Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center

BRINGING THE POWER OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP TO UNDER-RESOURCED INDIVIDUALS (CONT' SCHEDULE O)

RENAISSANCE PENINSULA, LOCATED IN EAST PALO ALTO, WHERE NEARLY ONE-THIRD OF FAMILIES LIVE BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL AND ECONOMIC INEQUALITY, ESPECIALLY FOR WOMEN, IS STARK AND GROWING. SILICON VALLEY EXTREME INCOME DISPARITY IS BEING EXACERBATED BY THE PANDEMIC, FURTHER INCREASING THE STRUGGLES OF FAMILIES TO SURVIVE. HAVING LAUNCHED THE FIRST AND ONLY SMALL BUSINESS INCUBATOR IN 2015, WE ADJUSTED TO SUPPORT TENANT BUSINESSES DURING THE PANDEMIC. WE MAINTAINED A 77% TENANCY RATE WITH CLIENTS REPORTING THEY WOULD HAVE HAD TO CLOSE THEIR BUSINESSES PERMANENTLY IF THEY COULD NOT HAVE OPERATED IN OUR FACILITY. TO MEET THE NEEDS OF EMERGING RETAIL BUSINESSES, WE PIVOTED OUR POP-UP ENTREPRENEURS' MARKETPLACE TO VIRTUAL MARKETS - FOOD AND PRODUCT BUSINESSES WERE ABLE TO SELL THEIR WARES, TEST THEIR PRODUCTS, INCREASE THEIR VISIBILITY AND REACH NEW CUSTOMERS.

RENAISSANCE SOMA - SOUTH OF MARKET SAN FRANCISCO: HOME TO RENAISSANCE'S WOMEN'S BUSINESS CENTER A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, AND OUR LARGEST ENTREPRENEURIAL COMMUNITY - 35 SMALL BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITY-SERVING ORGANIZATIONS. IN RESPONSE TO THE SURGE IN DEMAND FOR SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT DURING THE PANDEMIC, RENAISSANCE SOMA EXPANDED OUR INTERNAL CAPACITY AND SERVED AN INCREASED NUMBER OF WOMEN THROUGH OUR WOMEN'S BUSINESS CENTER. WE HELD ONLINE CLASSES, WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS COVERING A BROAD RANGE OF BUSINESS TOPICS INCLUDING MARKETING, FINANCE AND BOOKKEEPING, ACCESS TO CAPITAL, E-COMMERCE AND DIGITAL TOOLS, LEGAL ISSUES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, NETWORKING EVENTS AND INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC EVENTS IN THE AREAS OF FOOD AND FASHION.

RENAISSANCE EAST BAY: RENAISSANCE SUPPORTED ENTREPRENEURIAL ENGLISH- AND SPANISH-SPEAKING CLIENTS FROM VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, FOCUSING ON RICHMOND, ANTIOCH AND PITTSBURG AND IN ALAMEDA, SPECIFICALLY FOCUSING ON THE EAST, WEST AND DOWNTOWN OAKLAND COMMUNITIES. WE EXPANDED OUR PROGRAMS AND SERVICE DELIVERY TO ONLINE AND PHONE, AND INCREASED OUR TECHNOLOGY TRAINING TO ENSURE ALL BUSINESSES WERE ABLE TO OPERATE IN THE DIGITAL ECONOMY (SERVICES INCLUDED WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT, ONLINE SALES AND PAYMENT PROCESSING, SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING, ETC.) AND EXPANDED OUR FINANCIAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND ACCESS TO CAPITAL SERVICES.

RENAISSANCE BAYVIEW, SAN FRANCISCO: IN 2021, RENAISSANCE EXPANDED OUR VIRTUAL BUSINESS CONSULTING TO SUPPORT EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED ENTREPRENEURS IN BAYVIEW HUNTERS POINT, ONE OF THE BAY AREA'S MOST UNDER-RESOURCED, LOWEST-INCOME COMMUNITIES SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED BY THE PANDEMIC. RENAISSANCE BAYVIEW WORKED INTENSIVELY WITH MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR, DELIVERING TRAINING AND MENTORING SUPPORT, HELPING SMALL CONTRACTOR BUSINESSES ACCESS CONTRACTS AND CREATE QUALITY JOBS FOR LOCAL COMMUNITY RESIDENTS. WE EXPANDED OUR SMALL BUSINESS EMPOWERMENT AND MENTORSHIP PROGRAM FOR WOMEN RESIDENTS OF PUBLIC HOUSING, CULMINATING IN "RENTANKS" WHERE GRADUATES PITCH THEIR BUSINESSES TO A PANEL OF JUDGES AND RECEIVE CASH AWARDS.