Governor’s Office
Press Release
Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott and the Department of Economic Development (DED), alongside the Vermont Professionals of Color Network (VT PoC), announced a new partnership to provide technical assistance and development services to Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) business owners and professionals statewide.
“Building equity across the state is a priority of my Administration and that means including all of our community members in these efforts,” said Governor Phil Scott. “This exciting partnership will help support businesses, our workforce, and further assist Vermont’s economic development efforts.”
The initiative, established by Act 183 of 2022, is part of the State of Vermont’s commitment to build on local, state, and national efforts to advance equity and to increase meaningful inclusion and representation of BIPOC communities. An appropriation of $250,000 American Rescue Plan Act dollars will provide outreach, support, training, technical assistance, networking, and resource navigation for BIPOC business owners and workers. Leveraging existing community resources and collaboration with community partners is central to the initiative’s efforts to optimize the funding and bridge gaps in critical services and resources. DED released a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit vendors to perform this work.
“VT PoC submitted a compelling proposal to bolster this work statewide and we are confident in the organization’s ability to effectively reach more Vermonters and make connections to the information and services they need to thrive,” said Department of Economic Development Commissioner Joan Goldstein. “We are excited about this partnership and the additional opportunity to transform our state and generate economic opportunity for all Vermonters.”
VT PoC’s mission is focused, in part, on providing support for BIPOC business owners and their entrepreneurial ventures. The partnership will expand upon the work VT PoC has been engaged with since it was founded in 2019, to build opportunities to improve the experience, representation, and success of BIPOC professionals and businesses in the state.
“We are the only Vermont organization with BIPOC leadership and staff that is focused on driving a new era of BIPOC professional mobility,” said VT PoC Director of Operations and Development Weiwei Wang. “We do this by promoting professional development, recruitment, and retention of BIPOC professionals in Vermont, and by building a strong social network for our BIPOC community. This partnership with the State will increase our capacity to expand our programing, our reach, and our impact into more areas of Vermont.”
Since 2021, VT PoC has worked with statewide organizations to provide BIPOC-specific outreach and assistance, including developing a BIPOC Non-Profit Leaders Series on grant writing, budgeting, and management with input and participation from BIPOC leaders from across the state. They also promoted and provided application support for BIPOC businesses and individuals applying for the Vermont Arts Council’s Creative Futures Grant and Vermont Economic Development Authority’s Forgivable Loan Program.
VT PoC is part of the Vermont Small Business Development Center’s Community Navigator Pilot Project through which the organization surveyed BIPOC business owners and hosted 21 listening sessions to expand on the limited data available on the challenges and opportunities for BIPOC-owned businesses in Vermont, and to inform the distribution and implementation of business development services to the BIPOC community and beyond. VT PoC has also organized networking events, educational sessions, and job fairs and plans to expand these to more regions.
Adding to the suite of resources administered by DED to bolster the state’s economic infrastructure, the department released the RFP for BIPOC business technical assistance proposals in December 2022 with an elongated runway to encourage quality and complete submissions for a spring 2023 competitive bid selection process.
Those interested in learning more about VT PoC or pursuing business or professional development services should contact the Vermont Professionals of Color Network at vtpoc.net.
