South Bend Indiana Black Expo receives $50K grant to expand financial literacy program

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- An opportunity for minority-owned businesses to strengthen and grow in South Bend.

The South Bend Chapter of the Indiana Black Expo is getting a big boost thanks to a $50,000 grant from Flagstar Bank.

The grant is enabling a partnership with the IMPower Center, South Bend’s largest minority-focused business resource.

"We're really excited to be able to expand this program, that we're actually able to do more of a cohort style with the businesses and really work with them for their financial literacy, really helping them to be able to develop budgets to understand in regards to credit for their businesses, but then also ensuring that they have some of their most basic needs taken care of as well," President South Bend Chapter Indiana Black Expo Latorya Greene said.

This program is designed to provide financial literacy education to minority small business owners, giving them the knowledge and skills to succeed.

Participants will work one-on-one with CPAs and financial advisors throughout the twelve-week program, covering everything from budgeting and credit to cash flow and capital access.

And it’s not just education, it’s visibility. The chapter also hosts business mixers every three months to highlight local minority entrepreneurs.

Greene says these mixers help business owners connect, bringing a sense of community and support for anyone who's just starting out.

" I would definitely hope for this really empowers our local minority business owners, for them to be able to take charge of their business and ensure that they have an accurate record keeping, but then also puts them in line for funding opportunities that come along that now that they can be in the mix," Greene said.

If you are interested, you can apply online.