For years, large scale corporations have made programmatic efforts to support small businesses, but the arrival of COVID-19 has underscored the fact that band-aid solutions cannot undo systemic barriers. The economic crisis has disproportionately impacted minority-owned businesses in already disinvested communities. It is this notion of large scale corporations being “of”' the community versus “in” the community that has become increasingly critical as the pandemic ravages the local business landscape. To do this, institutions must go beyond diversity, inclusion, and corporate social responsibility. They must focus on being place conscious while applying an equity lens to ensure that they are both intentional and effective, and that they are advancing institutional changes to ensure sustainability. Read More