The NBA has had numerous high-profile players who have stood up in the name of racial injustice and social change. This week, the Milwaukee Bucks—no strangers to making a stand—announced a partnership with The Lonely Entrepreneur platform to help Black business owners thrive.
The team unveiled The Black Entrepreneur Initiative, a nationwide program that provides free access to valuable resources through The Lonely Entrepreneur Learning Platform to 100,000 Black businesses. The initiative starts on January 18 in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Day.
“Dr. King shared one thing with all entrepreneurs—a dream. But Black men and women face social and economic injustices that make that dream difficult,” said Michael Dermer, founder of The Lonely Entrepreneur in a press statement sent to BLACK ENTERPRISE
. “We want to thank the Milwaukee Bucks for giving the dreams of Black men and women a better chance of coming to life. We hope to make a lasting and significant impact on their lives and their communities.”The basketball team will also work to make sure the platform’s resources are available for local businesses in Wisconsin by working with organizations like the Milwaukee Chapter of the National Black MBA Association, MKE Black, and the Madison Region Economic Partnership to reach Black entrepreneurs within those networks.
“We’re thrilled to partner with The Lonely Entrepreneur to help advance its Black Entrepreneur Initiative nationwide and here in Wisconsin,” said Milwaukee Bucks Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility Arvind Gopalratnam in the statement.
“TLE’s entrepreneurial platform is a fantastic resource for aspiring business owners, and we’re hoping to extend it to as many Black entrepreneurs as we can beginning on Monday.”
Entrepreneurs can sign up to be a part of the program now through January 20.