To address this need, AnewAmerica offers a holistic three-year program, the Virtual Business Incubator, that assists new Americans in the San Francisco Bay Area to establish or expand microbusinesses, build personal assets for the sustainability of their families, and develop the community assets necessary to support the political, social, and cultural empowerment of their communities.

Description:
Business Incubation
Participants earn a college certificate in business planning from our educational partner Holy Names College in Oakland. Technology is accessible to them through training and a computer loan program. They increase capacity for their business. They discover "solidarity" among themselves, helping each other to make it to class, boosting each other's self-esteem, teaching each other the new "know-how." Teamed with a business coach in their industry, they learn practical business management and operations techniques.

They learn how to access the marketplace and how AnewAmerica's experiential training - like the Green Banana Cafe, Kitchen School & Community Space - will help them practice their business and place their products simultaneously. When they have their formal business license and business plan documents finalized, they are eligible for participation in business development opportunities through our Access to Markets program. In addition, they receive access to credit services and microloan packages through our partner financial institutions.
Asset Building
Participants gradually build assets, earning a 1:1 match to their savings through our Open Door-IDA Savings Incentive project. They save weekly to meet their business capital goals, and learn financial literacy through monthly Asset Builders Clubs. These savings can be utilized for business capitalization, homeownership, retirement funds, and for their children's college education.
Social Responsibility
Building community assets and developing leadership skills among new Americans is a main goal of AnewAmerica's asset building with social responsibility model. AnewAmerica encourages all participants to engage in socially responsible activities of their choosing. As part of our program, Latino and Asian participants organize an annual Social Responsibility Summit, during which they plan joint advocacy and community development activities. In partnership with local community organizations, participants take part in visits to their representatives in Sacramento to advocate for immigrant and working families' rights, fundraising for impoverished communities in their home countries, and sponsorship of special events for neighborhood community organizations. Business and financial trainings also include issues of social responsibility to increase participants' awareness of their impact as business owners in their communities.

History:
AnewAmerica Community Corporation (formerly The New America Foundation) was founded in 1999 by a group of community leaders representing immigrants and community development advocates who saw a continuing lack of integrated job creation, asset development, and community empowerment strategies for low-income new Americans living in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Contact person: Carolyn Carr, (phone), (email)
Office fax number: (510) 540-7786

Address:

1918 University Avenue Berkeley, CA 94704 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.anewamerica.org

Directions:

Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: Shattuck