East Liberty-based coworking and startup incubator Ascender is issuing a final call to Black-owned startups and small businesses in Pittsburgh to apply for its mini-grant program, which is accepting applications via a two-minute video submission until the end of the month.
And while the nonprofit will ultimately only be able to award four grants ranging from $500 to $2,000 in size, Ascender Executive Director Nadyli Nuñez is hoping that the demand for such aid — discernable based on how many individuals end up applying for it — is something she'll be able to take to other companies and organizations that want to support Pittsburgh's Black business community so it can be shown to them where such aid is needed most. Nuñez also said there remains an option to add to the overall mini-grant fund should interested parties be willing to contribute funds.
"If we get a lot of applications, especially certain entrepreneurs that none of us have really realized what they're doing, then can I leverage some of that and maybe garner some additional funding and just show, 'look at all these folks?'" Nuñez said. "People are asking, 'where are the Black entrepreneurs?' [I'll say,] 'look at all these folks doing incredible things and can I get more funding in order to give it out? … There is no shortage of corporations, whether locally or nationally, who are saying that they want to support Black founders. Here they are, what do you want to do with them? I've got them for you. What's your next excuse?"
Nuñez is optimistic that the low barriers of the application itself will drive additional interest from people who may lack the confidence or ability to best explain their business proposal or idea in a traditional written application format. With a two-minute video application, Nuñez believes just about anyone should be able to apply for the mini-grant program.
"Some people aren't writers; some people are great writers and they don't have a good business idea; some people are bad writers and they're doing the thing, they're doing the work," Nuñez said. "This is an opportunity with the video to just show up as you. That's what I hope; we do give guidelines too, in case people are a little camera shy or don't know where to start because this is not typical. … It doesn't have to be professionally made, it can be on your phone, it could be you sitting down and saying, 'this is what I do and this is how far we've come along,' or you're showing a video of your actual thing."
She continued: "The whole point is I'm trying to make this easy. It's like Nike: Just do it."
