City of Dallas, The DEC @ Redbird, 200 Business Orgs Partner to Launch Small Business Ecosystem

The City of Dallas, in collaboration with more than 200 business organizations, has formed a first-of-its-kind small business ecosystem that focuses specifically on small- and medium-sized women- and minority-owned businesses.

The new initiative—called Broaden Urban Investments to Leverage Dallas, or B.U.I.L.D.—was developed in partnership with orgs in Dallas County. It was spearheaded by a number of Dallas leaders, too: Michelle Williams, The Dallas Entrepreneur Center at RedBird; Brian K. Marshal, BCL of Texas; Benjamin Vann, Impact Ventures; and DeNita Lacking-Quinn, City of Dallas’ Office of Business Diversity.

The main goal of B.U.I.L.D. is to “unify the wealth of resources and initiatives across Dallas county to provide a centralized resource for small businesses at every stage of the business-cycle,” per the City of Dallas.

Whether that be entrepreneurs with ideas, early-stage startups, or businesses looking to scale, B.U.I.L.D. will provide those in Dallas County with technical training, business funding, capacity-building guidance, mentorship, and valuable resources.

“Minority and women-owned small business deserve access to opportunity, and I am happy that we can work with more than 200 businesses to make that happen,” City Manager T.C. Broadnax said in a statement. “This ecosystem will be a valuable asset in our dedication and service to help create a better experience for our small business owners.”

The B.U.I.L.D. website features continually updated resources to assist small businesses with each of their unique needs. The City of Dallas said the site is user-friendly, reliable, and centralized so each business owner can easily understand what’s available. It also helps eliminate any barriers to accessible resources that women- and minority-owned businesses often face.

Each organization within the B.U.I.L.D. Ecosystem will work together to promote and grow the resources as businesses’ needs evolve.

“This is the first time we have developed a collaborative effort for 200 business service organizations to help create a resource like this that will directly impact small businesses in Dallas,” Zarin Gracey, who is part of the City of Dallas’ Office of Business Diversity, said in a statement. “We have been working for over a year on this project and are so proud to see the launch of this website resource.”