For the third consecutive year this August, Micae Brown will once again lead a team of U.S. Bank employees and others on a mission across Chicago to engage with the business owners she supports.
“This initiative is about fostering connections and reinforcing community ties,” said Brown, a U.S. Bank Business Access Advisor serving Chicago and Milwaukee. “It’s crucial for our leaders to hear directly from business owners about the challenges they face in securing capital, accessing information, and building strong relationships with financial institutions.”
Brown, who is dedicated to closing gaps and serving as a bridge for business owners seeking solutions, will be hosting her third annual Access Business bus tour in August, coinciding with National Black Business Month. Similar tours are planned across the bank’s network, including the inaugural business tour in Minnesota in August, another in Los Angeles in September, and a third-year collaboration with ReMix Ideas in Arkansas, led by a local Business Access Advisor, to support Black-owned businesses.
“Time and again, we find that small business owners encounter common challenges, often stemming from a lack of access—whether it’s to capital, resources, or information,” Brown noted. “That’s why U.S. Bank established the Business Access Advisor role. Our goal is to help business owners navigate these obstacles by connecting them with valuable resources, such as nonprofits or financial education programs.”
Over the years, the bus tour has brought Brown and U.S. Bank leaders face-to-face with numerous business owners who have shared their unique stories and aspirations. One such entrepreneur is Alicia Deurson, owner of a Harold’s Chicken franchise.
“When you’re starting a small business, you might not have a large sum of money,” said Deurson, who collaborated with Brown and U.S. Bank, along with community partners, to open her restaurant in 2023. “U.S. Bank worked with what I had and took an interest in me without focusing on what I lacked.”
Ultimately, these events aim to create opportunities for deeper understanding of what it takes to own a business, the challenges business owners currently face, and their ultimate goals. For Tyrone Hemingway, the owner of Kicking the Barriers, those goals extend well beyond the walls of his youth martial arts studio.
“Being a Black business owner is something I strive to inspire in others,” Hemingway shared. “I’m proud to be a Black business owner because it has opened many doors for me, and I’m able to educate others on how they can unlock similar opportunities.”
For Brown and her Business Access Advisor colleagues, sharing knowledge and building connections to help small businesses thrive is at the heart of their work.
“People start their small business because they are passionate about their product or service,” said Brown. “They don’t do it because they want to be a part-time banker. Moments like those on our tours – that bring together a small business owner and banking leadership – open so many doors on how we can work better together to help our small businesses succeed.”
“This initiative is about fostering connections and reinforcing community ties,” said Brown, a U.S. Bank Business Access Advisor serving Chicago and Milwaukee. “It’s crucial for our leaders to hear directly from business owners about the challenges they face in securing capital, accessing information, and building strong relationships with financial institutions.”
Brown, who is dedicated to closing gaps and serving as a bridge for business owners seeking solutions, will be hosting her third annual Access Business bus tour in August, coinciding with National Black Business Month. Similar tours are planned across the bank’s network, including the inaugural business tour in Minnesota in August, another in Los Angeles in September, and a third-year collaboration with ReMix Ideas in Arkansas, led by a local Business Access Advisor, to support Black-owned businesses.
“Time and again, we find that small business owners encounter common challenges, often stemming from a lack of access—whether it’s to capital, resources, or information,” Brown noted. “That’s why U.S. Bank established the Business Access Advisor role. Our goal is to help business owners navigate these obstacles by connecting them with valuable resources, such as nonprofits or financial education programs.”
Over the years, the bus tour has brought Brown and U.S. Bank leaders face-to-face with numerous business owners who have shared their unique stories and aspirations. One such entrepreneur is Alicia Deurson, owner of a Harold’s Chicken franchise.
“When you’re starting a small business, you might not have a large sum of money,” said Deurson, who collaborated with Brown and U.S. Bank, along with community partners, to open her restaurant in 2023. “U.S. Bank worked with what I had and took an interest in me without focusing on what I lacked.”
Ultimately, these events aim to create opportunities for deeper understanding of what it takes to own a business, the challenges business owners currently face, and their ultimate goals. For Tyrone Hemingway, the owner of Kicking the Barriers, those goals extend well beyond the walls of his youth martial arts studio.
“Being a Black business owner is something I strive to inspire in others,” Hemingway shared. “I’m proud to be a Black business owner because it has opened many doors for me, and I’m able to educate others on how they can unlock similar opportunities.”
For Brown and her Business Access Advisor colleagues, sharing knowledge and building connections to help small businesses thrive is at the heart of their work.
“People start their small business because they are passionate about their product or service,” said Brown. “They don’t do it because they want to be a part-time banker. Moments like those on our tours – that bring together a small business owner and banking leadership – open so many doors on how we can work better together to help our small businesses succeed.”