Capital Campaign

African American owned entrepreneurs will directly benefit from our programming

Our Goal

The Roots Collective will help them identify sustainable business solutions. Our goal is also to close the wealth gap within five years. In Knoxville, TN, in 2017 the African-American poverty rate was 42%, while only making up 17% of the Knoxville population. It’s our duty to serve this under-resourced minority population by working to close this tremendous gap particularly by developing small business start-ups for African Americans.

Office Work. Thoughtful African American Business Girl Using Laptop Sitting At Workplace. Selective Focus

Our Solutions

Our solutions meaningfully contribute to African American’s power and influence because we are giving them tools and resources they need to have a successful business. The Roots Collective will actively deal with and dismantle the idea of imposter syndrome and the startling lack of access afforded to Black people.

The Process

We will know that we are making progress by collecting data on the number/amount of sales our clients are making. We will also take surveys to make sure we are meeting our clients needs. Lastly, we will know there is success when our clients are able to hire their first employee and receive $100,000 in sales within their first five years.

We will have a deep and intense impact on a small population or geography. By locating the Roots Collective in the predominantly Black community, the success of our entrepreneurs (which we feel confident about) will greatly impact its geographical proximate community. Essentially, this equates to higher living standards and more resources to areas like health and education.

What We Are Doing

We are raising $1.5 million for The Growth and Development Center to include a co-working space, a childcare center for working entrepreneurs, a creative space, and a space for business resource classes. What we are doing is unprecedented in the entire state of Tennessee. We are the first to be intentional about economic development in a low income, predominately Black urban area. And there’s no better time than now.