Empowering small business for big change
COVID-19 support for small businesses
View COVID-19 ResourcesCIC’s mission is to strengthen our community and contribute to economic development by fueling the success of under-resourced entrepreneurs through education, mentoring, financing, and networking.
CIC was founded in 2011 and held its first workshop in May 2012. Since then, for every $1 spent by CIC, we have helped entrepreneurs generate $5.29 in wages from job creation in our community.
86Businesses Opened
157FTE Jobs Created
9.3Million Generated Wages
Our Pillars
Training
Our 16-week workshop enables entrepreneurs to determine whether their business is viable, develop an initial plan for launch or growing, and learn the fundaments of how to act out that plan.
Networking
We create opportunities for entrepreneurs to build business networks and market their products and services through community events and press coverage.
Mentoring
We pair entrepreneurs with an experience business owner from the community for ongoing advisory support.
Financing
We are filling the lending gap by offering micro-loans of up to $35,000 to qualified entrepreneurs.
Featured Entrepreneurs
Without CIC I would not be where I am today. The program helped me realize that I actually do have a business that can be successful, that it could become more than just a dream.
Angelic’s Kitchen and Catering
Angelic’s Kitchen and Catering’s specialty is soul food, they specialize in festivals and special events, and offer catering for meetings, weddings and parties.
Learn MoreI learned so much from the curriculum and the knowledge of the CIC staff and cherish the relationships that were built during the workshop, I know they will last a lifetime.
Nona’s Italian Cucina
Crafts small batches of non-traditional tomato sauce, using locally sourced ingredients to create an authentic Italian recipe that is made with love and nostalgia.
Learn More