Founded by the National Urban League * Business Roundtable * Stonehenge Capital LLC
* Small Business Administration * Urban League of Greater Cincinnati

"Growing small and medium-sized minority owned businesses is one of the best ways to close the wealth gap in America."
Marc H. Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League

Welcome to the Cincinnati Economic Empowerment Center

The Cincinnati Economic Empowerment Center (C-EEC) of the Greater Cincinnati Urban League works with private, public and nonprofit resources to build strong, sustainable and successful minority businesses. The result will be wealth creation, job creation and better economic health in the minority and urban core communities of Greater Cincinnati.

The goal of the C-EEC is to help established minority entrepreneurs obtain the necessary management skills that will enable them to take advantage of new business opportunities and qualify for financing that will lead to higher levels of business growth.

One on One

The one on one mentor sessions provide the client with business support and guidance. C-EEC staff assesses the situation and helps the client determine what their next steps should be. The benefits to the client are access to resources and opportunities to develop new skills or enhance existing ones. The C-EEC will combine direct entrepreneurial skills development and assistance from business mentors with targeted resource referrals to insure that the assistance received by the client is specific to their needs.

Workshops

Sessions are designed to assist established companies that are now ready to take the next step. C-EEC provides numerous workshops throughout the year. Clients will receive group training sessions on business management that can advance their entrepreneurial skill level and provide new information on new business opportunities and financing options. Training session topics can include: Franchising, Buying vs. Building a Business, Understanding Your Financial Statements, Conducting Market Analysis, The Fundamentals of Marketing.

African American Business Development Program (AABDP)

AABDP is a highly selective five-month program designed for African American business owners who want to build sustainable companies that help to create employment opportunities for the community. The key objectives of AABDP are to enhance the skills business owners need to manage and grow sustainable businesses; increase the number of firms that have sales in excess of $250,000; and foster an environment that is focused on growing the number of local African American Firms that have more than one employee. Click here to visit our website page which has more details on this program and an application that you can download.

Do I have to meet a certain set of standards to get help?

The program is designed for minority business owners who live or work in the Greater Cincinnati area.

How much do services cost?

The initial assessment and matching is free. There may be fees for consulting, training classes, etc.