Miami, Feb. 3, 2021 – Once again, The Idea Center at Miami Dade College (MDC) has been awarded a grant from the TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, as part of its commitment to giving back to the community. The grant is for $85,000 to support The Idea Center’s transformative Scale Up Miami program.
The grant will enable The Idea Center to provide ongoing business training and one-on-one coaching to 50 small business owners with a primary focus on women and minority-owned small business in Miami-Dade County.
“We are thrilled to receive this funding and renewed support for the Scale Up Miami program from our partners at the TD Charitable Foundation,” said Romi Bhatia, The Idea Center’s Executive Director. “The pandemic has disrupted our vibrant small business community, but some businesses have been hit much harder than others. We want to encourage our early-stage business owners to take advantage of this opportunity to build that entrepreneurial mindset to thrive in times of adversity.”
Scale Up Miami will target small business owners, particularly African American and female-owned business owners, who do not have the same access to financial assistance, financial savings, or the knowledge and tools to be equipped to pivot during the COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately 118 small business owners have participated in the program with an 85 percent completion rate. Each program is cohort-based, 16 weeks in length and provides business training combined with business coaching.
“We know that the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on Black communities, as well as small businesses,” said Pablo Pino, South Florida Commercial Market President, TD Bank. “That’s why we are proud to support innovative programs like Scale Up Miami, as they help create an equitable economy where all can achieve financial stability and recover from the pandemic.”
TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank® and the TD Charitable Foundation provide support to affordable housing, financial literacy and education, and environmental initiatives, many of which focus on improving the welfare of children and families.
This contribution supports the bank’s longstanding commitment to community enrichment through its corporate citizenship platform, the TD Ready Commitment. The TD Ready Commitment actively promotes inclusivity, economic vitality, environmental wellbeing and health, enabling people of all backgrounds to succeed in a rapidly changing world. As part of The TD Ready Commitment, TD targets $775 million in total by 2030 towards community giving in four critical areas: Financial Security, a more Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities and Better Health. Through this platform, TD aspires to create a more inclusive tomorrow — helping people of all backgrounds feel more confident, not just about their finances, but about their ability to achieve their goals. To learn more, visit https://www.tdbank.com/corporate-responsibility/the-ready-commitment/
About the TD Charitable Foundation
The TD Charitable Foundation is the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, one of the 10 largest commercial banking organizations in the United States. Since its inception in 2002, the Foundation has distributed over $243 million through donations to local nonprofits from Maine to Florida. More information on the TD Charitable Foundation is available at https://www.tdbank.com/corporate-responsibility/the-ready-commitment/funding-opportunities/
About TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®
TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing more than 9.5 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at more than 1,220 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Bank and its subsidiaries offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth®, and vehicle financing and dealer commercial services through TD Auto Finance. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. To learn more, visit www.td.com/us. Find TD Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US and www.twitter.com/TDNews_US.
TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol “TD”. To learn more, visit www.td.com/us.
About The Idea Center at Miami Dade College
The Idea Center @MDC is the college’s groundbreaking hub of innovation, the place where students from all disciplines can gather, collaborate and take advantage of resources and training to develop their entrepreneurial ideas. Through cutting-edge entrepreneurship education, professional development and experiential learning, students and community members can acquire the tools needed to identify challenges and develop solutions. The Idea Center’s core programs include Startup Challenge, CREATE accelerator, Impact Miami and Reimagining Cities, the Pioneers@MDC monthly speaker series and the Mike Fernandez Global Business Leadership Series, to name a few. For more information, visit www.theideacenter.co.
To apply for Scale Up Miami, complete an application at https://theideacenter.co/programs/scaleupmiami/. Applicants with a business located and operating in Miami Dade and Broward Counties are welcome to apply. The deadline to apply is March 19.