As Black Business Month concludes, it's crucial to recognize that ongoing support from the local community is vital for entrepreneurs, to thrive year-round.

While Black-owned businesses are on the rise in Tucson and across the U.S., they still constitute only 3% of all businesses nationwide. Moreover, Black business owners typically begin with significantly less access to capital compared to their White counterparts—nearly a third less, as per industry standards.

We talked with two Tucson entrepreneurs from the Black business community. We explored the challenges of business ownership, ways the community can offer support, and the inspirations behind their entrepreneurial journeys.

Black business ownership is on the rise. In celebration of National Black Business Month, we spotlight a new cooperative marketplace that recently opened in Phoenix to support Black-owned businesses.

Seeing a “Small Wonders” map, the pocket-size guides to independent businesses and tourist attractions around the state by Local First Arizona, was the genesis for Scottsdale marketing agency Ideas Collide lending its support.
Local First, like the agency, was “small and mighty and impactful,” said co-founder Matt Clyde. ”We love seeing small businesses thrive.”

Tucson is a tight community, and Local First Arizona is building those connections every day with our work.

It’s not every day that a company takes a potential competitor under its wing. But Local First Arizona members Dillinger Brewing Company and Brillé Mead Company are proof that symbiosis in business can be successful. The owners agree: Tucson is just that kind of collaborative place.

As the largest coalition of of locally-owned businesses in the nation, you are part of a movement that elevates the voices of Arizona’s independent, locally-owned businesses – connecting people, communities and resources for meaningful actions that build a diverse, inclusive and prosperous Arizona. Join us in celebrating new and renewing business coalition members.

Less than a year and a half after Charlotte Bowens experienced a health scare, she was crossing the finish line of a 50-mile race, setting things in motion for Conscious Gear, a brand of outdoor wear she founded to accommodate larger bodies.

“There’s plenty of us at the back of the pack who are fat, and we buy this gear that a lot of the time doesn’t fit us,” Bowens said. “I felt called to just maybe try.”

Globe-Miami was bustling as more than 340 tribal and rural leaders flocked to the Copper Corridor for the Arizona Rural Policy Forum. Topics included affordable housing, farmer's markets, training skilled workers, attracting young people to small towns, finding grant funding and more.

Jorge Diaz was ready to close his online shop that sells handmade jewelry, clutches and wallets until he connected with the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, which helped him relaunch.

Diaz is one of more than 6,000 small business owners in less than two years who have received advice and training at no cost from a coalition of organizations led by Local First Arizona that supports entrepreneurs across the state.

Making higher education accessible to all Arizonans is the goal of three business owners who recently graduated from We Rise, Local First Arizona’s Black-owned business accelerator.

An eager crowd of job seekers, students and companies converged recently for the Superior Career & Hiring Expo, organized by Local First Arizona and Career Connectors.

First Things First fosters school readiness and healthy development for children from birth to age 5. Through strategic investments in state and local programs, they ensure that children are well-prepared for success from the moment they step into their kindergarten classrooms.

By supporting local bookstores, you're not only enriching your reading experience but also nurturing the ecosystem within your community. These cherished establishments provide vital spaces for authors, artists, and readers to connect and thrive. They foster a love for literature, nurture emerging voices, and ensure that the magic of storytelling continues to inspire generations to come.

¡Celebremos juntos el 10 Aniversario de Fuerza Local y la Graduación de la 20° y 3° Generación del Acelerador de Negocios!

Un maravilloso evento está por llegar para nuestros alumnos después de 6 meses de dedicación, compromiso y aprendizaje: ¡La Graduación de 71 Empresarios del Programa Acelerador de Negocios de Fuerza Local!

A recent Gallup poll shows Americans trust small businesses more than any institution in our daily lives. Small businesses, which employ nearly half of U.S. workers, have long been the backbone of the American economy and faith in them crosses all political party lines.

As the largest coalition of of locally-owned businesses in the nation, you are part of a movement that elevates the voices of Arizona’s independent, locally-owned businesses – connecting people, communities and resources for meaningful actions that build a diverse, inclusive and prosperous Arizona. Join us in celebrating new and renewing business coalition members.