How Elevate Together™ Helped a Small Business to Reopen After Devastating Disaster
Ruchama Jean Baptiste, a nurse practitioner, launched Lavie Scrubs in February 2020 to help medical professionals look and feel great with affordable and comfortable medical uniforms and accessories. In 2021, Ruchama was selected by the Urban League of Palm Beach County to receive a $10,000 small business cash grant from Elevate Together™ powered by Round It Up America®. This cash grant allowed her to purchase more inventory and hire a part-time assistant to help contact potential clients.
https://youtu.be/rvlah4sFlxE
During the grant presentation, Office Depot Associates learned that Ruchama’s inventory and office space for Lavie Scrubs were destroyed in a warehouse fire, which forced her to operate temporarily from a mobile unit.
“We launched our business in 2020, right before the pandemic happened. After that, we were in a warehouse and we had a fire in our building, which caused us to lose a lot of our inventory and we had to start over,” Ruchama said.
Once Ruchama was able to secure a new storefront several months later in Delray Beach, Office Depot wanted to help make her new office a comfortable and productive work environment with an in-kind donation of brand-new stylish furniture, office essentials and cleaning supplies.
“During that time, we were fortunate enough to have Elevate Together help us. They donated furniture, supplies, and we also won a grant that helped us kickstart our business, and here we are today,” Ruchama said.
Elevate Together™ Initiative Recommits to Supporting Small Business Growth in 2022 and Welcomes JPMorgan Chase as Newest Contributor
WASHINGTON, D.C. – JPMorgan Chase has joined with the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) and The ODP Corporation to collaboratively continue to propel small businesses forward through Elevate Together™ – a nonprofit initiative designed to accelerate the creation, growth, and prosperity of Black and Hispanic small businesses. The program is powered by Round It Up America® and is now in its second year.
Now, with support from JPMorgan Chase, the newest corporate contributor to the Elevate Together™ initiative, Hispanic- and Latino-owned small businesses can gain access to free virtual and in-person business education workshops in 2022 as well as available tools delivered through Elevate Together University and locally by USHCC affiliates. Participating small businesses can expect to receive coaching and business growth resources, and learn more about navigating cash flow, understanding capital and growing their digital presence. This initiative also complements JPMorgan Chase’s long-standing supplier diversity program by fostering the success of Hispanic-owned companies.
Elevate Together™ was launched in 2021 by founding corporate partner, The ODP Corporation, in collaboration with the USHCC and National Urban League to address systemic discrimination and historical racial disparities in business growth and profitability in Hispanic and Black communities. The program kicked off in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and South Florida and will expand this year to provide support in Dallas, Detroit, Fort Worth, Houston, Minneapolis and Phoenix.
Black and Hispanic small businesses looking for additional resources to strengthen their businesses are also invited to apply for a cash grant through Elevate Together™ in association with their local participating Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
The following chambers of commerce are Elevate Together™ partners and provide bilingual technical assistance and mentoring services at no cost to small businesses:
- Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- Latino Chamber of Commerce of Minnesota
- Los Angeles Latino Chamber of Commerce
- Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- Palm Beach County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
“Hispanic- and minority-owned small businesses are the job creators and the backbone of the American economy. Through Elevate Together™, we are proud to be able to provide hands-on, much needed resources to foster economic development and build sustainable prosperity,” said Ramiro A. Cavazos, President and Chief Executive Officer for the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “We’re excited to continue growing this initiative with our partners at JPMorgan Chase, alongside the champions at The ODP Corporation, and we look forward to expanding our services and reach to support America’s diverse small business owners through our network of chambers during this time of economic recovery.”
“Providing Hispanic and Latino small business owners with helpful tools to succeed and make a real difference in our communities is core to our mission” said Silvana Montenegro, Global Head of Advancing Hispanics & Latinos at JPMorgan Chase. “That’s why we’re proud to join the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and The ODP Corporation in the Elevate Together™ initiative powered by Round It Up America.”
“We are delighted to have JPMorgan Chase on board to help us expand our reach into new markets and connect even more small businesses with education, access and aid through Elevate Together™,” said Alex Price, National Director of Community Investment for Office Depot. “We’re excited for this initiative to continue to evolve into a coalition of like-minded companies with a desire to foster business creation and growth opportunities for Black- and Hispanic-owned small businesses nationwide.”
Registration is currently open for upcoming Elevate Together University workshops, with the first session scheduled to kick off virtually on Tuesday, April 5 (https://elevatetogether.org/university/). For more information on Elevate Together™, visit elevatetogether.org or click here to register for an upcoming Elevate Together University workshop.
Questions may be submitted to press@ushcc.com.
