HOUSTON, Texas – Sept. 7, 2022 – The application deadline is quickly approaching for Houston-area entrepreneurs to take part in a high-impact, tuition-free training program designed to help take their companies to the next level.
Mayor Sylvester Turner and Regions Bank are bringing back Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC) for a second consecutive year. The program will culminate locally with an intense training workshop featuring Dobbin Bookman, head of the Owner/President Management program at Harvard Business School. Additional higher education instructors will also provide training that is tailored for the needs of local companies.
“This program presents an excellent opportunity for Houston-area entrepreneurs to engage with experts and become equipped with the necessary tools to grow their business. Inner City Capital Connections will empower them to achieve economic mobility through entrepreneurship. Small businesses are critical drivers of the success of Houston’s economy, and they have contributed to our communities by creating jobs and providing much-needed goods and services,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner.
Representatives of Regions Bank will provide business coaching opportunities during the ICCC event. Further, the training workshop will be supplemented by follow-up webinar and coaching opportunities, all free of charge.
The application deadline for businesses seeking to participate in ICCC is Friday, Sept. 23. The ICCC training workshop itself will take place Wednesday, Oct. 5 at the Asia Society. Real-time Spanish-language translation services will be offered.
This program presents an excellent opportunity for Houston-area entrepreneurs to engage with experts and become equipped with the necessary tools to grow their business.
Sylvester Turner, Mayor of Houston, Texas
“ICCC is about elevating local businesses and helping entrepreneurs strategically position themselves for long-term growth and success,” said John Stacy, market executive for Regions Bank in Houston. “This is a program that truly builds more inclusive prosperity. We saw the significant impact of our 2021 ICCC event as small-business owners were equipped with ideas they could immediately apply to running their companies. Bringing this program back to serve even more small businesses is a top priority for Regions Bank as we work to advance Houston’s economic growth and small-business prosperity.”
Conducted by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC), the ICCC program empowers business owners through key insights on strategy, marketing, talent retention, access to capital and more. ICCC has tailored its curriculum to specifically address COVID market disruption factors as well. ICCC is designed for under-resourced entrepreneurs and businesses that operate in largely underserved communities.
Thanks to financial support from Regions Bank, ICCC charges no tuition. Nearly 110 Houston-area small-business owners participated in last year’s inaugural ICCC Houston event.
Entrepreneur and ICCC alumna Kim Roxie, ICCC executive director Diego Portillo Mazal and Regions Bank Houston market executive John Stacy (left to right) shared insights about the Harvard-level small-business program’s impact during the ICCC Houston Nominator Breakfast in August.
ICIC has worked with thousands of business owners across the U.S. since 2005. The nonprofit’s research shows that, following ICCC training, program alumni have averaged 120% revenue growth, collectively creating 21,390 jobs while raising $2.23 billion in capital.
“Regions Bank, one of ICIC’s most valuable and deeply-engaged community partners since 2014, continues to play a transformative role alongside Mayor Turner in the economic revitalization of Houston’s underserved neighborhoods,” said Steve Grossman, CEO with ICIC. “We’re proud to return next month to provide ICCC’s unique combination of technical assistance, one-on-one coaching and access to critical capital to small business owners as they emerge stronger from the pandemic.”
To be considered for the program, applicants should be an independent, for-profit or nonprofit corporation, partnership or proprietorship. Further, the company should have its headquarters or more than 51% of its physical operations in an economically distressed area or have more than 40% of its employees living in an economically distressed area. Sessions are limited to approximately 100 participants to offer maximum opportunities for business owners to ask questions and gain customized insights.
To take part, business owners need to apply directly through ICCC and meet various program criteria. Additional information on ICCC criteria can be found at iccapitalconnections.org. Entrepreneurs interested in applying may complete this online application form. An ICCC representative will follow up with interested companies to further discuss the program.
About Regions Financial Corporation
Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $161 billion in assets, is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation’s largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates approximately 1,300 banking offices and more than 2,000 ATMs. Regions Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com.