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Wednesday, February 19, 2025

ELEVATE MOVEMENT Awards Funds To Six Local African American Businesses

Members of The ELEVATE MOVEMENT pose with their 2019 Direct Impact Award recipients. (L-R): Thelma Jackson, Delbert Richardson of Global Unspoken Truths, Kela Hall of KD Hall Communication, Nichelle Alderson of Infinitely Well, Lee Yusuf of Angel City Deli, Keith Asphy of Presidential Transportation, and Debrena Jackson-Gandy. Not pictured is award recipient Theresa Hardy of Inspirational Workshops.

The ELEVATE MOVEMENT’s Direct Impact Dollars (DID) Initiative awarded its first six African-American business owners with funds donated by community member to help them grow their business.  

The ELEVATE MOVEMENT, which kicked off a little over two years ago, is based upon Black empowerment across four specific Pillars: Money & Business; Love Relationships; Health, Wellness and Healing; and Personal Growth and Spiritual Development.  The ELEVATE DID Initiative, which is part of the Money & Business Pillar, is a precedent-setting initiative that supports existing African-American businesses in growing and increasing capacity and cash flow by using leveraged, tax-deductible “direct impact dollars” contributed directly by the community and for the community.

In order to fund the initiative, the group solicited tax-deductible contributions from 50 members of the community, a community banking partner, and one organizational contributor – Team Child. 

The recipients, all of whom received $3,075 in Direct Impact Dollars, are: Nichelle Alderson of Infinitely Well; Keith Asphy of Presidential Transportation; Kela Hall of KD Hall Communications; Delbert Richardson of Global Unspoken Truths; Lee Yusuf of Angel City Deli; and Theresa Hardy of Inspirational Workshops.

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“We are pleased to announce our first cohort of African American business owners to receive these funds to help their business,” said Debrena Jackson-Gandy, one of the organizers of the ELEVATE MOVEMENT. “These funds will help these business owners grow their business by leveraging funds that come directly from the community.”

According to Jackson-Gandy, the DID’s are not loans, but are repayable awards that enable a second cycle of DID awards to occur. In addition, the recipients will participate in a 2-part business development workshop, led by seasoned, successful African-American business owners, and then receive their repayable award dollars.

To get more information about the initiative or to become a community contributor please visit www.NWILC-org/did-initiative.

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