Last year the coronavirus pandemic threatened many small local businesses. Health and safety protocols exposed vulnerabilities, among small businesses, exacerbating disparities among women entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs of color. Many were denied access to the Payment Protection Program (PPP) designed to provide relief to small businesses, creating direct incentives to keep employees on payroll during the pandemic. According to the Center for Responsible Lending, a nonprofit group combatting abusive lending practices, 90% of minority and women owners were shut out of the program. Entrepreneurs of color and female entrepreneurs are denied the same access to capital as their white male peers. In response, Local First Arizona, a national leader in the buy-local movement, and YWCA of Southern Arizona, one of the oldest and largest multicultural womenâs organizations in the nation, are working to introduce sustainable business practices while supporting women of color entrepreneurs at the same time.Â