The Truist Foundation has announced the launch of Where It Starts, a multiyear, $22 million program to strengthen small businesses and open career pathways for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) individuals across the United States.

Three organizations were awarded grants through the initiative. CAEL (the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning) will receive $15.7 million to launch a six-year initiative in Charlotte, North Carolina; Memphis, Tennessee; and Miami, Florida, that prioritizes BIPOC and underserved communities by building career paths in professions and industries where these communities have been underrepresented, such as financial services. In addition, Living Cities and Main Street America were awarded a joint $6.3 million grant to lead a multiyear effort in the same cities as well as Nashville to uplift entrepreneurs of color by providing them with tools, resources, and collaboration opportunities with community leaders to break down local systemic barriers for small business owners. 

“In collaboration with CAEL, Living Cities, and Main Street America, we will remove barriers to growth and create pathways to opportunity,” said Truist Foundation president Lynette Bell. “Tackling systemic, perpetual inequity starts by taking a whole-person approach. At Truist Foundation, this means partnering with organizations to look at individuals and their unique circumstances and co-creating a solution tailored to their specific need.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/gorodenkoff)