LISC Cleveland provided $49,950 to support United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland’s (UBF) MORTAR Entrepreneurship Academy, a fifteen-week course designed to confront the limitations and develop strengths of individuals starting or growing their businesses. MORTAR Cleveland was established in early 2024 and celebrated two cohorts with over 20 graduates. LISC Cleveland’s grant addressed specific business needs including marketing, technology upgrades, equipment purchases, and commercial space rental.
“As we continue to aim to support small businesses in our community, it is important that in addition to training, we provide financial support that allows these businesses to have the necessary resources to expand,” said Cecil Lipscomb, President and CEO of United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland. “The funding from LISC allowed us to help our graduates not only learn from the curriculum but implement the strategies that the curriculum teaches.”
The LISC Grant, which also supported administrative support to UBF, provided four $10,000 grants toPipe’n Hot Grill, a seafood restaurant which used the award to enhance their marketing strategy, inventory, labeling and equipment; Agency 33 , a full-service design and marketing agency, which acquired state of the art digital and lighting equipment and internet services, LujaxCatering a local catering service offering special event and personal chef services, applied its grant to expand their menu, enhance marketing efforts, and secure a commercial kitchen space; and A Better Day Academy a local daycare that focuses on art and multiculturalism as core components of education, which directed its grant award towards upgrading technology and expanding marketing initiatives.
LISC Cleveland is committed to supporting our local BDO network by providing support to small business looking to grown and scale – from grant and tech support to implement business plan growth, through lending for acquisitions, construction, or working capital. For additional information on LISC’s BDO network, contact Walter Morris at wmorris@lisc.org.