Announcing REUNION!

On July 30, REUNION is changing the way Black, Latinx, and Indigenous entrepreneurs get funded. 

REUNION is a non-equity crowdfunding and community platform that connects people who are passionate about supporting communities of color to diverse entrepreneurs. 

The goal is to help groups of Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and other diverse entrepreneurs close funding gaps and secure the resources they need to thrive. Many founders of color often do not have the same access to generational wealth and informal funding networks of family and friends as their white counterparts. For businesses of color these historical early-stage challenges have become especially daunting due to the pandemic and broader disruptions. 

When supporters join the REUNION family they can help a founder spread the word about their business, share feedback on business strategies, and make unrestricted donations to these companies —at no cost to the entrepreneurs.

Want in? Sign up to be the first to access REUNION’s community of driven business owners, and engaged supporters and partners.

Follow @joinREUNION for more and #GetEnvolved!

Envolve is proud to be a partner in this project that addresses the gaps in access to capital that many minority founders face. Join the movement to boost stories of resilience, validate strategies, and make unrestricted donations to the next generation of world-changing, wealth-building founders of color!

EDUCATION

Businesses have been experiencing many unique disruptions due to COVID-19. Are you unsure of how to engage your customer base at this time? In this Forbes article, one customer service consultant suggests five customer service improvement strategies to try this summer. 

RESOURCES

Google announced 100,000 scholarships for three new online certificate programs in data analytics, project management and user experience design. The programs are created and taught by Google employees, do not require a college degree, can be completed in three to six months and are offered through the online learning platform, Coursera. For more information, click here!

AWARDS

USA Grantee Spotlight

Malik Jackson was inspired to found Trinhydral in 2017 in response to the Flint water crisis. A native of Flint, Malik was studying at Michigan State University at the time and started to bring his idea to life through the Michigan State University’s Student Incubator, the Hatch. Trinhydral is a clean water solution firm that brings sustainable innovations to marketplaces through transforming water problems into water services and products.

“Trinhydral’s goal is to give clean water to everyone and create innovative programs, solutions, and products that support sustainable means of getting clean drinkable water. We always focus on supplying clean water to those who are in need, no matter the situation.” Malik hopes that Trinhydral will be able to make a difference in people’s quality of life worldwide. 

Trinhydral is in the process of developing a mobile and modular all-in-one water filtration unit that can be carried like a backpack. Water is pushed through a built in pump mechanism, cleaned through the filtration system, and then can be saved in the water storage compartment. The goal was to create a solution for people in the developing world who don’t have clean water easily accessible. Trinhydral hopes to market their mobile unit to nonprofits and governments who will distribute to those in need.

OUR UNIVERSE & THE ECOSYSTEM

This past month, we hosted our second virtual happy hour with our winners. Human connection is key, and even more important during these times. Sharing experiences, learning from each other, and building an entrepreneurial network that strengthens our winners’ businesses is an essential part of our community! In addition, we also offer a Slack channel to our past winners to further connect and share opportunities with each other. We look forward to continuing our virtual series!

#GetEnvolved

Earlier this month, we invited our Envolve community to use their spending power in support of Black-owned businesses in honor of #BlackOutDay2020 as a call to action to unite the Black community in economic solidarity. Black individuals spend $1.2 trillion annually in the U.S., according to a 2018 report by Nielsen. More than 40% of Black business owners said they weren’t working in April, while only 17% of business owners said the same, according to a report from the University of California at Santa Cruz. We have an amazing group of Envolve Award USA winners that you can support as well! Check out the winners and finalists from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cycles of our Award program.

Envolve was founded to help diverse, underserved communities access resources, advice, and support services to pursue their business dreams. Organizations such as ours are here to do our part and we support diverse entrepreneurs in their efforts to live their dream by addressing gaps in the entrepreneurship landscape. When we all work together, we all win. We ask you to support Envolve and work with us to support the underserved, yet equally worthy, entrepreneurs in our communities. Please consider a donation today. You can also #GetEnvolved by becoming a resource or programming partner or offering in-kind support such as mentorship.

We're also hiring! We are seeking an energetic self-starter to serve as a Program Manager to support and execute our programming. The candidate should have basic knowledge in small business issues and in community/outreach engagement. Envolve seeks an individual with passion for philanthropy and advocacy who is comfortable with the dynamic nature of a startup/nonprofit environment. For more information and to apply, click here! Please let us know in your cover letter if you found out about this opportunity from our newsletter or network.