August is National Black Business Month, and an emerging program in the Milwaukee area is seen as a game-changer in elevating minority-owned businesses trying to get off the ground. This year, several partners launched MKE BOSS - which stands for Build, Operate, Scale and Sustain. The digital platform links entrepreneurs of color with a range of resources, including lending and technical assistance.

Pam Bell, city executive with Self-Help Federal Credit Union, said for a lot of Black and brown business owners, it can be hard for them to navigate the financial services sector.

"Whatever that business is, whether it's food service and you're skilled in that trade, 'But how do I scale this?' - breaking down how much it costs to create a product and, 'How much do I need to put back into my business so that it's profitable?' and all of that," she explained.

The program's partners, including Self-Help, want to help these business owners shape their vision and establish more generational wealth in underserved areas. While this initiative is Milwaukee-centric, organizers hope to create a standard that serves as an inspiration for towns and cities elsewhere. Various rankings describe Wisconsin as one of the worst states for racial disparities.

Wendy Baumann, president of Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation, another partner, said beyond their assistance, government agencies can step it up by turning to minority-owned business for service contracts.

"County, state, local governments, and all the things that they purchase. Money talks, [and these agencies need to do] direct purchasing from these businesses," she said.

According to the Small Business Administration, 99% of U.S. companies are small businesses - defined as those with 500 employees or fewer. Baumann said that's an important statistic to remember when looking at ways to create a more level playing field within the nation's economy. The BOSS program is funded by a grant from J.P. Morgan Chase.

Optimism among small businesses in Wyoming and the U.S. is hitting lows comparable to early pandemic days, largely due to changing tariff policies.

A National Federation of Independent Business index shows only 18% of business owners are planning to invest in long-term assets in the next six months - down three points from March and at levels last seen in April 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

President Donald Trump has made about 50 announcements on new or changed tariff policies since taking office.

Dilawar Syed, former deputy administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, said on a Center for American Progress panel Monday that businesses need certainty.

"Two-thirds of the 35 million small businesses import," he said. "And 97% of all exporters are small businesses. So folks may not think of small businesses being at the front end of the trade policy impact. They are at the tip of the spear."

Nearly all Wyoming businesses are considered small by the U.S. Small Business Administration. According to a 2024 report, they employed over 65% of Wyoming workers, or about 130,000 people.

Other federal laws could impact businesses. The Republican congressional budget currently in the works would end tax credits from the Affordable Care Act that support health insurance for one-fifth of small business owners, or 4.2 million people. Cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP would hurt those in food business, including Amerisal Foods owner Vanessa Faggiolly.

"My margins are already so thin that just trying to absorb that 10% just completely kills me. We can't just get these increases and pass it onto the consumer right away," Faggiolly said. "It's going to take time. If we survive, it's going to take some time."

Trump has cut 43% of the staff at the Small Business Administration and at other agencies that assist businesses, including the Department of Agriculture and the Commerce and Treasury Departments.


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A new report highlights record-breaking investments in the Appalachian region, driven largely by federal climate and infrastructure funding over the past few years.

However, Congress is considering a budget reconciliation bill that could cut funding and put a damper on union jobs and private investment.

Dana Kuhnline, program director for the coalition ReImagine Appalachia, said funds included in the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act could be lost.

"One of the reasons that's so harmful for our region is that a huge percentage of the Inflation Reduction Act was targeted with special provisions for communities that had seen a downturn from manufacturing and other industry loss, to try and build those industries back up," Kuhnline explained.

According to data from the Center for American Progress, Ohio has seen a record $11 billion in investments and created more than 4,700 jobs since the Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2021.

Rike Rothenstein, senior research associate for ReImagine Appalachia, said Ohio leads four Appalachian states with a total of $40 billion in public and private investments. She noted federal money helped spur economic growth and drove companies to the region.

"It is really the private investment that was significantly responsible for that renaissance," Rothenstein emphasized. "For that push and strengthening of U.S. manufacturing in the region."

The report shows federal investments in clean energy manufacturing and transportation technologies totaled about $128 billion between 2022 and 2024.

The dismantling of the 30-year-old AmeriCorps national service program by the Department of Government Efficiency will have significant effects in New Mexico.

Last year, AmeriCorps recruited more than 4,500 participants in the state to help meet local needs and strengthen communities. Program grants are administered by the Serve New Mexico Commission, working under the Department of Workforce Solutions.

Kristin Hsueh, executive director of the commission, said funding was eliminated for a planning grant and six of 10 operational programs, leaving only four still functioning.

"These program were offering services to the communities, everything from tutoring to after-school programming, mentorship, trail restoration," Hsueh outlined. "It's a significant cut, it's almost about two-thirds of our programs."

New Mexico has joined 24 states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit suing over the Trump administration's cuts. The state's Attorney General said the action will hurt students, families and underserved communities. In New Mexico, a fourth of all AmeriCorps workers identify as Hispanic or Latino, the highest percentage in the nation.

Hsueh pointed out at least 84 AmeriCorps members in New Mexico were affected immediately, and 100 who were expected to participate this summer have been notified their positions have been defunded. She noted members and senior volunteers have previously served at more than 300 locations across the state.

"They are gaining a lot of experience," Hsueh observed. "They are serving something that's greater than themselves, which is really what AmeriCorps is all about, dedicating a portion of your life to make sure that you are improving the lives of others."

Initially known as Volunteers in Service to America or VISTA, AmeriCorps was created by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965 and renamed under President Bill Clinton. Nationwide, more than 75,000 people work in service each year, with land trusts, schools, public agencies and community and faith-based groups. Funding made up less than 1% of the federal budget.


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