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Black Women’s Wealth Alliance seeks $1 million for B Pathways; committee lays appropriation over
Summary
Senate File 14‑59 would appropriate $1 million (one‑time) from the workforce development fund to expand the Black Women’s Wealth Alliance’s B Pathways and alumni programs; committee laid the bill over for possible inclusion.
Senate File 14‑59 requests a one‑time appropriation of $1,000,000 from the Workforce Development Fund to support the Black Women’s Wealth Alliance (BWWA) and its B Pathways program, which provides career readiness workshops, coaching, support services and small grants intended to help participants secure higher paying jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Kenya McKnight, CEO and founder of BWWA, described the program structure: monthly full‑day B Pathways workshops (8 a.m.–4 p.m.) focused on administrative skills, communication, technology and emotional intelligence, plus individualized coaching, industry‑recognized credentials and small support grants to remove barriers for participants. Fiscal staff told the committee that the 2023 jobs bill provided $1.177 million in general fund support for related work; the current request is for $1,000,000 one‑time from the Workforce Development Fund.
Multiple program graduates testified about the program’s impact: Bianca Franks described new contracts and home‑buying steps after completing B Pathways; Crystal Williams described certification and business growth that allowed her to expand holistic services; Ayesha Wadud described using program coaching to expand a massage‑therapy business. McKnight said the program serves Minnesotans statewide with an emphasis on North Minneapolis and that BWWA plans to strengthen alumni retention and supports if funded.
Committee members asked whether the funding would support existing programming and alumni services; McKnight said the money would primarily support B Pathways and expand alumni supports. The committee laid the bill over for possible inclusion.
