Project Launch: 3-6-23

Arcturus Community Endeavors (ACE) works to level the playing field for small businesses by connecting business owners with opportunities, and cultivating a community for small business entrepreneurs.  The ACE Work, Learn & Thrive project trains and empowers youth ages 16-22 from underserved communities to support minority, women and immigrant owned small businesses who have financial, marketing and legal needs. In partnership with the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) who pay youth to participate and with funding from World Connect, the ACE Work, Learn & Thrive will train 100 interns who will outreach to 2,500 small businesses in the Bronx and Brooklyn. Youth are trained to offer free support to business owners using the ACE app where they are able to input data, share free resources and develop plans for next steps to help small business owners achieve their desired goals. Youth become leaders and small business advocates in their neighborhoods while building trust and gaining valuable skills.  Youth will also work with ACE to analyze the data collected and come to a set of findings and recommendations which will be presented to city officials and locally elected representatives.