Ascend program issues $50K to minority-owned businesses

The latest round of grants for the Ascend program this month resulted in a combined $50,000 going to 10 local minority-owned small businesses.

Additionally, U.S. Bank presented $100,000 in funding to continue providing grants for the initiative at the Sept. 13 event at the downtown Springfield shop of Mama G’s Kitchen. The Downtown Springfield Association, which is partnering on Ascend with U.S. Bank, Missouri State University’s Efactory and the Multicultural Business Association, awarded the grants to the recipients. Ascend stands for Advancing Springfield’s Commitment to Entrepreneurship, Networking and Diversity.

“We’ve been able over the last three years to make major investments in our small businesses and our entrepreneurs and our neighbors. We are really excited about that,” DSA President Rusty Worley said at the grant presentation.

Two rounds of grants, each totaling $25,000, were presented to 10 businesses in 2022, which is when the initiative launched, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting. U.S. Bank officials previously told SBJ the local grants fit perfectly with the company’s corporate goal called the Access Commitment, which aims to close the racial wealth gap. To date, each recipient has received a $5,000 grant.

Kitchen expansion
One of this month’s 10 recipients is Mama G’s Kitchen, a business launched in 2022 by Gloria Hereford when she opened a restaurant inside the food hall at Metro Eats, 2463 W. Sunshine St. In late June, Hereford added a second location in College Station at 210 S. Market St., Ste. 124. She said she learned of the Ascend program from someone at church and applied even before making plans to open the downtown eatery.

“It actually came in handy now because of having the new location,” Hereford said, adding she intends to use the grant toward new kitchen equipment, including an extra fryer.

While Hereford has a combined staff of 33, including 28 employees at the downtown shop, she is frequently shuttling between the two locations. She said startup costs for the new eatery were just a little under $100,000.

“It’s so challenging, but Metro Eats is still as busy as it was before we opened downtown,” she said of her venture, which serves comfort and soul food. “It’s been challenging because I still cook for both locations, so I will leave downtown and go out to Metro and try and get everything cooked and then I go back downtown and try and get ready for dinnertime. So, it’s a process that I’m trying to figure out how to do.”

Hereford said most of her time is downtown, adding her daughter is trained to assist with a lot of cooking responsibilities.

Seeking aid
The Ascend program has been the best initiative for Black, Indigenous and people of color-owned small businesses in Springfield that Duan Gavel can recall. Gavel works as an electric system designer for City Utilities of Springfield and is co-creator of All Things Diverse SGF, a directory-style app that’s free to users and participating businesses that connects consumers to diverse businesses. He also is board vice president for the Multicultural Business Association.

“I don’t think I’ve heard of anything to this scale in helping this many businesses with that dollar amount where it’s enough to make a huge impact on small-business owners,” Gavel said.

Although there have been statewide initiatives, such as the small-business grant program by the Missouri Department of Economic Development, Gavel said funding assistance opportunities for BIPOC business owners are slim.

“It is a hard search locally. Opportunities are not great here in Springfield,” he said. “For small-business owners, it’s kind of hit or miss.”

The nonprofit Multicultural Business Association seeks to promote economic development and business opportunities as it advocates, assists and provides networking activities for its membership of diverse multicultural-owned businesses and professionals. Gavel said the organization previously had lifetime membership, which numbered over 100 members. However, the organization is restructuring its membership for annual renewals.

The organization has a general membership but also offers bronze, silver and gold options with a variety of services provided per package. Annual prices range $50-$300.

Eway LLC co-owner Marquez Williams said financial aid for minority-owned businesses is a struggle. However, his electrical scooter rental company is among the 20 businesses that has received an Ascend grant.

“We were definitely appreciative for the grant that we got, but at the end of the day it was only $5,000,” Williams said of the funds received in 2022. The company used the funds to pay rent for its then-new office at the Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise Center, which houses the Efactory. “You can only do so much with that. There should be a lot more going around.”

The number of Eway’s scooters, which can be rented via its Ride Eway app, has increased steadily since the company’s 2021 origin. Starting with five scooters, Eway has expanded to 53 this year.

The scooter boundaries are limited to the downtown area, bounded by Commercial Street to the north, Grand Street to the south, National Avenue to the east and Grant Avenue to the west.

“Most people will drive down to one of the parking lots and then grab scooters and ride around for an hour or two and then drop it back off and get back in the car,” he said, adding he and co-owner Trayvon Northern seek to add their scooters in at least one more city by next year.

“We’re juggling between a couple different ones,” he said, declining to identify the candidates. “We’re still trying to work with their city councils to see who’s going to move the fastest and get that done. In the next five years, I plan to have at least five cities that we’re operating in.”

Another of the newest grant recipients is Crosstown Barbecue Inc. Owner Steve Williams said he plans to use the grant funding to incorporate an online ordering system and efficient delivery costs at his longtime restaurant, which operates at 1331 E. Division St.

“It’s hard to find good people. You’ve got to pay a little more. The grant has helped us in that aspect,” Williams said.

Digital Editor Geoff Pickle contributed.