Tag: Na’im Al-Amin

Mobile plant shop, nonprofit for returning citizens among latest Alchemy Sandbox grant winners

By Tommy Felts / December 8, 2022

The Porter House KC closed out the first year of its Alchemy Sandbox program by awarding five more small business owners with up to $5,000 in grants. In total, PHKC Alchemy Sandbox awarded 20 businesses with grants in 2022.  “We started this journey with a simple idea: to deepen our commitment to supporting the small…

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Na’im Al-Amin, SWAGG INC; Torey Crawford, MOS; Brandon Calloway, GIFT KC; Brenan Latimer, Future of Us; and Avrell Stokes, BeGreat Together

Give Black aims for $500K in Juneteenth donations; organizers say public urgency to support Black businesses dropping

By Tommy Felts / June 13, 2022

Black-led and Black-serving organizations are expected to get a boost this week in the runup to Juneteenth as the Give Black campaign returns in its third year. Organized byKansas City GIFT (Generating Income For Tomorrow) and BeGreat Together, the campaign runs June 13-18 with a goal to raise $500,000. New this year: Give Black also…

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Kyle Smith, Determination Incorporated; and Sarah Muntean, All American Construction Contractors

Rise Up, Get Started winners: Building a second chance as job market sputters

By Tommy Felts / June 25, 2020

A slowly recovering job market is pushing more people — many of whom previously didn’t imagine ever running their own businesses — into entrepreneurship, said Kyle J. Smith. “The Kauffman Foundation would say they’re starting a business out of necessity rather than choice,” Smith elaborated, describing the importance of programs that provide a second chance…

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