ShopBIPOC Launches in 2023!

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The ShopBIPOC Launch Party August 31, 2024 invited business owners, institutional buyers, and the public to kick-off the initiative.

Thanks to the incredible efforts of our community coalition* and the support of our generous donors, we are thrilled to announce a major milestone in our efforts to advance economic equity in the Denver region: the official launch of ShopBIPOC!

The ShopBIPOC story is a tangible example of how Center for Community Wealth Building (CCWB) and its community partners are creating a more just and equitable economy.  The support of individual donors was instrumental in helping us to take on new projects like this that are driven by the needs and interests of our community partners. 


​Fostering Racial Equity Through Values-Aligned Spending

ShopBIPOC.com is helping Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)-owned businesses connect to individual and institutional consumers who want to use their regular spending to advance racial equity. 

CCWB began building the ShopBIPOC platform following the death of George Floyd. The racial reckoning of that summer led many entities to make statements in support of Black Lives Matter, including their desire to support small Black-owned businesses. Few, however, were able to match their expressions of support with actual changes in their purchasing, often expressing their frustration that they could not identify these businesses in their community. 

In response, CCWB assembled a team of community collaborators in the small business support sector to develop a  mechanism to connect consumers directly to BIPOC-owned businesses. We finally crossed the finish line and formally launched ShopBIPOC.com on August 31st! 

To celebrate, we held a launch party at the People’s Building in Aurora! More than just a party, the gathering was an historic moment for the 450 (and growing!) BIPOC-owned Colorado businesses that are now part of the ShopBIPOC community. ​

ShopBIPOC can help pave the way toward a more racially equitable economy.
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By responding to the interests of individual and institutional consumers to match their spending with their values, ShopBIPOC is quickly becoming a valuable tool in building a  more racially equitable economy. As large and small consumers shift how they spend their money, they can help BIPOC businesses and the communities in which they are located to build wealth and grow more resilient.

While systems-level changes will come slowly, the growing focus on values-aligned spending that ShopBIPOC taps into can help consumers and businesses see what real progress looks like. This is especially true as large institutional partners like the anchor institutions with which CCWB works begin to reposition how they spend their procurement dollars. Major local institutions from the City of Denver to the University of Colorado, Metropolitan State University of Denver, CSU Spur, National Western Center,  and the City of Aurora have all endorsed ShopBIPOC and use the platform to find vendors.


ShopBIPOC's future growth 

ShopBIPOC is continuously developing, with dedicated committees for website development, marketing, communications, and overall strategy. These committees, comprising individuals from ShopBIPOC collaborative partners RMMFI, Adelante Community Development, Good Business Colorado, Slow Integration Coaching, CEDS Finance, and Energize Colorado, actively improve the platform's functionality, marketing capabilities, and business connections. 

As ShopBIPOC evolves, transformative leaders for change leverage their collective expertise to fortify the platform, creating a more effective tool for businesses. This collaborative effort emphasizes a commitment to empowering BIPOC-owned businesses and fostering a vibrant ecosystem for growth and success within the community.