ORLANDO, Fla — The African American Chamber of Commerce and Florida Technical College has offered a full scholarship to one lucky winner to push the needle for successful black businesses.
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This is the second time the two organizations have teamed up to offer a scholarship for black entrepreneurs in Florida since FTC became a trustee of the African American Chamber of Commerce in 2020.
The first person awarded was Eddy Duran, who will graduate with honors in 2024.
Eddy launched ArtCycle Kids, a program that uses cycling to teach children teamwork.
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“There is a strong need for an organization such as Florida Technical College to support black-owned businesses,” said Tanisha Nunn-Gary, President of the African American Chamber of Commerce.
The plan is to give back to a local black leader through the Black Opportunity Scholarship, helping those who may not have the chance and providing resources that would possibly never be offered.
“Nationally, black-owned businesses make up 3% of total firms nationwide. However, blacks make up 12.4% of the adult population. So, those statistics alone show the huge disparity between the black population and the number of business owners,” said Nunn-Gary.
The full-tuition scholarship is valued at up to $61,178 and will go to someone who aspires to build a new business in the community.
“We want to do our part to help those who go into business succeed, and this scholarship is just one avenue in which we believe we can do so,” said Nunn-Gary.
The deadline for the application scholarship is February 12, 2024.
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The announcement of the recipient will be on February 22 at the Florida Technical College Orlando Campus.
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