Frederick city and business officials hope a small space can help create big opportunities for emerging local businesses.Kara Norman, executive director of the Downtown Frederick Partnership, said Friday she believes the coming business incubator located in the Federated Charities building on South Market Street will be a “launch pad for opportunity” for new businesses in the city.The room of about 350 square feet will host up to three businesses at a time, giving them affordable retail space, a chance to share operations, mentorship, and hands-on business experience as they begin their operations.“This is a true ecosystem of support,” Norman said at a ceremony Friday to announce the incubator project.The project is a partnership between the Downtown Frederick Partnership, the business collective SOUL Street, the Truist Foundation, the city, and the county.Norman said they expect the first cohort of businesses to enter the incubator this summer.The main obstacle to Black- and minority-owned businesses is the cost of finding a space, said Catherine Dorsey, SOUL Street’s board president.The organization seeks to support and empower Black businesses in Frederick.While the space will be open to any entrepreneurs looking to start their business, Dorsey said she believes the space will empower the city’s Black business community.Frederick is growing every day, and it is important that the businesses people see downtown reflect the diversity of the city, she said.Her organization has access to vendors, and the Partnership has the experience to help them learn how to survive, Dorsey said.Rob Tuggle, a senior vice president in Truist’s Maryland region, said the bank’s $100,000 grant for the project is a chance to invest back into the community.“This is how strong local economies are built,” Tuggle said.Frederick Mayor Michael O’Connor said the new incubator space is an important milestone that will bring new energy to downtown.The facility is “more than just a physical space. It is a promise,” O’Connor said.He looks forward to the day when the people who attended Friday’s event can gather again to celebrate the success of the businesses that emerge from the incubator.City Council Member Peter Brehm, who represents the downtown area where the incubator is located, said it’s important to always bring new blood to the downtown business district.It’s easy to talk about principles such as diversity, equity, and inclusion, but it’s different to put money and energy behind achieving those goals, he said.Norman said the incubator is a great chance to bring new ideas and perspectives into the thriving downtown area.The more it’s clear that things are happening downtown, the more it will attract people to the area, she said.



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