GRAND CHUTE (NBC 26) — “As a Black woman I have been affected by systemic racism all my life,” said Michelle Isabel, the Vice President of Business Development for Brookfield Properties.
In 2020, Isabel spearheaded the Partner to Empower program, which provides resources and funding for Black and minority-owned businesses to open brick-and-mortar stores. After the death of George Floyd in 2020, she says she reflected on what she could do to support the Black community.
“I wanted to do more," Isabel said. "At that point I thought 'how can I use what I know, use my skills that I’ve developed over the years, use the influence that I have?'”
She designed the program to help minority-owned businesses create lasting success. The program launched at the Fox River Mall this month and provides one-on-one guidance for business owners, networking and funding for store construction expenses.
“We want to make sure that people have a good start with capital, understanding that one of the reasons small businesses fail in the first six months to a year is a lack of start-up capitol,” Isabel said.
The program also includes a four-week retail workshop led by industry experts, free of charge for accepted applicants.
“It’s led by industry professionals, bankers, accountants, staffing agencies, people who specialize in marketing and advertising," Isabel said. "We want to make sure they have the resources to be successful.”
Isabel says there are a number of barriers that Black and minority business owners may face that make it difficult to move from e-commerce to a brick-and-mortar store.
"One is fear," Isabel said. "Not being bankable, not understanding what good credit is, not understanding that no credit is the same as bad credit, not understanding business insurance or business taxes."
The program launched in 5 states in 2021 and is launching in another 10 states right now. By the end of the year, Isabel says the program will have reached the entire U.S. The goal of the program is to not only diversify the company’s malls but be the resource small business owners need to take their business to the next level.
“Brookfield wanted to make sure we participated in helping to break down the barriers that systemic racism have created for generations and provide resources to Black and minority businesses owners to help them create that generational wealth,” Isabel said.
Applications for the program are open until March 18th. For more information and to apply to the program, you can visit brookfieldproperties.com
