[00:00:19]
TODAY[Press Conference: "Houston Equity Fund - Wells Fargo Round 2 Open for Business Grants]
WE LEAD THIS PROGRAM WITH THE INVITATION FOR YOU TO BECOME A SUBSCRIBER FOR THE HOUSTON EQUITY FUND COMMUNITY.AND BY INVITING YOU TO SUBSCRIBE, WE ARE INVITING YOU, IN FACT, TO CONNECT WITH US TO CONNECT WITH A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WHOSE VISION AND MISSION INVOLVES TAKING STRATEGIC STEPS TOWARD TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE THROUGH THE PROVISION OF TANGIBLE RESOURCES AND INNOVATIVE KNOWLEDGE AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, MORE THAN JUST SUBSCRIBING TO A WEBSITE YOU ARE IN, BEING INVITED TO UNDERSCORE THE EFFORTS OF HOUSTON EQUITY FUND BY TAKING A STEP TO LEARN MORE ABOUT VARIOUS OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE AND MAKE COGNITIVE EFFORTS TO SUPPORT THE MEANINGFUL WORK OF THOSE LIKE TCP BEAUTY BARBER COLLEGE.
THIS VOCATIONAL SCHOOL IS AS IS IMPACTING THE COMMUNITY BY PROVIDING EDUCATION, TECHNICAL SKILLS, AND VIABLE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR OTHERWISE OFTEN DISENFRANCHISED YOUNG ADULTS.
THAT IMPACT IS OFTEN MULTIPLIED WHEN THOSE WHO ONCE WERE STUDENTS, WERE RETURN TO BECOME EDUCATORS AND BUILDING ON THOSE DREAMS OF OWNING THEIR OWN SMALL BUSINESS.
FROM THE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION OF TIKA PER THERESA PERKINS, AN OPEN FOR BUSINESS GRANT, RECIPIENT TOT CP BEAUTY BARBER SCHOOL IS TAKING MEANINGFUL STEPS IN THE OVERALL VISION TO ENACT TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE HERE IN THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY.
YES, IN SUBSCRIBING, YOU ARE CONNECTING WITH SAL LAO THAI CAFE, THE OWNER OF A FIRST GENERATION SMALL BUSINESS IN THE UNITED STATES.
SHE CONSIDERS HER PLACE MORE THAN A RESTAURANT, BUT TO BE A COMMUNITY HUB AS SHE SERVES HER NATIVE DISHES OF THAILAND.
HER CLIENTELE OFTEN GATHERING SAFETY, COMRADERY, AND ENCOURAGEMENT TO ONE ANOTHER, TO LIVE OUT THEIR OWN DREAMS AND OPPORTUNITIES.
SHE'S ALSO PROVIDING EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO LOCAL MIGRANTS WHO ARE SETTLING INTO THIS NEW COUNTRY THAT THEY NOW CALL HOME.
YES, THROUGH SUBSCRIBING, YOU ARE INVITED TO CONNECT TO POWERFUL INITIATIVES, INDIVIDUAL STORIES AND SUCCESSES, AND OVERALL VISION AND MISSION THAT IS CONSISTENTLY TAKING STEPS TOWARDS PROMOTING SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ECONOMIC EQUITY.
IF BEYOND SUBSCRIBING, OTHERS MAY HAVE A DESIRE TO MAKE A TAX DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTION, YOU ARE WELCOME TO TAKE A STEP FORWARD AND CONTRIBUTE BY SCANNING THE QR CODE TO THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT OF ME.
AND NOW WE CONTINUE TO TAKE STEPS FORWARD IN OUR PROGRAM AS WE PREPARE TO WELCOME VANESSA GILMORE, A FORMER FEDERAL JUDGE WITH A BOASTING CAREER OVER 30 YEARS IN THE SPIRIT OF A SALUTE IN WHICH SHE IS WORTHY.
I DON'T GET THAT MUCH ANYMORE, YOU KNOW, SINCE RETIREMENT.
I REMEMBER ONE TIME I WAS, MY MOTHER CAME TO SEE ME IN COURT AND THEY SAID, ALL RISE, AND EVERYBODY GOT UP.
BUT MY MOM AND THE MARSHAL SAID, YOU HAVE TO STAND UP FOR HER.
AND SHE SAID, I BIRTHED HER
IT'S REALLY AN HONOR FOR ME TO BE HERE, UH, IN THIS MOMENT OF TIME TOGETHER WITH ALL OF YOU, I'M VANESSA GILMORE, AND I SERVE AS THE GRANT OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON FOR THE BOARD OF THE HOUSTON FUND FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ECONOMIC EQUITY.
WE WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO THE, UH, HOUSTON EQUITY FUNDS, UH,
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OPEN FOR BUSINESS ROUND TWO PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY.THAT MEANS THAT WE HAVE ALREADY FINISHED ROUND ONE, AND DURING THAT ROUND WE EXECUTED $5 MILLION IN GRANTS TO 211 SMALL BUSINESSES AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, UH, FROM HISTORICALLY EXCLUDED COMMUNITIES.
AND A FEW, UH, SNIPPETS OF INDIVIDUAL STORIES WERE JUST SHARED BY, UH, KELSEY.
UH, AND ON THE SCREEN BEFORE YOU NOW IS A BIG PICTURE.
I HOPE IT'S UP REPRESENTING OUR WHY.
UH, THE PIE CHART BEFORE YOU REPRESENTS DATA FROM JUST A FEW YEARS BACK, WHICH WAS NEAR THE BEGINNING OF THE TIME, UH, THAT OUR ORGANIZATION WAS FOUNDED.
AND IT HIGHLIGHTS THE DISPARITY IN EARNINGS AMONG SMALL BUSINESSES AMONG $280 BILLION IN BUSINESS RECEIPTS.
WE CAN SEE THAT THERE'S A, A SMALL PERCENTAGE THAT GOES TO SOME COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY EXCLUDED FROM OPPORTUNITIES, UH, LIKE WHAT THE ONES THAT WE ARE PRESENTING HERE TO YOU TODAY, AS LOW AS 1% FOR SOME GROUPS.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TAKEN ON AS PART OF OUR MANTRA, UH, IS AN ORGAN, AS AN ORGANIZATIONAL QUOTE, IS WON BY DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING.
AND THAT IS THAT THE ARC OF THE MORAL UNIVERSE IS LONG, BUT IT BENDS TOWARDS JUSTICE, AND WE CONSIDER IT OUR NOBLE RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTINUE OUR ACTIVE STEPS OF ENGAGEMENT AND HELPING TO MAKE THAT ARC BEND TOWARDS JUSTICE.
WE WANNA THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE WITH US TODAY, AND AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE YOU TO PLEASE HELP ME WELCOME OUR PRESIDENT, THOMAS JONES, THE ONE WHO IS HELPING TO LEAD THIS ORGANIZATION TOWARDS OUR VISION AND OUR MISSION.
IT'S, UH, GREAT TO BE HERE, UH, FOR ANOTHER DAY, FOR ANOTHER MILESTONE EVENT IN, UH, THIS ORGANIZATION'S HISTORY.
UH, AS VANESSA JUST INDICATED, THE MISSION AND VISION, OR VISION AND MISSION OF THE HOUSTON FUND FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ECONOMIC EQUITY IS VERY MUCH A NECESSARY PART OF HELPING TO FACILITATE TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE IN OUR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
WHEN MAYOR TURNER AND I STOOD UP THIS ORGANIZATION A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, UH, AND THEN FOLLOWED UP WITH NUMEROUS NIGHTS, LATE NIGHTS PLANNING SESSIONS, AND A REAL DEEP COMMITMENT TO MAKING THE PART OF CHANGE THAT WE ARE, WE DESIRE FOR HERE IN OUR COMMUNITIES, IT TOOK A, A NUMBER OF ORG ANOTHER, A NUMBER OF OTHER ORG INDIVIDUALS TO HELP BRING THIS THING TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
AND I'M GRATEFUL THAT A GROUP OF, UH, OUTSTANDING PEOPLE DECIDED TO TAKE THE STEPS TO DO THIS JOURNEY WITH US.
I WANNA THANK OUR BOARD, AND IF ALL OF MY BOARD MEMBERS, WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND AT THIS MOMENT, ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE.
IT REALLY IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE GROUPS OF, UH, COMMUNITY LEADERS AND CONTRIBUTORS I'VE EVER HAD THE PLEASURE TO WORK WITH.
EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THE, UH, OF YOU PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN THIS ENDEAVOR.
YOUR WORK ON THIS BOARD IS MOST IMPORTANT, AND I'M THANKFUL FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE VISION AND TO THE MISSION.
PLEASE HELP ME TO SALUTE, WHICH YOU'VE ALREADY DONE OUR BOARD.
I KIND OF GOT THAT IN REVERSE, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
HE HAS LENT HIS VOICE, HIS TIME AND INFLUENCE AND ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES TO THIS ORGANIZATION AND CANNOT BE APPRECIATED ENOUGH.
AND AS A SIDE NOTE, UM, AND I, I, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT FOR EACH OF YOU, EACH OF Y'ALL TO KNOW, EACH OF THE BOARD MEMBERS HAS CONTRIBUTED NOT JUST THEIR, THEIR TIME AND ENERGY, BUT THEIR, THEIR, THEIR CHECKBOOK, AND SO DID HE.
UH, YOU DON'T FIND TOO MANY POLITICIANS THAT ACTUALLY WRITE CHECKS TO, UH, TO ORGANIZATION.
BUT, UH, HE ACTUALLY DID, TOOK A LITTLE, TOOK A LITTLE ARM TWISTING
I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO TWIST HIS ARM.
YOU KNOW, UH, HIS DECISIONS AND SUBSEQUENT ACTIONS HAVE PROVEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN THAT THE GENUINE EFFORTS, UH, GENUINELY THE EFFORT THAT THE SUPPORTS, THE, THE EFFORTS OF SMALL BUSINESS AND NON NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
AS A PRODUCT OF HOUSTON HIMSELF, HE IS COMMITTED TO TAKING THE NECESSARY STEPS IN VARIOUS CAPACITIES TO ENSURE THAT THIS POPULATION ARE NOT ONLY SEEN, BUT ALSO SERVED.
FOR THAT, WE SAY THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND AT THIS TIME, PLEASE WELCOME OUR MAYOR, SYLVESTER TURNER.
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I'M NOT A POLITICIAN.LOOK, I, I WANTED TO BE HERE, UH, TO THOMAS AND TO JUDGE GILMORE AND TO ALL OF THE BOARD MEMBERS.
I WANNA START OFF BY THANKING THEM, UH, FOR THEIR HARD WORK.
UH, THIS IS A GROUP THAT, THAT MEETS ON A REGULAR BASIS AND HAS GIVEN UP A GREAT DEAL OF THEIR TIME TO, UM, TO THIS ORGANIZATION.
AND I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE DR.
UM, UH, SHE HAS, UH, SHE'S JUST BEEN THERE AND DAY IN AND DAY OUT AND FOR HER STAFF.
UH, SO ALL OF THESE INDIVIDUALS DESERVE A GREAT DEAL.
AND EVEN THOUGH IT'S FURTHER DOWN IN THE NOTES, LET ME JUST START OFF, UH, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T HAVE AN EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATION OF THIS KIND WITHOUT HAVING, WITHOUT HAVING THE RESOURCES.
SO FOR ALL OF THE BOARD MEMBERS WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED, CERTAINLY WANT TO THANK THEM, UH, FOR ALL OF THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO, UH, THE EQUITY FUND.
BUT LET ME, LET ME, UH, LET ME SINGLE OUT EVEN AT THE BEGINNING.
LET ME SINGLE OUT WELLS FARGO, UH, FOR THEIR $20 MILLION CONTRIBUTION.
LOOK, AS WE THINK ABOUT THE PURPOSE OF GATHERING TODAY, UH, WE FIRST MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE MADE SEVERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS OVER THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF ABOUT THE TRANSFORMATIVE WORK THAT IS BEING IMPLEMENTED BY THE HOUSTON FUND FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ECONOMIC EQUITY, UH, AS WE STRIVE TO FULFILL OUR MISSION TO ENACT TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY.
AND SPECIFICALLY, TODAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT IS AN INCREDIBLE AND INCREDIBLE STEP TOWARDS THE PROGRESS WE INITIATED IN MAY OF 2021 WHEN WE FIRST ESTABLISHED THE FUND.
AND THE REALITY IS, THIS IS MAY 1ST, 2023, SO WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TWO YEARS.
I AM BEYOND PROUD, UH, AS MAYOR OF THE CITY AND, AND AS A BOARD MEMBER OF THIS ORGANIZATION, UH, TO STAND HERE WITH ALL OF YOU TO ANNOUNCE THE SOON COMING LAUNCH OF ROUND TWO, UH, THAT JUDGE GILMORE SPOKE ABOUT, OF THE OPEN FOR BUSINESS PORTAL FOR DIVERSE SMALL BUSINESSES TO ACCESS FARMS, TO KEEP THE DREAM OF BUSINESS OWNERSHIP AND EFFECTIVE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS ALIVE AND WELL IN OUR CITY.
AND OUR, I SPEAK, I COME ON, YOU CAN GIVE IT OUT.
AND I SPEAK TO IT, NOT JUST AS SOMEONE WHO, UM, AS THE MAYOR OF THE CITY, UH, BUT SOMEONE WHO WAS THE OWNER OF A SMALL BUSINESS, UH, AND A PARTNER THERE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
I'LL NEVER FORGET WHEN WE FIRST GOT STARTED.
UH, WE WENT AND GOT A $50,000 LINE OF CREDIT, UH, AFTER I LEFT THE, THE LARGE LAW FIRM AND STARTED A, A SMALLER ONE.
AND, UH, THE FIRST FIVE YEARS WERE TOUGH.
UH, PEOPLE ASK, YOU KNOW, UH, SYLVESTER, HOW YOU DOING? AND I WOULD ALWAYS SAY, WE ARE DOING VERY, VERY WELL.
AND THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU DOING? I SAY, I JUST CAN'T TELL YOU HOW, HOW WE ARE DOING
AND, UH, THEY SAID, MAN, YOU'RE DOING THAT.
MY MOM TOLD ME I ALWAYS EXERCISE HUMILITY.
AND, UM, JUST TO GET A LITTLE SUPPORT, FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO HELP PAY A FEW OF THE BILLS, UM, WENT A LONG, LONG WAY.
AND IN THOSE FIRST FIVE YEARS, IT WAS A STRUGGLE.
UM, BUT WITH THE LINE OF CREDIT, IT DID HELP UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THINGS STARTED TO TURN AROUND.
AND SOMETIMES WHAT SMALL BUSINESSES NEED, THEY JUST NEED A LITTLE LIFELINE TO JUST LIVE FOR ANOTHER DAY UNTIL GOD RESPONDS IN A MAJOR WAY.
AND SO, FOR THIS IS, THIS IS IN MANY WAYS IS PERSONAL.
UM, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN ON THAT JOURNEY AND NOW THAT BUSINESS IS CELEBRATING CLOSE TO 40 YEARS OF BEING IN BUSINESS, SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE AN ENORMOUS IMPACT FOR MANY COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT OUR CITY.
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THESE SMALL BUSINESSES OF THEIR LIFELINE AND WHAT MAKES AN AREA SPECIAL AND UNIQUE.THEY ALSO FOSTER LOCAL ECONOMIES, CREATE JOBS, AND KEEP MONEY LOCAL, WHICH IN TURN SUPPORTS OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND OUR COMMUNITIES.
NEARLY 97% OF BUSINESSES IN OUR REGION HAVE FEWER THAN 500 EMPLOYEES THAT STAND TO BE CONSIDERED A SMALL BUSINESS.
AND THESE COLLECTIVELY EMPLOY 44% OF THE REGION'S WORKFORCE ARE 1.2 MILLION EMPLOYEES.
WHAT'S MORE, NEARLY 35% OF HOUSTON AREA SMALL BUSINESSES WITH 50 OR FEWER EMPLOYEES ARE MINORITY OWNED.
AND THIS REGION, THIS REGION RANKS FIFTH IN THE NATION FOR MINORITY ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
THE OPEN FOR BUSINESS PORTAL IS ALSO AVAILABLE TO HOUSTON NONPROFITS WHO OFTEN UNDERSTAND THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS AND THE BEST WAYS TO MEET THEM BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE.
THESE GRANTS WILL STRENGTHEN HOUSTON'S NONPROFIT AND ENABLE THEM TO CATALYZE GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY BY ADDRESSING SYSTEMIC INEQUALITIES AND CAN HELP MAKE LASTING CHANGE IN HOUSTON.
AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL, AGAIN, WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE CONTRIBUTION THAT WELLS FARGO HAS MADE IN OUR EFFORTS.
AND WHEN WE ANNOUNCED THE HOUSTON EQUITY FUND MAY 20 OF 21, OUR INITIAL FUNDRAISING GOAL WAS $25 MILLION TO ACCELERATE MEANINGFUL CHANGE AMONG THOSE WHO ARE UNDER-RESOURCED AND SOMETIMES OVERLOOKED.
WELLS FARGO SHOWED UP WITH $20 MILLION, AND WE THANK THEM, UH, WELLS FARGO FOR THEIR INVESTMENT AND THEIR PARTNERSHIP IN SMALL BUSINESSES AND IN THE HOUSTON FUND.
I KNOW THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THEM HERE TODAY, SO LET ME JUST ASK THEM IF YOU ARE WITH WELLS FARGO, JUST STAND UP WHEREVER YOU MAY BE.
ALL OF WELLS FARGO PEOPLE STAND UP, THANK YOU.
WITH THEIR HELP, WE HAVE ALREADY HELPED TO SUSTAIN, AS JUDGE GILMORE SAID, 211 OF OUR CITY'S DIVERSE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN DRIVING LONG-TERM ECONOMIC GROWTH AND INNOVATION, WHILE ALLOWING OUR COMMUNITIES TO THRIVE.
AS I HAVE STATED BEFORE, I COULD NOT GIVE YOU A BETTER EXAMPLE OF HOW ALIGNING WITH A CORPORATION SHOULD WORK THAN THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH WELLS FARGO.
WE ARE BEYOND GRATEFUL, AND THUS, AND THIS TANGIBLE ACTION WILL DRIVE LONG-TERM FOUNDATIONAL CHANGE, STARTING IN WITH THE DRUM ROLL, AUGUST 15TH, 2023, AT WWW.HOUSTONEQUITYFUND.ORG.
UM, LOOK, THIS IS MY FINAL YEAR AS MAYOR.
IN FACT, I'M IN MY FINAL EIGHT MONTHS AS MAYOR.
BUT WHEN WE CAME IN IN 2016, WHAT I DID SAY IS THAT I DID NOT WANT TO BE THE MAYOR OF TWO CITIES IN ONE, A CITY OF HAVE AND HAVE NOTS.
AND WE NEEDED TO ADDRESS INEQUITIES THAT HAVE BEEN SYSTEMIC WITHIN OUR CITY FOR A LONG TIME.
WE WANT TO ELIMINATE ALL OF THOSE INEQUITIES DURING MY TURN, BUT AT LEAST WE ARE MAKING TREMENDOUS PROGRESS IN REDUCING THE INEQUITIES AND PUTTING BUSINESSES IN THIS CASE ON SOLID FOOTING.
AND SO I WANT ON A PERSONAL THANK THESE BOARD MEMBERS, UH, FOR THEIR WORK, THEIR EFFORTS, EACH ONE OF THEM INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY, UH, HAVE DONE SO MUCH.
AND, UH, I DON'T, WELL, I KNOW THAT, UH, YOU DON'T KNOW THE TIME AND THE COMMITMENT AND THE DISCUSSIONS AND THE DEBATES, UH, THAT HAVE OCCURRED AND HAVE TAKEN PLACE, BUT THIS BOARD HAS BEEN THE DRIVING INFLUENCE IN MAKING THIS HAPPEN.
SO, TO THOMAS AND THE REST OF THE BOARD MEMBERS, LET ME THANK YOU BECAUSE THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE HELPED TO MAKE, GET THE WORK DONE.
JERKINS, THANK YOU, UH, FOR JUST BEING INCREDIBLE.
HAVING SAID THAT, IT'S MAY THE 15TH AND I TO TELL YOU SO YOU CAN MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT.
I TALKED TO AUGUST, SO IT'S MAY, SO YOU GOTTA GET A DRUM ROLL AGAIN.
THAT, THAT ANNOUNCEMENT ON THAT DRUM ROLL.
WE GONNA NEED THAT DRUM ROLL ONE MORE TIME.
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SHE'LL SAY MAY THE 15TH.I ALWAYS TELL MY TEAM I WANT TO GET THINGS DONE SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
AND SO INSTEAD OF AUGUST, LET ME, LET ME ROLL THAT BACK.
AND SO THE PORTAL OPENS ON MAY 15TH, 2023.
QUITE FRANKLY, QUITE FRANKLY, I KNEW THAT.
UH, BUT I REALLY WANTED IT TO BE EMPHASIZED AND I REALLY WANTED YOU TO APPRECIATE THE TIME.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, AUGUST SEEMS SO FAR AWAY, BUT WE WANTED TO DO THIS BEFORE HURRICANE SEASON.
ALRIGHT, HEAVEN SAID, THEN LET ME BRING UP, I CALL HIM JP, BUT MR. POWELL FROM WORLDS FARGO.
SO PLEASE GIVE IT UP TO I SAY JP.
MR. POWELL, FIRST OF ALL, I TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THIS IS GOOD.
UM, ACTUALLY I THINK THIS IS GREAT, THAT'S A BETTER WORD.
MAYOR TURNER, THOMAS JONES, THE BOARD, THE LEADERSHIP TEAM THAT'S LED BY DR.
I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT JUST TO SAY THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO LEAN IN AND THANK YOU FOR BEING COMMITTED TO AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WILL LIVE GENERATIONS TO COME.
WE'RE EXCITED TO BE BACK TO CELEBRATE YET ANOTHER IMPORTANT MILESTONE WITH THE OPEN FOR BUSINESS GRANT PROGRAM.
HERE WE ARE ROUND TWO $8 MILLION.
THAT'S THE BIG MI DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A MIC DROP, BUT THAT'S A BIG M, THAT'S LIKE 267 TRI BURGERS THAT YOU CAN GET FOR $8 MILLION.
WHEN YOU MOVE BEYOND CHECKING THE BOX TO PUTTING THE CHECK IN THE HANDS OF DIVERSE BUSINESS OWNERS TO ACQUIRE ASSETS THAT WILL HELP BRIDGE WEALTH GAPS, THIS IS HOW YOU MAKE AN IMPACT.
IT'S A WIN-WIN FOR THE BUSINESS, THE COMMUNITY, AND THE CITY AT LARGE.
THE BANK SET IT AND THE BANK IS DOING WHAT IT SAID.
IF YOU'VE SEEN THE COMMERCIALS, YOU ARE NOW WITNESSING.
IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO AND WE MUST CONTINUE TO DO IT.
AND NOW WE GET TO OPEN THE PORTAL AGAIN.
IT'S A GIFT THAT KEEPS GIVING.
THREE YEARS AGO, WE LAUNCHED A WELLS FARGO OPEN FOR BUSINESS FUND, A ROUGHLY 420 MILLION NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS RECOVERY EFFORT.
WITHIN THIS INVESTMENT, HOUSTON WAS SELECTED AS ONE OF FIVE MARKETS TO MAKE A 20 MILLION DONATION IN OUR DIVERSE SEGMENTS.
WE HAVE ROUGHLY 19,502 CITIES IN AMERICA, ONE OUT OF 19,502 CITIES.
LETS YOU KNOW HOUSTON, IF WE DON'T HAVE PROBLEMS, WE HAVE SOLUTIONS OVERALL.
THE OPEN FOR BUSINESS $20 MILLION GRANT FUNDING IS ESTIMATED TO IMPACT MORE THAN 500 DIVERSE SMALL BUSINESS AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN HOUSTON OVER A THREE YEAR PERIOD.
AND THE BALL IS MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
THE HOUSTON EQUITY FUND LED BY DR.
KINS HAVE BEEN AN EXCELLENT PARTNERSHIP ON THIS JOURNEY.
THESE ARE THE TYPE OF COLLABORATIONS WE WANT TO CREATE TO EMPOWER AND POSITION DIVERSE BUSINESSES AND NONPROFITS IN OUR CITY.
AS A COMPANY, WE HAVE VOWED TO REMAIN COMMITTED TO PROVIDING ENTREPRENEURS WITH ACCESS, ACCESS TO CAPITAL.
AND THAT WORD CAPITAL IS FINANCIAL CAPITAL AND INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL.
TODAY I'M JOINED BY MANY OF MY WELLS FARGO FAMILY MEMBERS.
THEY'VE ALREADY STOOD, SO I'LL ASK 'EM JUST TO RAISE THEIR HAND.
I WILL ENCOURAGE YOU TO MEET ONE OF THEM, INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND TALK ABOUT THE THINGS WE'RE DOING OVER AT THE INSTITUTION.
THERE'S SOME GREAT THINGS GOING ON AT WELLS AS I CLOSE.
WE OFTEN SAY THAT SMALL BUSINESSES ARE THE HEART OF OUR COMMUNITIES.
WE KNOW THAT TO BE VERY TRUE FOR OUR CITY.
GROWING UP, MY GRANDMOTHER WOULD SAY IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A KID.
I WOULD SAY, AND I WILL COMPLIMENT HER ON THIS, THAT IT TAKES A COMMUNITY TO LIFT THE BUSINESS.
IT TAKES A COMMUNITY TO NOT ONLY LIFT THE BUSINESS, BUT PREPARE THAT BUSINESS FOR GREATNESS FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
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WE THANK YOU MAYOR THOMAS JONES, THE HOUSTON EQUITY FUND BOARD, AND THE LEADERSHIP TEAM FOR YOUR COMMITMENT.AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MANY MORE OF THE SUCCESSFUL STORIES.
MAY 15TH, FOR SURE, NOT AUGUST, SOONER THAN GOTCHA.
THAT'S YOUR MAY 15TH, AUGUST, AUGUST.
THIS IS HOW WE HAVE WHOLE MEETING Y'ALL.
IT JUST GETS REAL RANDOM REAL QUICK, WHICH IS WHAT? BUT MAY 15TH.
ACTUALLY I HAVE A SLOGAN, BUT I'M GONNA START RIGHT HERE.
SO, QUICK STORY, Y'ALL READY? SO SITTING WITH THE MAYOR ONE DAY, HE WAS TELLING ME ABOUT HOW HE ENTERED INTO AN AUDITORIUM.
SO FOR THE SAKE OF JUST ENVISIONING THAT, WE'LL PRETEND THAT IT'S THIS AUDITORIUM.
AND YOU REMEMBER, MAYOR, YOU SAID YOU SAT IN THE BACK TRYING TO BE A BIT INCOGNITO LIKE PUBLIC FIGURES DO.
SO HE SAT ON THE BACK AND THAT WAS ABOUT AS AS PROFITABLE AS WHEN WE PUT UP THAT ONE FINGER FOR THOSE OF YOU FROM THAT CULTURE.
AND WE BEND OVER AND WE ACT LIKE IT MAKES US INVISIBLE, BUT IT REALLY DOESN'T.
SO HE'S SITTING IN THE BACK, COME ON BOARD,
SO HE'S SITTING IN THE BACK TRYING TO DO THAT INVISIBLE THING.
AND THIS PRECOCIOUS YOUNG FELLOW MAKES HIS WAY TO HIM AND HE ASK HIM, WHAT IS HIS NAME? HE RESPONDS AND THEN HE ASKS THE LITTLE BOY, WELL, WHAT'S YOUR NAME? AND THEY DO THAT DEEP INTELLECTUAL EXCHANGE.
AND THEN THE BOY USES HIS DETECTIVE SKILLS AND HE SEES THE DETAIL.
AND I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S THE GENTLEMAN TO MY LEFT WHO DOESN'T SMILE 'CAUSE HE'S BEING REAL SERIOUS.
'CAUSE HE'S SAFEGUARDING THE MAYOR.
AND I'M NOT SURE IF IT WAS JEFF WHO'S TAKING PICTURES AND PLAYING LIKE HE'S A PHOTOGRAPHER, BUT HE'S REALLY UNDERCOVER.
HE'S LIKE RIGHT HERE ON THE FLOOR.
I'M NOT SURE OF WHO WAS WITH HIM, BUT THE LITTLE BOY SURMISES THAT SOMETHING IS GOING ON.
SO HE ASKS THE MAYOR, WHAT DO YOU DO? AND HE SAYS, HE'S A MAYOR.
NOW, THE LITTLE BOY DIDN'T QUITE KNOW ALL OF WHAT A MAYOR DOES, AND TO BE TRUTHFUL, I DON'T EITHER.
BUT THE LITTLE BOY HAD ENOUGH SENSE TO SAY TO MAYOR TURNER, SO YOU ARE IMPORTANT
AND SOMEHOW IN THEIR CONVERSATION, MAYOR TURNER COMMUNICATED TO HIM THAT YOU ARE IMPORTANT TOO.
AND THE NAME, HIS NAME IS CALLED FROM THE STAGE, THIS ALL IS TALKING.
MAYOR TURNER TOLD ME THESE THINGS, RIGHT? SO HIS NAME IS CALLED FROM THE STAGE.
AND YOU KNOW HOW WHEN YOU'RE GETTING READY TO GO UP AND SPEAKING, YOU KIND OF GET YOURSELF TOGETHER AND YOU'RE GETTING READY TO GO.
AND MAYOR TURNER IN HIS PERIPHERAL SEES THAT WHEN HE RISES AND GETS HIMSELF TOGETHER TO GO TO THE STAGE, THE LITTLE BOY DOES TOO.
AND MAYOR TURNER BEGINS TO TAKE STEPS TOWARDS THE STAGE AND THE LITTLE BOY DOES TOO.
BUT BECAUSE THEY WERE IN AN AUDITORIUM WITH EDUCATORS, AND Y'ALL KNOW WE ARE ABOUT THAT LIFE, ONE OF THEM EDUCATORS REACHED FOR HIM.
LIKE, YOU ABOUT TO SIT DOWN SOMEWHERE.
AND MAYOR TURNER GAVE THEM THAT EYE.
AND THOSE OF YOU FROM THAT CULTURE, Y'ALL KNOW, WE UNDERSTAND EYES.
SO MAYOR TURNER GAVE HER THE EYE AND SHE PUT HER HAND DOWN.
AND HE SAID TO ME IN THAT MOMENT, HE MADE A DECISION TO SEE HOW FAR CAN THIS GO? AND SO HE'S WALKING TOWARDS THE STAGE AND THE BOY'S WALKING TOWARDS THE STAGE.
TRUE STORY, RIGHT? MAYOR TURNER.
AND HE MAKES HIS WAY ALL THE WAY UP.
AND HE GETS TO THE STAIRWELL AND HE COMES UP THE STAIRWELL AND THE LITTLE BOY COMES UP THE STAIRWELL AND HE WALKS ON THE PLATFORM AND THE LITTLE BOY WALKS ON THE PLATFORM AND Y'ALL, HE GOES TO THE PODIUM.
AND LITTLE MAN CAME TO THE PODIUM TOO.
AND MAYOR TURNER SAYS THAT HE GIVES HIS WHOLE SPEECH AND HIS LITTLE PARTNER WHO JUST APPOINTED HIMSELF SOMETHING STANDS THERE THE ENTIRE TIME.
HE DOESN'T SAY A WORD, BUT AS MAYOR TURNER HAS HIS SHOULDERS BACK AND HE'S TALKING, THAT LITTLE BOY GOT HIS SHOULDERS BACK AND HE LOOKING AND WHATEVER MAYOR TURNER DOES, HE DOES.
AND AT THE END OF HIS SPEECH, MAYOR TURNER ACKNOWLEDGES HIM AND THANKS HIM FOR GIVING HIM THE BOOST OF COURAGE THAT HE NEEDED TO STAND BEFORE THE GROUP ON THAT DAY.
THAT'S, YEAH, Y'ALL CLAP RIGHT THERE.
[00:30:01]
THAT'S WHO I'VE KNOWN MAYOR TURNER TO BE.AND I SHARE THAT STORY TODAY BECAUSE I THINK IT LARGELY REPRESENTS WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THIS ROOM TODAY.
WHEN HE, AND AS THOMAS JUST HIGHLIGHTED, GATHERED AS AN INAUGURAL BOARD MEMBERS AND JUANELLE AND STEPHANIE AND BARRON IN HIS ABSENCE.
UM, AND THEN EXPANDED AND ADDED VANESSA AND VALERIE AND BERNARD AND GORDY, AND THEN EXPANDED AGAIN.
AND WE HAVE ELLIOT AND LASH CHERYL JOINING US.
AND THEN THIS GIRL, ALI'S BABY BOY RIGHT HERE, BUT WE'RE GONNA SAY HIS NAME TOO,
WHEN THEY EXPANDED, I ENVISION THAT SAME MOMENTUM HAPPENING.
MAYOR, WE ARE VERY PRESENT TO THE FACT THAT YOUR WORK HAS CLEARED PATHWAYS THAT OUR OWN STEPS DID NOT MAKE.
THAT WE'VE COME INTO PLATFORMS AND VISIBILITY AND HAD OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE.
I SAY THAT BECAUSE YOU ALL STEPPED INTO THE, THE SHOES OF SMALL BUSINESSES AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
WE GET TO GO FURTHER FASTER BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
SO I'M GONNA GIVE THEM A MINUTE.
DON'T, DON'T, DON'T, DON'T LEAD IT.
I'M GONNA GIVE THEM A MINUTE TO TRY TO THINK ABOUT THAT FACT THAT Y'ALL HAVE OPENED DOORS AND ALLOWED FOR VISIBILITY.
NOT A SINGLE ONE OF US IN THE IN THE AUDITORIUM.
HAVE THE AUDIENCE TO NEGOTIATE OR SPEAK WITH WELLS FARGO TO BRING 20 MILLION TO THIS.
SO EVEN THOUGH IT CAN GET VERY CASUAL AND SEEMS LIKE IT'S JUST ORDINARY, THE REALITY IS WE KNOW THAT WHAT HAS HAPPENED FOR SMALL BUSINESSES AND NONPROFITS IS EXTRAORDINARY.
SO THEY'RE JUST GETTING THEIR CLAPS READY AND THEY'RE GETTING THEIR FEET READY 'CAUSE THEY'RE ABOUT TO STAND UP AND THEY ABOUT TO CLAP Y'ALL DOWN.
SO TO YOU, THE BOARD TO WELLS FARGO SINCERELY TO GHCF, THE WORK FAM AND TO A HOST OF TEAM MEMBERS, WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO.
AND MAYOR TURNER, YOU ASKED THIS QUESTION, YOU SAID, WELL, YOU SAID I LET HIM COME BECAUSE I WANTED TO SEE HOW FAR THIS COULD GO.
AND YOU CAN'T REALLY, REALLY SEE, OH YOU MAY CAN SEE THIS SCREEN.
BUT WHAT I WANT YOU TO KNOW IS THIS IS WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
AND FOR EVERYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE, THOSE 211 BUSINESSES, BUT THE STEPS KEEP COMING BECAUSE IT HAS ONGOING IMPACT.
AND MAYOR, I GET TO SEE THE TESTIMONIALS AND THE STORIES ALL THE TIME.
SOMEBODY JUST STOPPED THOMAS A MOMENT AGO AND TOLD A WHOLE STORY ABOUT THE IMPACT IN THE ORGANIZATION.
AND OFTENTIMES Y'ALL DON'T GET TO HEAR THIS SOURCE, BUT BEYOND, LET ME SAY IT THIS WAY, TYLER, YOU'LL LIKE THIS ONE DEEPER THAN DOLLARS.
LEMME TELL YOU MAYOR TURNER, THE WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE ABOUT IN WELLS FARGO, IT LITERALLY SAVES LIVES.
ONE OF OUR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IS FROM A GROUP OF WOMEN.
FROM THE, FROM THE ARABIC CULTURE WHERE WE KNOW OFTENTIMES EVEN JUST TO BE EXPOSED, CAN LEAD TO DEATH FOR WOMEN.
AND THIS MOST RECENT GRANT, AND IT MAY SOUND SMALL, BUT GET THIS, THEY BOUGHT 10 ADDITIONAL SEWING MACHINES.
THEY MAKE THE TAPER STREET FOR BUSINESSES LIKE NOEL FURNITURE.
THEY MAKE THOSE RUGS, THOSE EXPENSIVE WHOLE THAT THEY DO ALL OF THAT.
THE REASON THAT THEY DO THAT IS IN THEIR COUNTRY THEY SEW THESE RUGS AND THINGS BY HAND.
SO WHEN THESE WOMEN ARE LITERALLY FLEEING FOR THEIR LIVES, THEY HAVE MIRRORED SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE FAMILIAR WITH BUT MADE IT ON A BIGGER SCALE SO THAT THOSE WOMENS CAN DO THE PLANS OVER YEARS.
AND WHEN THEY COME TO AMERICA, THEY HAVE A LIVELIHOOD, THEY HAVE EMPLOYMENT.
AND SO WHILE IT'S JUST 10 SEWING MACHINES, THAT'S 10 DAUGHTERS OR 10 MOTHERS OR 10 SISTERS THAT GOT TO ESCAPE AND COME TO AMERICA.
AND THE WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING HELPS WITH THAT ON THE FAR END OF IT.
AND JORDAN, OR PASTOR JACKIE, YOU CAN TELL HIM THAT I USED HIS, CARL, I READ HIS STORY.
LITERALLY LIVES, THEY OWN A SECURITY COMPANY.
THEY WERE DEBATING PRIOR TO RECEIVING THIS GRANT ON WHICH VEST THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO INVEST IN FOR THEIR SECURITY PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO JUST HAVE PROTECTION.
AND YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF VEST WITH DIFFERENT LEVELS OF PROTECTION.
THEY WERE LEANING TOWARDS THAT, THAT YOU MIGHT MAKE IT HOME AND YOU MAY NOT MAKE IT HOME LEVEL.
BUT WITH THIS GRANT, THEY WERE LITERALLY ABLE TO BUY THE TOP NOTCH LEVEL OF PROTECTION.
[00:35:01]
AND IT SEEMS LIKE JUST VESTS.BUT FOR SOMEBODY, THAT'S THE REASON THAT THEIR FATHER IS STILL ALIVE OR THEIR SON IS STILL ALIVE.
SO WHEN YOU SAY THAT YOU WANTED TO CHANGE AND SAVE LIVES, YOU'RE LITERALLY ABOUT A WORK.
WELLS FARGO, LITERALLY ABOUT A WORK THAT CHANGES LIVES.
'CAUSE Y'ALL KNOW I'M ABOUT TO ASK FOR SOME MORE MONEY.
BUT AT ANY RATE, THANK YOU FOR THE STEPS THAT YOU'VE TAKEN TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
NOW, IN THE SPIRIT OF STEPS, MAYOR, WE'RE GONNA ASK YOU TO COME UP FOR A MINUTE.
YOU SEE YOURSELF IN THIS PICTURE? WE GOT THE PROOF THAT YOU LIKE STEPS,
SO WE GOT A STEP FOR YOU TODAY.
CARIA, IF YOU'LL JOIN ME RIGHT HERE ON THE STAGE.
DAVIDSON, IF YOU CRANKED THE MUSIC UP, COME ON UP.
AUDIENCE
SHE'S ABOUT TO TEACH THE AUDIENCE THE TURNER TWO STEP.
WE'RE ABOUT TO TEACH THE AUDIENCE THE TURNER, TWO STEP.