July 16, 2021
ROC Cohort Releases Plan for Equitable Small Business Recovery
Find out how the Lancaster ROC Cohort is building a strategy with BIPOC business owners for equitable small business recovery.
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.
Be a part of this initiative
Meet the Lancaster County Cohort Team
Lancaster County is 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.
We recognize that the team is not fully representative of our community. Therefore, as we progress through the learning journey, we are committed to continuously reach out to other community members and leaders for insights on the needs of our community, and to bring in more voices throughout the process.
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:
July 16, 2021
ROC Cohort Releases Plan for Equitable Small Business Recovery
Find out how the Lancaster ROC Cohort is building a strategy with BIPOC business owners for equitable small business recovery.
March 9, 2022
Centering BIPOC & Underrepresented Business Voices: A community conversation to promote equitable small business recovery
We once again want to invite BIPOC small business owners to a community conversation where the ROC cohort will be presenting a draft strategic plan. We hope to hear small business owners feedback on the multi-year plan given their current needs and future aspirations for our community.
March 2, 2022
Centering BIPOC & Underrepresented Business Voices: A community conversation to promote equitable small business recovery
We once again want to invite BIPOC small business owners to a community conversation where the ROC cohort will be presenting a draft strategic plan. We hope to hear small business owners feedback on the multi-year plan given their current needs and future aspirations for our community.
