VERONICA FLETCHER // SAANYA JAIN //

JACKSON SALES // AMY SIT

Students in this group examined the institutional "ecology" that surrounds and influences the process of owning and operating a business. In their research, this group sought to answer a series of questions, including: what kinds of organizations exist to support small businesses in Providence? How, if at all, do these organizations collaborate and/or coordinate to help business owners? What sorts of resources do these organizations offer, particularly to business owners-of-color operating in the city? Speaking to several business-supporting agencies as well as a handful of local business owners, this group found that small business owners are nearly always in need of more information and support, but not always certain how and where to find this information. If business-supporting agencies were better coordinated and more streamlined, they could greatly assist current and future small businesses in Providence. You can find the group's full multimedia story here.