Mayoral candidate John Connolly has released ideas that focus on supporting local businesses owned by minorities and women who want to expand in Boston.
“We are a stronger city for our diversity, but we face daunting equity gaps that threaten to undermine our future,” Connolly said in press release.
“On key measures like poverty, unemployment, and median household income, we continue to face disparities by race, ethnicity, and gender. We can do better. We can improve economic opportunities for all Bostonians, no matter their background or where they live.”
Connolly’s ideas include:
- Commissioning a Business Disparity;
- Prioritizing joint venture bidding;
- Eliminating barriers to entry by altering bonding requirements, regaining control of liquor licensing for restaurants, and making permitting and licensing simpler;
- Launching a “Buy Boston” campaign; and
- Leading the creation of Roxbury Entrepreneurship Center and a Made-in-Boston venture capital firm
Connolly hopes that these initiatives will “level the playing field” for minority and women owned businesses, according to the press release.
| Firms | Percent of Total | Population | Percent of Total |
| Black-owned firms | 11.7% | Black or African American | 24.4% |
| Latino-owned firms | 7.2% | Latino | 17.5% |
| Women-owned firms | 29.7% | Women | 52.1% |
Info displayed in Connolly’s plan, citing 2007 Firm and 2010 Census data.
According to a BBJ report, as of 2011, 70 percent of Boston’s business community was white.
Click here to view Connolly’s minority and women business plan.
Image from Jamaica Plain Patch
