Midtown Wednesdays

Blacks More Likely to Start Businesses - and Fail

Fewer black Americans own businesses than do white Americans, a recent study reports - but not because they aren't trying.

The study found that blacks are almost twice as likely as whites to try starting a business but are significantly less likely to survive the first few years. Read more.

Here are some examples of how the Midtown Innovation Zone is strengthening and accelerating innovation and entrepreneurship:

- Tomorrow's Midtown Wednesday forum brings people together to participate in a brainstorming and planning session to design a new African American Cultural Center in Midtown. I-Open will produce a social network map of attendess to get a better understanding of how ideas and collaborations form. The map will be posted as public information here.

- William Holdipp, of the Consortium of African American Organizations (CAAO), identifies some next steps here.

- In last week's Midtown Wednesdays forum, Ted Jordan and forum attendees identified several next steps: teach kids to think entrepreneurially about the gaming industry by building games and, host a gaming conference in Midtown. (see previous post: "Midtown Wednesdays: Starting Early with IT Education for Kids")

Some next steps:
- Further strengthen the social networks in the African American community with a two fold approach: a strategic process to build open economic networks and, integrate higher levels of technology adoption.

posted by Unknown @ 2/20/2006