Entrepreneurs of Color in Arizona Face Challenges in Technology, Climate Change, and Sustainability in a Post-COVID Economy

CNK Team and researchers from the UCLA Latino Politics and Policy Instituted recently released a new report about the experiences of ethnic small business owners in Arizona. This report is the third one of the series of reports for CNK’s COVID-19 Equity Research Initiative, CNK’s initiative that focuses on empirical and quantitative analyses of informing a just recovery of businesses from the impacts of COVID-19.

This report utilizes numerous quantitative and qualitative data sources from nearly 400 businesses, exploring how these ethnic-owned businesses face challenges regarding the access to financial capital, use of new available technologies, obtaining relief funds, and demonstrating a high employee turnover during times of crises.

In the new report, researchers consistently found that Black and Latino-owned businesses in Arizona face more barriers than white-owned businesses to accessing financial capital. Additionally, they found that ethnic-owned businesses continue to fight an uphill battle to recover from the impacts of COVID-19, are more likely than white-owned businesses to acknowledge the impacts of climate change, and are actively engaged in environmental sustainability planning.

CNK Team and researchers conclude that, “as ethnic enterprises continue to grow in number, it is imperative that they be incorporated equitably in economic development processes as well as environmental sustainability planning. They play a vital role in their communities through job creation, generation of revenue, and promotion of social and cultural diversity.”

Read the Arizona report here: Business as Usual: Entrepreneurs of Color in Arizona Face Challenges in Technology, Climate Change, and Sustainability in a Post-COVID Economy

Read the Texas report here: Business as Usual: Entrepreneurs of Color in Texas Face Challenges in Technology, Climate Change, and Sustainability in a Post-COVID Economy

Read the California report here: Business as Usual: Entrepreneurs of Color in California Face Challenges in Technology, Climate Change, and Sustainability in a Post-COVID Economy