While recent census data shows Northeast Wisconsin’s non-white population growing, people of color remain a heavy minority in the region — making it sometimes challenging for them to navigate a business world in which they don’t see others who look like them or share lived experiences.
For some entrepreneurs and professionals, simply having a space to network away from microaggressions and the need for code-switching is a welcome respite. In 2017, the organization Regional People of Color was started in Oshkosh for exactly that reason by a business leader who understood the challenges of being the only person of color at a given table.
Today, the organization has been rebranded, created a board of directors and has an ever-broadening mission, says Kimyatta Ratliff. As president and CEO of the ColorBold Business Association, which gained official nonprofit status in 2022, Ratliff envisions an inclusive organization that not only connects BIPOC business leaders to each other but to the broader community.
“We have a tagline that says ‘grow, connect and have a seat at the table,’” says Ratliff, a Green Bay-based advocate and entrepreneur who not only serves as ColorBold’s sole staffer but is also an experienced business owner, ethnic hair care instructor and pastor.
In just a short time, ColorBold has created a successful “community navigator” program that provides one-on-one support to business owners as well as multiple programs that help promote their work.
“If they are stuck or looking for ways to pivot or change, we can help them brainstorm as well as connect them to people who are already doing the things they need help with in their business,” Ratliff says. “That can be anything from [how to get] business cards to how to get a contract. A lot of people have ideas and want to achieve goals, but they’re scared. With our community navigator program, we’ve been able to…give them more courage to keep working in their business, and that’s been awesome to see.”
While networking events and the community navigator program help participants work on their businesses, opportunities like pop-up shops and the Christmas season “Shop BIPOC” program provide marketing exposure and give community members who say they want to do more to support people of color in their business pursuits a chance to “put their dollars where their mouth and their heart is,” Ratliff says. Lifting up those businesses is a key goal of ColorBold, which also spotlights a bimonthly “Entrepreneur of Color.”
On the flip side, Ratliff says helping organizations increase their engagement with people of color is also part of ColorBold’s mission. She says ColorBold can provide consulting services and help build bridges for businesses and nonprofits looking to reach more diverse audiences.
“[In] going out to something new or being around people who may have previously mistreated [people of color], unfortunately, people need other people who they can trust to say ‘this organization or event is something you should try,’” says Ratliff, adding that ColorBold has worked with organizations including On Broadway, Inc. and UW-Green Bay in the past to help make programs more open, diverse and safe for people of color who want to participate.
Ratliff says future plans call for everything from a business incubator space to a youth initiative. Funding ColorBold’s growth has primarily come through grants, Ratliff says, which have been awarded with assistance from UW Extension, but it also has received sponsorship support from organizations including CAP Services, New North, Inc. and African Heritage, Inc.
ColorBold is currently rolling out a robust funding plan that calls for expanding consulting services, pursuing additional grant opportunities and adding fundraising events. And one of its biggest funding initiatives is the addition of a membership program for 2024.
Ratliff says ColorBold is offering both free and paid memberships starting this month, including categories for corporate partners, entrepreneurs, individuals, and nonprofit/government entities. Among the membership benefits will be access to resources, discounts on events and programs, board membership, exclusive access to roundtable discussions and even co-branding opportunities, she says.
Anyone interested in ColorBold’s mission is encouraged to reach out, Ratliff says.
“We are focused on people of color, but we definitely welcome everyone because we’re all a community,” she says. “It takes all of us to be able to support each other.”
On the web: colorbold.org