About the USHCC
The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) actively promotes the economic growth, development, and interests of 5 million Hispanic-owned businesses, that combined, contribute over $800 billion to the American economy every year. The USHCC is America's largest small business advocacy group, representing more than 260 local chambers and business associations nationwide, and also partners with hundreds of major American corporations. For more information, please visit ushcc.com. Follow us on Twitter @USHCC.
About Elevate Together™
Elevate Together™ powered by Round It Up America® is a nonprofit initiative designed to address systemic discrimination and historical racial disparities in business growth and profitability in Black and Hispanic communities. Through a partnership with the National Urban League and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the initiative delivers education, access and aid to Black and Hispanic small businesses. Founded by The ODP Corporation, Elevate Together™ is supported by a coalition of like-minded companies with a mission to strengthen local communities, foster job creation, and close the racial wealth gap. Learn more at www.elevatetogether.org.
About The ODP Corporation
The ODP Corporation (NASDAQ:ODP) is a leading provider of business services and supplies, products and digital workplace technology solutions to small, medium and enterprise businesses, through an integrated business-to-business (B2B) distribution platform, which includes world-class supply chain and distribution operations, dedicated sales professionals and technicians, online presence, and approximately 1,000 stores. Through its banner brands Office Depot®, OfficeMax®, ODP Business Solutions™, Varis™ and Grand&Toy®, as well as others, the company offers its customers the tools and resources they need to focus on their passion of starting, growing and running their business. For more information, visit news.theodpcorp.com and investor.theodpcorp.com.
ODP, ODP Business Solutions, and Office Depot are trademarks of The Office Club, Inc. OfficeMax is a trademark of OMX, Inc. Varis is a trademark of Varis, LLC. Grand&Toy is a trademark of Grand & Toy, LLC in Canada. ©2022 Office Depot, LLC. All rights reserved. Any other product or company names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.
About JPMorgan Chase & Co.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading financial services firm based in the United States of America (“U.S.”), with operations worldwide. JPMorgan Chase had $3.7 trillion in assets and $294.1 billion in stockholders’ equity as of December 31, 2021. The Firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing and asset management. Under the J.P. Morgan and Chase brands, the Firm serves millions of customers in the U.S. and many of the world’s most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients globally. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.
Elevate Together™ Initiative Raises Nearly $2.3 Million in First Year to Foster Growth and Profitability for Black- and Hispanic-Owned Small Businesses
Elevate Together™ Initiative Raises Nearly $2.3 Million in First Year to Foster Growth and Profitability for Black- and Hispanic-Owned Small Businesses
Boca Raton, Fla., February 15, 2022 – Elevate Together™ powered by Round It Up America®, a nonprofit initiative founded by The ODP Corporation (NASDAQ:ODP), today announced that nearly $2.3 million was raised during the program’s inaugural year in support of its mission to help accelerate the creation, growth and prosperity of Black- and Hispanic-owned small businesses.
Through partnerships with the National Urban League and the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Elevate Together™ was designed to deliver education, access and aid to small businesses with five employees or less. With an initial investment of $250,000, The ODP Corporation helped launch the program in Atlanta, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, and West Palm Beach. Throughout the year, local Urban League affiliates and Hispanic Chamber of Commerce chapters in these markets received technical assistance grants to provide eligible small business owners with access to free workshops and bootcamps, professional networks, mentorship services and more.
In 2021, 89 Black- and Hispanic-owned small businesses were awarded cash grants, valued at $5,000 or $10,000, to help them continue to innovate, grow and prosper. Selected businesses were chosen based on established criteria created by local selection committees and were evaluated based upon their proposed business plans. Certified mentors from The Venture Mentoring Team were also paired with many of these small businesses to provide advisory support and help guide them on their entrepreneurial journeys.
“Becoming one of the small business grant recipients from the Elevate Together™ initiative enabled us to hire additional staff, secure a new delivery van, and make short-term investments to hopefully expand our product line and open a second location,” said Nadeige Sterlin, co-owner of La Paix Bakery in Miramar, Florida. “I want to continue to pay it forward by sharing our story to help inspire other Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs to keep reaching for their dreams. If we all work together, we can collectively strengthen our community long term, while saving and creating more local jobs in the short term.”
“The Elevate Together™ cash grant helped elevate COVEDOZA in numerous ways,” said Elisa Molina, president, creative director and chief executive officer of COVEDOZA, based in Atlanta, Georgia. “It enabled us to invest in high-quality graphic design services to create our first-ever digital and shoppable 2021 holiday gift guide. We were able to revamp our entire homepage and invest in new business equipment that will help us expand our product offerings in 2022. Lastly, the mentorship has also been key in addressing key areas of growth for the business.”
