BALTIMORE, MD.  —  Mayor Catherine E. Pugh and the Mayor's Office of Small, Minority and Women Business will partner with Kaiser Permanente to launch Baltimore's first Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC) cohort. ICCC was created by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC), a national nonprofit research and advisory organization. Over the next six months, this cohort of business owners will complete an in-depth training and coaching program that has been proven in other cities to help small businesses accelerate to their next stage of growth.

"Small businesses are the driving force behind Baltimore’s revitalization, which is why we are enthusiastic to collaborate with Kaiser Permanente, Inner City Capital Connections and the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City.  This alliance will help small business CEOs operating in economically distressed areas learn to build their capacity for growth in revenue, profitability, and job creation,” said Mayor Catherine E. Pugh. “The importance of small and medium-sized businesses in Baltimore cannot be overstated, they create 80% of all new, permanent, private sector jobs; employ more than 50% of the workforce; and are relentlessly optimistic and committed to the future prosperity of our great City.”

ICCC has a demonstrated record of success across the country, including in Los Angeles and Oakland, Ca., which are cities within Kaiser Permanente’s footprint. ICCC will provide no-cost training, education and mentorship to more than 70 small businesses from across the Baltimore area. The businesses represent more than a dozen industries and more than 80 percent are minority-owned.

After completing an opening seminar, business owners will participate in a 40-hour business training course which will last from three to six months. The training course includes educational seminars and webinars with coaches and mentors from banking and consulting firms.

“We at Kaiser Permanente are thrilled to bring the ICCC program to Baltimore. We know that healthy individuals require healthy communities, and healthy communities require economic opportunity,” said Kim Horn, president of Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States. “Small businesses are the economic engines of neighborhoods and cities. We are excited to see the lasting economic impact and added prosperity that ICCC Baltimore participants will bring to their communities.” 

Participating businesses will gather for the opening seminar this week, where they will receive in-person coaching and support for challenges. Experts will discuss how business owners can access capital or market their services, allowing them to grow and create employment opportunities within their communities.
 
About Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) 

ICIC is a national, nonprofit research and advisory organization founded in 1994. ICIC’s mission is to drive economic prosperity in America’s inner cities through private sector investment to create jobs, income and wealth for local residents. www.icic.org 
 
About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 12.2 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: kp.org/share