Categories: Press Release
THE BIGGEST PROBLEM FACING THE STATE OF VERMONT AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ARE ILLEGAL ALIENS. THERE ARE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF ILLEGAL ALIENS AT OUR NORTHERN BORDER WAITING TO STORM INTO OUR STATE FROM CANADA WHEN TITLE 42 ENDS. THESE PEOPLE ARE ENTERING OUR COUNTRY ILLEGALLY. THAT MAKES THEM CRIMINALS. MOST OF THEM ARE SINGLE MEN. MANY OF THEM ALREADY HAVE CRIMINAL RECORDS. MANY OF THEM WILL COME TO OUR STATE AND OUR COUNTRY AND BRING WITH THEM FENTANYL TO POISON OUR YOUTH. MANY OF THEM ARE SEX TRAFFICKERS. MANY OF THEM ARE COMING WITH CHILDREN TO EXPLOIT CHILD LABOR. MANY OF THEM WILL COMMIT CRIMES INCLUDING RAPE AND MURDER. THERE IS NO WORK FOR THEM HERE. MANY WILL BECOME HOMELESS AND OUR TAX DOLLARS WILL PAY FOR THEM. WE CAN NOT AFFORD ANY OF THESE THINGS TO HAPPEN. WE HAVE THESE PROBLEMS HERE ALREADY THAT EXIST FROM LEGAL AMERICAN CITIZENS. THEY GET TO STAY HERE. WE DON’T NEED TO IMPORT MORE CRIME AND MORE HOMELESSNESS AND MORE BURDENS ON TAXPAYERS. OUR FEDERAL, STATE, COUNTY AND CITY GOVERNMENTS HAVE ABANDONED US. GET READY. BEAR YOUR ARMS. HELL IS COMING…
“Building equity across the state is a priority of my Administration and that means including all of our community members in these efforts,” said Governor Phil Scott. Except that this clearly excludes non BIPOC community members. Any services that have been available in the past were open to BIPOC individuals – why aren’t these new services offered to all? Just like the new loan programs where BIPOC individuals get a pass on most requirements even having bad credit when non BIPOC applicants had to work hard to keep a good credit history and jump through hoops to get business loans. Stinks of reverse racism, if there were programs that specifically excluded the BIPOC community – they would lose their minds. So, where is the equity?
The term you are looking for is “racism”. There’s no need to “reverse” anything when the word itself is already appropriate for equal application.
These programs are blatantly racist. Just look at the overwhelming success of Indian and Asian populations in America and the concept of “white privilege” goes to shreds.
If there are still any problems for the BIPOC community getting a leg up in America in 2023 the problem is cultural. Let’s just be honest already America.
I stand corrected and (if able) will change my post accordingly. But either way…it stinks.
Maybe just offer these services to everyone instead of excluding people based on their skin color?? This is merely virtue signaling and is a direct violation of the Civil Rights Act. Somebody sue the state.
Vermont. RIP.
Vermont is a grifter’s paradise. To the Phil Scott fanboys who applaud him for opposing S.5, do you feel the same when he is promoting and supporting legalizing discrimination against caucasion people – a clear violation of civil rights afforded under the Bill of Rights? In Vermont, if you are a caucasion in need of assistance, go to the back of the line. You are not worthy or qualified because of your skin color. Let that sink in.
These policies and programs are discriminatory and potentially violate civil rights laws, should anyone at this point care. “BiPoc” people experience no bias in attaining employment if they are qualified or attaining bank loans if they qualify or opening businesses if they have the capability. This is nothing more than a RINO governor acquiescing and pandering to the leftists of VT who screech endlessly about the non-existent trials and travails they imagine they experience on a minute-by-minute basis in this veritable Hellscape of Vermont. Not certain why they’re here……hmmmmm……
During the pandemic, the state of Vermont only offered aid to sole proprietors if they weren’t white males. I guess they figured everyone else was too dumb to survive. I mean, it’s either that or it was just good old fashioned racism & sexism, coming as it often does from the leftist political class.
So be inclusive to all. Unless you are white of course. So this means my tax dollars aren’t used for this, right Phil? LISTEN UP PHIL SCOTT! THIS IS ILLEGAL! TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION! Fire up the lawsuits.
Racist Vermont…….excluding/singling out any particular group based on heritage/skin color is RACIST…..end of story
heads will eventually; I fear it will be too late for Vermont and possibly for our nation
I hate to say this but reality is what it is. The boy from Barre Vermont who became governor is a virtue signaling moron. Has he seen the morning news about Joe Biden and his money laundering LLC shell game with nine other family members obtaining 10 million dollars from foreign countries? The governor claimed Joe, the big guy, Joe the blue collar worker from Scranton, Pa would be good for America. Biden has been a criminal for 50 years.
The 1st governor of Vermont to sign unconstitutional gun laws and the first ever to lock down our state with unconstitutional mandates destroying businesses while promoting and endorsing a potentially lethal poison to us all and worst of all into our children.
And now this BIPOC special treatment for more virtuous feelings about himself and his liberal following. I regret voting for this man numerous times. This program is more of the unconstitutional garbage that is destroying Vermont. Without his liberal base he would not be governor. some of us half to speak up to tell it like it is, I wish I didn’t have to. More people have to stand up or we all fall. Vermont is in trouble, you can’t ignore it.