Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills on the GMCF Community Hour Show Episode - 230

Sheila Ellis-Glasper of Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills shares how her organization has distributed over $114,000 in grants to business owners of color and launched a groundbreaking loan fund with a 4% interest rate. She unveils plans for the Yuma Street Cultural Center, the first Kansas initiative combining African-American heritage, entrepreneurship support, and cultural preservation while revealing fascinating historical connections, including Dr. King's impromptu Yuma Street speech.

• Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills has graduated over 20 entrepreneurs through a 12-week Kauffman Foundation business training program
• The Elevate and Empower Loan Fund offers entrepreneurs up to $15,000 at just 4% interest
• Yuma Street contains rich but often overlooked history, including visits from Jackie Robinson, Joe Louis, and Lena Horne
• The Woods family (including Tiger Woods' father, Earl Woods) was among Manhattan's first African-American settlers
• The inaugural Yuma Street Cultural Festival takes place August 31st from 1-9 pm with free admission, food, dancing, and historic tours
• The $2.3 million Yuma Street Cultural Center project is planned to open by 2027 in the historic Shepherd's Chapel building
• The Center will feature event space, entrepreneurial resources, a commercial kitchen, and a rotating restaurant incubator

Learn more or contribute to these initiatives at blackflinthills.com and yumastreet.org.

GMCF

CFAs