Pittsfield — At an awards ceremony held at its office on Wednesday, February 1, the Berkshire Black Economic Council (BBEC) announced the winners of its first-ever Leaders for Equitable Pittsfield grants. Each of the six awardees received a $4,000 grant from the council.
According to the organization’s website, the grant was established after the organization conducted an independent research project with the Boston Federal Reserve Bank to identify ways to make the local economy more equitable and inclusive. The grant was established for local BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color)-owned businesses to transform capital fund distribution for marginalized small businesses; the organization “strongly believes that their efforts can be a catalyst to begin eliminating systemic inequity in their community.”
“We saw this opportunity as a way to give back to Pittsfield, the place that made us who we are,” BBEC President A.J. Enchill said at the event. “This community made us tough and made us resilient. We didn’t have to look too far to understand that there is a gap between the BIPOC community and the community at large. In order to address this, we created a grant. We figured that, if we create a grant, we can help build up entrepreneurs and make this area a truly more diverse and robust local economy. In doing so, we can increase diversity efforts and make Pittsfield all that it can be.”
The grant awardees announced at the event included:
- Maria Arias of the Maggie Sadoway Immigrant Cooperative, which, according to a press release issued by BBEC, is a worker’s owned immigrant cooperative working to expand, grow, and sustain its sewing business;
- Miriam Orengo of Gustitos Boricuas/La Cocineras Latinas, an immigrant-owned Puerto Rican catering business;
- Ranisha Grice of Grice Beauty, an organic beauty and wellness brand;
- Jocelyn Guelce of Guelce Marketing Collaborative, a digital marketing consulting firm focused on building community;
- Goundo Behanzin of Berkshire International Market, a specialty retail, grocery, and convenience store;
- and Ludwig Jean-Louis of Cravins Ice Cream, an immigrant-owned soft serve and frozen yogurt shop and food truck.
In his speech, Enchill said that the pandemic was not an easy time for business owners. “As a result, we lost a few businesses in our downtown area,” Enchill said. “But now we’re able to use the information that we learned in developing this grant to develop another grant that will recruit new businesses into these vacant storefronts.” Enchill did not give further details on the new grant program during the ceremony.
For more information about BBEC visit its website.
