Reinventing Our Communities (ROC) Lancaster County Cohort
Lancaster County Team Joined the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s Racial Equity and Small Business Support Cohort Program
A cross-sector collaboration of organizations, businesses, and community members in Lancaster County participated in the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s second annual Reinventing Our Communities cohort program. This program used a lens of racial justice to focus on equitable business recovery, and to support business owners disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and those that have been historically and systematically oppressed. In July 2022, the cohort finalized a multi-year plan for Lancaster County. Currently, the ROC cohort is working on implementation.
LATEST NEWS
Over this 10 month program, the Lancaster County cohort:
- Participated in racial equity training led by Race Forward, a nonprofit racial justice organization, and in smaller group trainings with practitioners with business expertise
- Engaged Lancaster County businesses and the larger community throughout this initiative to ensure their voices were represented in any strategies that were developed
- Identified structural barriers that business owners face, and developed recommendations for equitable business recovery using input from the community, to enhance and fill in gaps that exist in current initiatives
Building a Strategy with BIPOC Business Owners:
Throughout their learning journey, the ROC cohort engaged more than four dozen BIPOC-small business owners, and with their help, identified three strategic priorities:
- Strengthen trust among resource providers and BIPOC-owned small businesses
- Build equitable access to capital for BIPOC-owned small businesses
- Strengthen community for BIPOC-owned small businesses
The strategic plan includes clear goals and actionable steps to implement solutions within a three to five-year timeline.
Ongoing Programs and Initiatives
Meet the Lancaster County Cohort Team
Lancaster County was represented in the Reinventing Our communities Cohort by twelve cross-sector organizations and businesses: ASSETS, Communication Essentials LLC, Community Action Partnership of Lancaster County, Lancaster City Alliance, Lancaster City Council, Lancaster County Chamber of Commerce, Lancaster County Community Foundation, PhotOle Photography, The Cultured Professional Network, United Way of Lancaster County, Waller Tax & Financial Services, and YWCA of Lancaster.
After the program ended, the cohort rebranded into the Reimagining Our Community (ROC) Cohort to continue the work locally. Current members include Amer AlFayadh (Communication Essentials LLC), Danielle Beattie (KW Elite), Denzel Brown, (ASSETS), Alissa Calhoun (Department of Neighborhood Engagement (LOOP), City of Lancaster), Chelsea Christmas (ASSETS), Javar Colon (Lancaster Chamber), Alma Felix (Lancaster County Community Foundation), Casey Flores (Spider Image Promotions), Ariana Garcia (KWElite), Ole Hongvanthong (PhotOle Photography), Adam Hosey (Cultural Bridges to Justice), Whitney Lupton (TCP Network), Ashleen Nice Weaver (Truist), Alex Otthofer (Lancaster City Alliance), and Travis Kirkland (Truist).
Previous small business members include: Hattie McCarter (Mend Consulting), Kelvin Harris (Coldwell Banker Realty)
The work of the cohort is also strengthened by the ongoing participation of dozens of local small business owners who attend the ROC community conversations and those who are part of the advising team.
Be a part of this initiative
Learn More About The Team's Progress
Throughout the process we will publish news where we will share insights on what we learn throughout the program, and update on any strategies we develop. Read the latest news items:
