Genesis Block Launches Technology Products to Advance Entrepreneurship
Genesis Block is announcing the launch of a technology platform designed to advance equity in entrepreneurship. Genesis Block provides business development services for 56 companies in southeastern North Carolina. Over 75% of Genesis Block member companies are women owned and 68% of the companies are owned by African Americans.
“We think we provide one of the most inclusive entrepreneurial communities in southeastern North Carolina. Our goal is to use entrepreneurship as not only a pathway to prosperity but also as a vehicle to unite us as a society. At Genesis Block we are one BIG family and we look at each other as unique expressions of the divine but ultimately we are one community united,” says Girard Newkirk Cofounder and CEO of Genesis Block.
Genesis Block and CastleBranch partnered on the development of a technology platform to promote minority entrepreneurs and small businesses in the Cape Fear region. For Brett Martin, CEO of tekMountain and CastleBranch, partnering with Genesis Block to build a new generation of Black entrepreneurs will help address the city’s long history of racial and economic inequality, stemming from the violent 1898 coup d’état that robbed Wilmington of its thriving class of Black businessmen and entrepreneurs.
“Wilmington was once home to a rising middle class of Black entrepreneurs and professionals, but their success was stolen during the 1898 coup,” said Martin. “Until businesses are owned by Black men and women, the wealth of our city will never be felt by the Black community. Genesis Block is on a mission to change that, and together we’ll transform Wilmington’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.”
The partnership builds on collaboration between Genesis Block and CastleBranch to train the entrepreneurs and small business owners of the future through Genesis Block Entrepreneurship Academy, small business incubators and accelerator programs.
Anza is a mobile application and website that supports inclusive contracting and minority business enterprise marketing. The goal is to increase minority participation in contracting and procurement, while also making it easier for developers and prime contractors to connect with trade partners. The team launches a pilot for Anza in October 2021 which includes Monteith Construction, Greenfield Environmental Trust Group and the New Hanover County Government.
“Our corporate partners, prime contractors, minority and women business enterprises and government agencies are our eyes and ears build this product. There feedback and recommendations will guide our product development. We have conducted several interviews, surveys and feedback questionnaires to gain better insights on the desired outcomes of all stakeholders in the contracting space. We believe this pilot will give us the insights to provide enterprise solutions to support equity in the contracting process,”says Newkirk.
Join the Anza Movement here https://dev.anza.app/login.
The Genesis List is a digital directory of minority owned businesses in the Cape Fear region with filters to negotiate searches with ease. The goal is to provide a platform for minority businesses to market to a broader audience, while simultaneously providing a database that makes it easy to locate minority owned businesses for interested parties.
The Genesis List is now accessible at www.genesislist.com. Minority owned businesses can sign up for FREE and the website directory is accessible to users interested in locating minority owned businesses in the Cape Fear region.
