The KeyBank Foundation is making a $300,000 grant to the Indiana Black Expo’s (IBE) Black Business Training Institute. This investment is part of KeyBank’s $40 billion National Community Benefits Plan, which helps communities reach social, economic and racial equity. This funding will assist IBE in its mission of working to eliminate racial disparities that exist for African Americans and other underrepresented and disadvantaged individuals.

“IBE is a major economic and social contributor and force for change in our community. Now more than ever, the work they do to help entrepreneurs and small business owners is crucial to building strong, vibrant and sustainable neighborhoods,” said Juan Gonzalez, KeyBank Central Indiana Market President and Business Banking Sales Leader. ”This investment by KeyBank in the Black Business Training Institute shows that we are proud to stand with them and amplify their efforts to be a voice and vehicle for social and economic advancement across our state.”

The goal of the IBE’s Black Business Training Institute is to re-energize Central Indiana’s African American small business community by establishing more thriving businesses led by Black entrepreneurs. Doing so will increase the capacity of Black businesses to grow their workforce and strengthen existing minority small businesses. IBE plans to do this by:

• Strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem to encourage personal development and increase peer resources for Black business development
• Increasing the number of procurement opportunities for minority-led small businesses
• Increasing Indiana business owners’ access to the best available talent from the Black and minority community

To accomplish these objectives, IBE will offer a robust 10-week business management program for two cohorts of 25 business owners in Central Indiana. The first cohort training will take place in Indianapolis this spring and the second cohort will occur in the fall. The training will focus on practical business skills that can immediately be applied by small minority business owners.

“IBE has been supporting and training small minority businesses since its inception 51 years ago and KeyBank has been a strong supporter of our Black Business Conference for more than a decade. We are grateful for KeyBank’s continued investment in our economics equity work and the opportunity to intensify our supports provided to Black-owned businesses,” said IBE President & CEO Tanya Mckinzie. This initiative has been two years in the making as we listened to business owners across the state share with us the areas where they need more support,” added Mckinzie.

Business owners and entrepreneurs interested in participating in the first cohort can complete the application available on IBE’s website at: https://www.indianablackexpo.com/contact-ibe/.

Read more about KeyBank’s investment in the IBE:

Indiana Black Expo’s new business development program gets $300,000 grant | Indianapolis Star

Indiana Black Expo launches training program for Black business owners | Indianapolis Business Journal