for services through our chamber network. Our hope is that you utilize the CNPP resources for your business needs to get connected to people, networks, organizations, corporations, and public agencies in your local market. Please visit this page often for information on counseling, training, financing, contracting, grants, technical assistance, and other resources crafted with you in mind

ANNOUNCEMENTS

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COMMUNITY
NAVIGATOR PROGRAM

What are Community Navigators?

ANNOUNCEMENTS

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

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Join Your Local Chamber (scroll our Regional Spokes)
Subscribe to USBC’s Newsletter for business insights
Register for USBC’s webinars at usblackchambers.org/webinars
Certify your black-owned business at certification.byblack.us!

SPECIAL ANNOUCEMENT

HIGHLIGHTING
OUR COMMUNITY

SMALL BUSINESS

BIG SUCCESSES

Tenease Flowers

"Under the guidance of the Greater Baltimore Black Chamber of Commerce, secured a $30,000 grant from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development in January 2023. With coaching, Ms. Flowers honed her financial management skills, mastered grant application processes, and successfully negotiated a commercial property sublease. Achieving milestones like ByBlack certification and engaging in educational activities, she continues to thrive as a Black-owned business leader in Greater Baltimore, showcasing the power of chamber resources."

QuneUp

"Fueled with business solutions from African American Chamber of Commerce, QuneUp accessed a $10,000 line of credit (LOC) from WSFS Bank. Their data-driven software, reducing equipment downtime, benefited from enhanced capital resources, reflecting the chamber's commitment to fostering innovation and growth in local businesses."

Girl Concrete

"Guided by African American Chamber of Commerce, Girl Concrete, Inc. secured $250,000 in capital from The Enterprise Center, fueling their expansion efforts. This infusion of capital enables the company to bolster operations, exemplifying the transformative impact of strategic chamber partnerships."

Robin Calloway Walls

"Positive People's Community Vision (P.I.P.P), spearheaded by Robin Calloway Walls, embarked on a transformative journey to revitalize Abilene's historic African American community. Walls collaborated with Matthew Houston, a leader at the Texas African American Association Chamber of Commerce, to enhance the project's momentum through economic impact analysis and pre-development processes, demonstrating the chamber's dedication to community empowerment and economic revitalization."

Positive People's Community Vision (P.I.P.P)

Jennifer Smalls

"The visionary behind S & J Online Clothing, received invaluable support from the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce in streamlining her LLC setup, obtaining an EIN, and initiating a business checking account. Empowered with these foundational tools, she now aims to expand her online fashion accessories business, underscoring the chamber's pivotal role in providing essential resources to entrepreneurs."

S & J Online Clothing

Sonji Phillips

"The driving force behind Briason Associates, LLC, encountered reimbursement challenges, prompting her to seek assistance from the Southern Connecticut Black Chamber of Commerce. Through their guidance, she was connected with the Connecticut SBDC, ultimately securing a $25,000 line of credit from Chase Bank. This lifeline ensures uninterrupted service delivery, highlighting the chamber's unwavering commitment to supporting businesses through financial obstacles."

Briason Associates, LLC

OUR COMMUNITY

REGIONAL
SPOKES

NORTHEAST

Greater Washington Black Chamber of Commerce
UpState New York Black Chamber of Commerce
Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce, Inc.

Greater Baltimore Black Chamber of Commerce
Southern CT Black Chamber of Commerce
African American Chamber of Commerce of PA, NJ, DE

SOUTHEAST

Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce
Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce

Greater Durham Black Chamber of Commerce

SOUTHERN

Texas Association of African American Chambers
The Louisiana Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Inc.

New Orleans Regional Black Chamber of Commerce
Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce

MIDWEST

Heartland St. Louis Black Chamber of Commerce

Madison Black Chamber of Commerce

WEST

Silicon Valley Black Chamber of Commerce
OAKLAND AFRICAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
African American Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce

Utah Black Chamber
Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce

Visa Small Business
Hub

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SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCE CENTER

A Portal for modern tools and small business resources

Verizon Small Business Digital Ready

CLICK HERE

OUR COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY
LEADERSHIP

DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS

Alisa Joseph

Alisa serves as the liaison to the SBA Community Navigator Program, Chambers and staff to ensure that firms receive the resources needed to gain contracts and capital. She leads the USBC Hub efforts for the team.

Schedule Time with Alisa

PROGRAM MANAGER

Carl Davis, Jr.

As Program Manager, Carl is responsible for day-to-day management and identifying new opportunities for the spokes to expand the local ecosystem of technical assistance and access to capital services. This work provides much needed resources for businesses to help them grow in size and scale.