JPMorgan Chase Announces $2.5 Million Expansion of Ascend 2020 to Support Minority-Owned Small Businesses

JPMorgan Chase today announced today a $2.在未来三年内，扩大“提升2020”计划，支持少数族裔拥有的小企业，投资500万美元, taking it from six U.S. cities to 10. The expansion of Ascend 2020, headquartered at the University of Washington Foster School of Business, will also formalize business education, consulting services, 并与承诺在未来三年内增加对少数族裔企业支出的锚定机构建立伙伴关系.

According to Ascend 2020, the median white-owned small business has revenue 1.比拉丁裔公司的中位数大5倍，比非洲裔公司的中位数大5倍. Ascend 2020 connects minority entrepreneurs to business schools, 供应商和社区合作伙伴改善获得3m的途径:管理实力(通过商业教育), markets (business-to-business and consumers), and money (seed capital, flexible credit and equity investment).

“Ascend 2020 is a model for supporting minority-owned small business that is working, and we are excited to be driving inclusive economic growth by bringing it to other U.S. cities,” said Peter Scher, Global Head of Corporate Responsibility, JPMorgan Chase. “By joining forces with the University of Washington, we’re improving minority-owned businesses access to the capital, education and new clients they need to thrive.”

Ascend 2020 is currently active in six cities (Atlanta, the Bay Area, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle and Washington, D.C.)，这是澳博官方网站app(JPMorgan Chase) 1.5亿美元小企业前进(Small Business Forward)项目的一部分，该项目旨在帮助女性, minority and veteran entrepreneurs. Since the program’s launch in late 2016, Ascend 2020 has helped 140 businesses earn a total of $8 million in investments, which includes $5 million in contracts and $3 million in new capital.

“我们正在处理的根本问题是美国的贫富差距及其对我国经济的影响,” said Michael Verchot, 他是华盛顿大学福斯特商学院咨询和商业发展中心的执行主任. “我很高兴能与澳博官方网站app合作，建立一个全国性的人员和组织网络, 谁正在努力通过创造新的机会，使少数族裔企业主能够成长和繁荣，来应对系统性挑战.”

“We are delighted to learn of this partnership between the UW, ranked as one of the top 10 most innovative universities in the world, and JPMorgan Chase, 在实现共同繁荣、经济流动性和包容性的共同愿景方面，成为牛津英语词典的重要合作伙伴,” said Rebecca Lovell, Acting Director of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development. “公平的就业机会和创业精神是创造和保留伦敦金融城每个社区财富的关键工具. 我们赞赏澳博官方网站app在扩大Ascend 2020对少数族裔企业的支持方面所发挥的作用.”

澳博官方网站app(JPMorgan Chase)最近将“小企业前进”(Small Business Forward)的规模从7500万美元扩大到1.5亿美元，这是其200亿美元计划的一部分, five-year U.S. 投资增加公司的小企业贷款承诺和社区投资，以推动包容性经济增长.

Ascend 2020’s National Support for Entrepreneurs

In addition to today’s announcement in Seattle, JPMorgan Chase also announced a $100,000 planning grant to help support entrepreneurs in Long Island, New York, the first of the four new cities to be announced as part of Ascend 2020. “长岛提升”项目将由霍夫斯特拉大学的国家郊区研究中心(National Center for Suburban Studies)负责，该中心的研究显示，越来越多的移民和流离失所的城市居民现在居住在郊区社区，旨在支持小企业在郊区社区的扩张.

On March 29, 亚特兰大莫尔豪斯学院(Morehouse College)也为第一批参加该项目的企业家举办了首届Ascend 2020演示日. Seventeen business owners had an opportunity to pitch their companies, share product demos and network with key leaders in Atlanta's growing tech ecosystem.

Supporting Minority Entrepreneurs

Ascend2020的扩张计划借鉴了澳博官方网站app(JPMorgan Chase)在底特律和其他城市支持少数族裔小企业的做法. Two years ago, JPMorgan Chase, along with W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Detroit Development Fund, created a $6.作为该公司为底特律经济复苏投资1.5亿美元的一部分，该基金将向少数族裔拥有的小企业提供资金和技术援助. In December 2017, 澳博官方网站app(JPMorgan Chase)及其合作伙伴宣布，由于底特律基金的初步成功，该基金的规模将扩大两倍，达到逾1,800万美元, improving economic conditions in the city and strong collaboration between civic, business and nonprofit leadership.

Since its launch, this Detroit fund has lent or approved $4.700万到45个少数族裔小企业，创造了600多个新的或保留的就业机会. 53%的贷款用于支持少数族裔女性拥有的企业，近四分之三(70%)的贷款用于支持底特律社区的小企业.

In February, 澳博官方网站app(JPMorgan Chase)宣布，将把有色人种企业家基金(Entrepreneurs of Color Fund)模式扩展到旧金山和南布朗克斯, 结合其慈善事业和商业专业知识，帮助服务不足的企业家获得他们成长所需的资本, create jobs and drive local economic growth. 新基金将为社区贷款伙伴提供基础资金，用于发放贷款、提供技术援助和个性化服务. These entrepreneurs are typically unable to qualify for traditional loans, often due to previous credit challenges, limited financial collateral, short business history or informal businesses practices.

Small businesses are key drivers of growth, and that growth is fastest among minority and women entrepreneurs. A 2016 study 竞争力内城研究所的一项调查显示，大城市的小企业提供了大部分就业机会, but that number is even bigger in inner city areas. In Detroit, 小企业占城市范围内工作岗位的一半，而在底特律的内城社区，这一数字跃升至三分之二. 同一份报告还发现，现有小企业创造的就业机会适度增加，可以为所有目前失业的内城居民创造足够的就业机会.