Sacramento Black Chamber Of Commerce Leads Tech Inclusion Initiative For BIPOC Business Owners
By Christine Shelby | OBSERVER Staff Writer
Navigating the ever-expanding tech landscape can be daunting for small business owners. Nowadays, a Google search can reveal too many options to quantify. Although there are numerous apps for accounting, human resources, finances, and project management accessible to those who need them, the availability of so many apps can be overwhelming.
The Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce is taking the lead to ensure BIPOC small business owners aren’t left behind with their Tech Inclusion Initiative.
Launched in February, the Tech Inclusion Initiative offers free training to small business owners interested in integrating technology into their operations. “It’s an opportunity to advance your understanding of AI and scale up your business,” explains Lorre Jacobs, program lead. Classes have covered several topics, including applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI), design platform Canva, and social media management.
Jacobs leverages local and statewide instructors, including mentors from the Black Business Clique (names to be added upon confirmation) and My Tech Academy, an LA-based training center.
While the initiative focuses on youth and women, it welcomes all BIPOC community members in Sacramento. A key challenge for Jacobs is generating interest in the program’s free offerings. To address this, they’ve established cohorts that embark on study missions after completing training.
The youth cohort went to NVIDIA, a California-based tech company known for designing and selling graphics processing units (GPUs) for gaming and multimedia applications. The women’s cohort is going to Google. A third BIPOC cohort is being formed, and plans are underway to determine where they will visit at the end of their term.
The program goes beyond just learning new technologies. It recognizes the importance of understanding how others leverage them. On August 22, the Tech Inclusion Initiative will host a networking event with featured speakers and opportunities to connect with other small business owners in the downtown area. The Chamber of Commerce will also offer mentorship guidance for business owners seeking guidance in specific business areas. While this feature of the program hasn’t been utilized much, it is still a featured benefit..
For Lisa Daniels, owner of Lisa Daniels LLC, the initiative is helping her to improve her knowledge of technology and bring more efficiency to her business processes. “Everything has been leveled up, “says Daniels,” and pressure has been relieved.” Daniels started her LLC, which includes DJ, photography, and coaching services, to help her support a daughter who will be going to college soon. When she signed up to be a member of the Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce she was told of the initiative and was eager to join. Daniels shared that her understanding of AI has grown past generic knowledge which has helped her beyond business applications. Daniels is also a professor so the AI training helped her understand how she could incorporate learning into her classrooms as well. “I can do more tasks today because I have done the training,” she said.
The initiative, funded by the city of Sacramento and managed by Aubree Taylor, Senior Project Manager for the Office of Innovation and Economic Development, has collaborated with over 100 businesses and aims to reach even more by the end of the program in December 2024. To participate, individuals must reside in Sacramento and sign up online. Daniels emphasizes that the program simplifies technology for entrepreneurs who may find it deterring. “Business owners are eager to create flyers, labels, and photographs,” Daniels explains. “And now they can do it all using one software.”
While the program concludes at year’s end, there haven’t been discussions regarding extension. Entrepreneurs are encouraged to register online and utilize the initiative’s offerings. Following the program’s completion, an evaluator will assess its impact on Sacramento’s entrepreneurial community.
For more information go to the Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce website.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is part of the Digital Equity Local Voices Fellowship Lab. The Lab initiative is made possible with support from Comcast NBCUniversal.
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