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Small-business owners urge council to keep entrepreneurship grants and mentorships
Summary
More than a dozen Bakersfield business owners and Launchpad officials told the City Council the city-backed entrepreneurship grant and technical-assistance programs have helped start and expand local firms, and asked the council to maintain funding during the 2025–26 budget process.
Local entrepreneurs and representatives of Bakersfield College Launchpad told the City Council on June 25 that city-backed grants, mentorship and technical assistance programs have helped dozens of local businesses start and expand, and urged continued support in the budget.
Larissa Mitchell Reid, founder and CEO of In The Black Business Services, said city funding and mentorship helped her scale from a one‑person operation to a company that now serves entrepreneurs beyond Kern County. “Continued support through grants, mentorship, and education doesn’t just help businesses. It changes lives and communities,” Mitchell Reid said.
Natisha Johnson, executive director of entrepreneurship and workforce development at Bakersfield College Launchpad, provided program figures during public comment: Launchpad has served more than 1,200 small businesses, awarded grants to about 160 businesses, supported over 400 startups under two years old and said the city-supported program had distributed more than $1,300,000 in grants.
Other speakers — including Savannah Powell Frey, Tamika Powell, Amado Verastegui, Derek Aaron, Leticia Davila and Glenda Braun — described direct outcomes such as acquiring manufacturing partners, attending industry expos, purchasing equipment and hiring staff. Several urged that funding be sustained and that the city resist treating the program as a one‑time investment.
Council members acknowledged the testimony while discussing the budget later in the meeting; some speakers asked council to weigh small-business supports when considering operating reductions and capital priorities.
No formal council action on the entrepreneurship program was taken during the meeting; council members instead adopted the overall fiscal year budget later in the evening and asked staff for midyear reports on revenue and contingencies.
Speakers credited Bakersfield College Launchpad staff and city economic development personnel for providing technical assistance and connecting small firms with funding and vendors. Launchpad requested that the council continue to treat entrepreneurship grants and technical-assistance resources as ongoing investments in local economic resilience.
