Join the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Chase for Business on Wednesday, December 15 at 12:00 p.m. ET for Equality of Opportunity in Action: Improving Access to Capital for Minority-Owned Businesses. 

A recent study found that if the number of people-of-color owned firms were proportional to their labor force participation, the U.S. would add more than 1.1 million businesses, supporting an estimated 9 million additional jobs and adding nearly $300 billion in workers’ income.

Entrepreneurship is one of the keys to unlock intergenerational wealth, especially for individuals of color. It not only plays an important role in building wealth in families and communities, it is also a significant contributor to the U.S. economy. Unfortunately, the opportunity to start and grow a business is not equal for all Americans. Research shows that these disparities can be explained by persistent gaps in access to financial capital. According to findings from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Black entrepreneurs are nearly three times more likely than White entrepreneurs to have business growth and profitability negatively impacted by a lack of financial capital.

Featuring policymakers, business leaders, and entrepreneurs, this program will highlight and examine policy proposals that promote access to capital, financial empowerment, and pathways to opportunity for minority entrepreneurs. Additionally, we will highlight insights from roundtable conversations with minority-owned businesses. Hear more about the top tools and resources for gaining access to capital and how industry leaders and policymakers can better support small and minority-owned business growth and success.