‘A model for future generations’: Tucson Black business owners learn, grow and collaborate
(From left to right) Tucson business and nonprofit leaders Ashley La Russa of BlaxFriday.com, Jameela Hill of Jijivisha Holistic and April Turner of Climbing Tree Community School
Black leaders gain confidence through We Rise business accelerator
Tucson yoga teacher Jameela Hill gained the confidence and funding she needed to add art projects to retreats hosted through her company Jijivisha Holistic.
Jameela Hill leading women through an art project at a yoga retreat near Tucson.
April Turner, director of Tucson’s Climbing Tree Community School, put the 50-year-old nonprofit learning center on stronger financial footing to continue serving children and families for years to come.
Both Tucson women set their success in motion through Local First Arizona’s We Rise program.
The no-cost, 6-month accelerator empowers Black Arizona entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders with the financial, planning, strategic and marketing skills they need to grow and prosper, along with mentors to guide and hype their progress.
“I've had the confidence to go after opportunities that I would've never considered before,” Hill said. “Presenting the concepts in a digestible order that built on the last process was priceless.”
Turner used her newfound skills to effectively present budgets, profit and loss projections and business financials to her board.
“This would not have been possible without what I learned in the We Rise program. The knowledge one gains in multiple aspects of business is invaluable,” she said.
We Rise seeking applicants in Tucson
We Rise participants can live anywhere in the state because the program is held virtually. But Local First Arizona is focusing recruitment in the Tucson area in April.
Ashley La Russa, the Tucson creator of Blax Friday, the largest accessible directory of Black-owned businesses in Arizona, is a We Rise mentor helping to invite Tucson entrepreneurs to the program.
La Russa will host an info session open to any Black business owner in the area interested in learning more about We Rise.
Tucson We Rise info session hosted by Blax Friday
When: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 13
Where: The Citizen Hotel Tucson, 82 S. Stone Ave.
Expanding the Black business community in Tucson
Hill and Turner say they are examples of the insights We Rise alumni gain that translate to the real world.
Turner hopes Tucon’s Black business community will seize the chance to attend, and support, the program.
April Turner with students and staff at Climbing Tree Community Center in Tucson.
“I want for more people to have the opportunity to take advantage of Tucson’s growth and prosper,” Turner said.
Hill sees Black businesses in Tucson growing collaboratively.
“My hope for the Black business community in Tucson is that the community never loses sight of its core principle: Leave the door open behind you,” she said, “and becomes a model for future generations.”
