Entrepreneur Jesse Ross is Renovating a Building to Help Small Black Business Owners in Minneapolis
Photo of Jesse Ross, founder of Wealth Redistribution Project
A common issue many small business owners face is obtaining funding and resources. Whether it’s grant funding, hiring help, or renting commercial or office space, it can be challenging for small businesses to receive the resources and assistance they need to help their businesses thrive.
Jesse Ross, an entrepreneur, activist, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) leader, is making efforts to help BIPOC and women-owned small businesses in North Minneapolis acquire commercial rental spaces.
Ross has lived in North Minneapolis since he was a young child, calling the city his home.
“We moved to North Minneapolis when I was a baby,” Ross told CBS News. “A community that I feel like is one of the most overlooked and under resourced communities in the country, but one of the most vibrant and rich communities I’ve ever been in in my whole life.”
Ross is the founder of the Wealth Redistribution Project, a multi-million dollar initiative made in collaboration with the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board.
According to CBS News, the building is 68,000 square feet, located at 2518 North Second Street, amongst other area redevelopment projects.
“Creating ownership in a space that’s in the middle of those two vibrant geographic locations, I think is very important for those business owners, for the residents, and for everybody who is to come,” Ross told CBS News.
Ross has acquired all but 5% of the multi-million dollar project but told CBS News he plans to close on the commercial rental space by the end of this year.
As reported by Black Enterprise, renovations on the property are expected to start in 2023, with the project lasting six months.
Ross aims to have a soft opening for the building in the summer of 2023.
Check out the Wealth Redistribution Project’s website to stay updated on this initiative.