“Elevate Together™ was created to help address systemic discrimination and historical racial disparities in business growth and profitability in Black and Hispanic communities,” said Gerry Smith, chief executive officer for The ODP Corporation. “We’re inspired by the success stories from small business owners whose lives we’ve touched through this program so far, and we hope to continue building a coalition of like-minded companies to help advance business creation and growth opportunities for Black and Hispanic businesses for years to come.”
With support from community partners and corporate partners like NCR Foundation, plus Office Depot and OfficeMax customers and associates, the program will expand its reach in 2022 to provide impactful, measurable and scalable support services and educational opportunities to help small businesses grow in Dallas, Detroit, Fort Worth, Houston, Minneapolis, Phoenix and beyond.
To learn more about Elevate Together™ powered by Round It Up America®, including how to participate as a small business or donate to the initiative to help drive change, please visit www.elevatetogether.org.
About Elevate Together™
Elevate Together™ powered by Round It Up America® is a nonprofit initiative designed to address systemic discrimination and historical racial disparities in business growth and profitability in Black and Hispanic communities. Through a partnership with the National Urban League and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the initiative delivers education, access and aid to Black and Hispanic small businesses. Founded by The ODP Corporation, Elevate Together™ is supported by a coalition of like-minded companies with a mission to strengthen our local communities, foster job creation, and close the racial wealth gap. Learn more at www.elevatetogether.org.
The ODP Corporation Launches Nonprofit Initiative to Help Accelerate the Creation, Growth and Prosperity of Minority-Owned Small Businesses
The ODP Corporation (NASDAQ:ODP), a leading provider of business services, products and digital workplace technology solutions through an integrated B2B distribution platform, today announced the launch of Elevate Together™ powered by Round It Up America®, a new nonprofit initiative designed to help accelerate the creation, growth and prosperity of Black and Hispanic-owned small businesses.
By: Danny Jovic via The ODP Corporation
Elevate Together™ powered by Round It Up America® will connect Black and Hispanic small business owners with education, access and aid in collaboration with the National Urban League’s Entrepreneurship Centers and the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 4, 2021-- The ODP Corporation (NASDAQ:ODP), a leading provider of business services, products and digital workplace technology solutions through an integrated B2B distribution platform, today announced the launch of Elevate Together™ powered by Round It Up America®, a new nonprofit initiative designed to help accelerate the creation, growth and prosperity of Black and Hispanic-owned small businesses.
In collaboration with the National Urban League’s Entrepreneurship Centers and the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC), Elevate Together™ will help to deliver impactful, measurable and scalable support services that foster business creation and growth opportunities for Black and Hispanic small businesses with five or less employees. As part of this initiative, eligible small business owners will gain access to educational workshops, training and mentorship services, professional networks and more. Businesses may also be eligible to receive aid in the form of cash grants, products and services.
“We strongly believe that in a society where the playing field is level, Black and Hispanic small businesses will play a vital role in restoring the health of our economy and in driving long-term wealth creation across North America,” said Gerry Smith, chief executive officer for The ODP Corporation. “With support from our associates, customers, community partners and other like-minded corporations, we hope to continue to foster new opportunities for minority-owned small businesses, to help them prosper and get the resources they need to better compete in today’s marketplace.”
In keeping with its longstanding history of serving local community businesses and as the founding partner of Elevate Together™, The ODP Corporation is proud to pledge an initial investment of $250,000, which will help to launch the initiative in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and South Florida.
“Small businesses are key to job creation, and through the work of the National Urban League’s Entrepreneurship Centers Program, current and prospective entrepreneurs in underserved communities across the country are being empowered to establish new ventures every day,” said Marc H. Morial, president and chief executive officer for the National Urban League. “This partnership with Elevate Together™ powered by Round It Up America® will help us provide additional services that will impact and improve the lives of many Black business owners for years to come.”
According to a recent survey from the National Association for Business Economics, 73% of surveyed forecasters believe that the economy will not return to its pre-pandemic level until the second half of 2021. To help strengthen local communities and foster job creation during this challenging time, it is now more important than ever to provide minority-owned small businesses with access to essential business resources and direct financial investments.
“At the USHCC, we are proud to advocate for Hispanic-owned businesses to foster economic development and build sustainable prosperity for our American economy,” said Ramiro A. Cavazos, president and chief executive officer for the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “We’re excited to help launch this new initiative, championed by The ODP Corporation, and look forward to expanding our services and reach to support America’s diverse small business owners through our network of chambers during this time of economic recovery.”
Individuals interested in helping to elevate minority-owned businesses through this initiative can make a donation to Elevate Together™ at their nearest Office Depot or OfficeMax store and at checkout on officedepot.com.
For more information about Elevate Together™ powered by Round It Up America®, including how to participate as a minority-owned small business or get involved as a corporate donor, visit ElevateTogether.org.
