McKinsey & Company reports that finding access to capital is a main issue for Black-owned businesses. Prior to the pandemic, large banks approved just 29 percent of loans sought by black small-business owners compared to 60 percent for white small-business owners. Another report finds that Black-owned businesses are applying for new funding at a higher rate than white-owned businesses, yet their approval rates rank significantly lower. The pandemic is only amplifying these inequities, discouraging many Black and brown business owners from applying for financing altogether.

At this Roadmap for Growth Issue forum, we will gather leaders to understand how intentional wealth can be sparked in Black and brown communities and discuss the increasing need for access to capital in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. Experts will explore ways to spark this growth through inclusive lending practices, multi-year support commitments, staffing to reflect the communities served, and more.

SPEAKERS 
- Reginald C. Fuller III, Senior Vice President/Commercial Market Executive, Fulton Bank
- Osagie Imasogie , Co-Founder and Senior Managing Partner, PIPV Capital 
- Anne Bovaird Nevins, President, Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC)
- Jennifer Rodriguez, President & CEO, Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce