The Future Economy Starts Here
Friends of BIA are a community of champions who believe deeply in our mission — and invest boldly in our strategy.
About Friends of BIA
They are more than supporters. They are trusted partners who provide the financial backing and strategic insight that help Black Innovation Alliance grow, adapt, and lead.
Through their sustained investment, our Friends help us build the infrastructure for an inclusive economy — one where overlooked entrepreneurs have the support they need to thrive and win!
Our current economy leaves too many behind.
It’s time to build a new one.
We face a staggering economic challenge. Data reveals that annually, we forfeit $4.4 trillion in potential value because too many visionary entrepreneurs are left under-resourced and forgotten. These innovators—brimming with potential—are locked out of opportunities due to lack of access to capital, strategic support, and equitable pathways.
How do we transform this reality?
Deliver
Strategic resources to empower grassroots organizations making direct impact where it matters most.
Through TRUST alone, BIA is granting $2 million to 34 organizations across the country.
Drive
Transformative national and local policies that repair systemic inequities and eliminate inefficiencies.
In partnership with our congressional co-chairs, we launched the Congressional Caucus on Black Innovation.
Deploy
Groundbreaking research and actionable insights that revolutionize entrepreneurial support—from initial vision through successful launch.
Our BLADE Blueprint is the first ever study on digital entrepreneurship.
Through our comprehensive approach, BIA has implemented dozens of high-impact programs with unwavering determination since 2020—and our Friends are amplifying our capacity to move faster and bolder, creating robust pathways to essential tools and capital for thousands of entrepreneurs nationwide. Together, we’re catalyzing true economic freedom.
Friends of bia are excited about ‘TRUST’
Here's Why
BIA’s early work revealed a powerful insight: when other systems fail, entrepreneurs turn to trusted community organizations for support.
So we built our membership model around them — a national network of innovator support organizations (ISOs) already doing the work on the ground. Since 2020, we’ve raised over $20 million, and our work has touched more than 500,000 entrepreneurs. We’ve invested $2.5 million in direct funding and delivered programming to over 200 ISOs. The lesson is clear: if we want to scale impact, we start by investing in the organizations entrepreneurs already trust.
TRUST closes support gaps by fueling existing infrastructure surrounding underfunded entrepreneurs. Coordinating resources and funding, TRUST delivers the following:
- Unrestricted Capital: $25K-$125K flexible grants to support organizations
- Proven Learning Communities: Customized training designed to scale
- Hyperlocal Solutions: Tailored to each community's unique needs
- Impact Intelligence: Showing exactly where your dollars make the difference
Just 7 of our 35 TRUST grantees support 30,000 entrepreneurs.
Imagine multiplying that impact nationwide.
That’s the power of TRUST.
Our team is actively engaging with current and future Friends of BIA to achieve our TRUST 2028 Vision:
channeled to emerging entrepreneurs
more entrepreneurs strengthened
powered by TRUST
new jobs created in TRUST cities
TRUST expanded to
Friends of BIA salons: where builders of the future gathers
One of the many benefits to being a Friend of BIA is exclusive access to our Friends of BIA Salons. From wealth strategists to filmmakers to policymakers, our curated spaces offer unmatched networking with some of the deepest impact leaders today
Interested in being on our Friends of BIA Salon list? Contact Tammy Charles.
Past Friends of BIA Speakers
Colin Kaepernick
Super Bowl Quarterback, Tech Founder, and Activist
Tiffany Cross
Journalist, Political Analyst, and Former MSNBC Host
Live in Detroit
Erika Alexander
Actress & Change Agent
Erika Alexander is an award-winning actress, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Color Farm Media and its non-profit arm, Color Farm Impact. Beloved for her portrayal of Maxine Shaw in the hit series Living Single and her work on Oscar-nominated American Fiction—as well as creating transformative stories in entertainment, she brings her expertise in building systems that translate narrative into economic impact.
As a founder who has navigated both creative and entrepreneurial landscapes, Erika offers unique insights on how infrastructure and storytelling together create pathways for overlooked genius.
She’ll join Friends of BIA for a live fireside chat: “The Maxine Shaw Effect: How Representation Builds Future Economies.”
Erika Alexander
“Narrative, when matched with infrastructure, becomes a force for generational impact.”
We’re building the future economy.
Will you join us?
BECOME A FRIEND OF BIA.
Fuel Innovation!
Invest in scalable, sustainable infrastructure that unlocks entrepreneurial potential in overlooked markets
Partner with Purpose!
Co-create place-based solutions that transform disconnected resources into coordinated economic engines for all communities
Champion the Movement!
Leverage your influence to reshape capital flows and narratives, building an inclusive economy where brilliance meets opportunity
For more strategic partnership discussion, contact Tammy Charles at [email protected].