About The ODP Corporation
The ODP Corporation (NASDAQ:ODP) is a leading provider of business services and supplies, products and digital workplace technology solutions to small, medium and enterprise businesses, through an integrated business-to-business (B2B) distribution platform, which includes world-class supply chain and distribution operations, dedicated sales professionals and technicians, online presence, and approximately 1,200 stores. Through its banner brands Office Depot®, OfficeMax®, CompuCom® and Grand&Toy®, as well as others, the company offers its customers the tools and resources they need to focus on their passion of starting, growing and running their business. For more information, visit news.theodpcorp.com and investor.theodpcorp.com.
The ODP Corporation and Office Depot are trademarks of The Office Club, Inc. OfficeMax is a trademark of OMX, Inc. CompuCom is a trademark of CompuCom Systems, Inc. Grand&Toy is a trademark of Grand & Toy, LLC in Canada. ©2021 Office Depot, LLC. All rights reserved. Any other product or company names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210204005233/en/
Entrepreneurs Empowered to Elevate Their Businesses with $10,000 Grants
ODP Corporation CEO Gerry Smith surprises small business owners with the news that they have been selected to receive Elevate Together’s first cash grants.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q96otg9qBHk&t=1s
Diversity Professional Magazine: Elevate Together Helps Small Minority Businesses Succeed
The ODP Corporation wants to help make small minority business bigger.
South Florida Business Journal: ODP Corp.'s Elevate Together Program awards minority-owned small businesses with $10,000 grants, mentorship
Irenia Mesa and Lazaro Garcia, both members of the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, are each awarded $10,000 cash grants through Elevate Together powered by Round It Up America at the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 2021 Hispanic Leadership Awards held at The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida.
NCR Supporting Restaurant Recovery with Donation to Elevate Together™
NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR), a leading enterprise technology provider, today announced a donation of $200,000 to Elevate Together™, a nonprofit initiative designed to create growth and prosperity for Black and Hispanic communities. The donation was made by the NCR Foundation, a founding partner of Elevate Together, which is powered by Round It Up America® (RIUA). NCR’s donation is being used to award cash grants to minority-owned businesses in the Atlanta region.
By: Anne O’Neill via ncr.com
ATLANTA – August 16, 2021 – NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR), a leading enterprise technology provider, today announced a donation of $200,000 to Elevate Together™, a nonprofit initiative designed to create growth and prosperity for Black and Hispanic communities.
The donation was made by the NCR Foundation, a founding partner of Elevate Together, which is powered by Round It Up America® (RIUA). NCR’s donation is being used to award cash grants to minority-owned businesses in the Atlanta region.
“We want to do what we can to support the restaurant industry as it finds its footing after a difficult year,” said Dirk Izzo, president and general manager, NCR Hospitality. “We are honored to collaborate with Elevate Together and Round It Up America to support the hospitality industry.”
“We are very excited and honored to have the NCR Foundation as a founding partner for Elevate Together,” said Michelle McCarthy, executive director of RIUA. “NCR was our first point of sale partner and has been instrumental in supporting charitable causes for over 10 years.”
The NCR Aloha POS platform enables restaurant customers to donate to Round It Up America (RIUA) charities by selecting “Round It Up” when paying their bill. The total amount is automatically increased to the nearest dollar, with the difference going to the restaurant’s chosen charity. Since 2009, more than $5 million has been donated to nonprofit organizations through NCR’s platform.
NCR is a full end-to-end provider from order creation to payment settlement that brings together software, services and hardware — trusted by more than 100,000 restaurants, including independent operators, domestic chains and international brands across the globe. NCR’s comprehensive offering includes the signature NCR Aloha POS platform, providing everything restaurants need to run their business, boost efficiency and increase growth.
To learn more about Elevate Together™ powered by Round It Up America®, including how to participate as a minority-owned small business, visit ElevateTogether.org.
About Round It Up America®
Round It Up America (RIUA) is a non-profit organization that provides participating businesses, known as RIUA Mission Partners, the opportunity for customers to donate when paying their bill. RIUA Mission Partners select their own charities based on causes that are important to their organization, team members and customers. Companies around the country are making a difference through this powerful platform for charitable giving. For more information please visit www.rounditupamerica.org.
About NCR Corporation
NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) is a leading software- and services-led enterprise provider in the financial, retail and hospitality industries. NCR is headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., with 36,000 employees globally. NCR is a trademark of NCR Corporation in the United States and other countries.
Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Surprises Small Business as First Elevate Together Cash Grant Recipients
Watch how the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce surprises small business owners with the news that they are their first Elevate Together cash grant recipients.
Diversity Plus Magazine: Elevate Together Propels Minority-Owned Businesses to the Next Level
Elevate Together was featured in Diversity Plus Magazine to highlight the impact that it has had on minority-owned small businesses. Check out the feature and spread the word!
