Tempe BIPOC micro-manufacturers receive grants up to $25,000

Published: Thursday, January 12, 2023 - 12:46pm

Nearly 30 entrepreneurs in Tempe have received grants up to $25,000. The money can be used for anything to help their business succeed — that could mean covering rent, investing in training, or buying supplies and equipment.

Last fall, Tempe leaders approved the program for micro-manufacturers who identify as Black, Indigenous or people of color. Recipients include local businesses that make everything from candles and clothes to hot sauce and fruit juices.

In a written statement, Mayor Corey Woods said, "Helping people prosper is only one benefit of this program. Investing in Tempe’s entrepreneurs is a way of investing in our city’s future economic growth. We all benefit from new products and services, new ideas and possibly even new jobs."

Representatives from Tempe’s Economic Development Department, Tempe’s Chamber of Commerce, FABRIC Tempe, State of Black Arizona, Hustle PHX, Pacific Southwest Minority Supplier Development Council and RAIL CDC selected 27 companies with fewer than five employees.

After securing $500,000 in federal funding, Tempe added $300,000 to the program. The idea came about shortly after Maria Laughner, Tempe deputy economic development, listened to a presentation on the state of Black business in Arizona and read an article about the growth of micro-manufacturing in urban areas.

According to the Arizona Commerce Authority, more than 180,000 people work in manufacturing across the state.

Grant recipients include: