BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – Twenty small, Black-owned businesses are getting the equivalent of $135,000 in support to help them grow in the City of Birmingham.
It’s the second year for the Magic City Match program. Magic City Match offers grants, along with business coaching, real estate assistance, and other support tailored to each stage of development.
Awardees must either be seeking to establish a brick-and-mortar location within the city of Birmingham, or already have an established presence in the city.
Below are the 20 Magic City Match Winners:
1) Ready Stage:
a) Entrepreneur Track: Black entrepreneurs seeking to establish brick-and-mortar locations will receive support through the Ready Stage, which will assist entrepreneurs in hiring professional service providers, such as accountants or marketing professionals.
– Crystal Mullen-Johnson, Strive Counseling Services, LLC
– Keyarah Smith, Road2 Financial Freedom Inc
– Hermione Carnes, Hermione Alease’s Edibles, LLC
– L’Tryce Slade, Slade Land Use, Environmental, and Transportation Planning
– Patricia Worford, Pat’s Prime Cleaning Services
– Lensey King Jr, Electrical Maintenance & Troubleshooting LLC
– Pauline Long, MedsPLUS Consulting
– Dennis Echoles, D ECHOLES LLC DBA Amber’s Desserts
– Wynell Gilbert, Tutor Nation Tutoring Solutions Inc.
– Stacie Jones, Stacie Latrelle, LLC
– Kenya Staples, Dear Sunday Skincare
– Emondre Johnson, The Bark Park
– Trenton Lumpkin, TRI-AURIC STUDIOS
– Angel Callens, Change of Plans
– CaTonya Scott, D5 Tax Services
b) Property Owner Track: To help prepare more storefronts for small business tenants, the Property Owner track will provide property assessments and other services.
– Kathy Scarbrough, Mighty Muscles Facilities Mgt
– Tim Clay, T&P Realty Ventures LLC
2) Grow Stage: The Grow Stage will award Black business owners with established locations through grants and funding for service providers.
– Aisha Taylor, Bridge + Root
– Alicia Levels-Moore, Polaris
– Lemar Storey, Lifetouch Massage
Additional opportunities will be available in 2024, with Magic City Match’s Open Stage applications opening early in the year. For more information about Magic City Match and the awardees, please visit this website.
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