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Wealth Building


Her Word Is Her Bond: “Fancy Nancy” Dunham on Education, Protection, and Redirection
Nancy Dunham, known throughout the community as Fancy Nancy, is the owner of Fancy Nancy’s Professional Services and Fancy Nancy’s Bail Bonds. In Pinellas County and surrounding communities, she is known as a connector and resource for families and individuals. Photo retrieved from Fancy Nancy’s Facebook page. An arrest can throw a family into panic before they even know what questions to ask. There is paperwork to understand, money to gather, and a loved one waiting to come

Ashlyn Baker
5 hours ago4 min read


Community leaders bringing shipping container small business ‘village’ to Clearwater CRA
The Clearwater Urban Leadership Coalition has received approval to build a small business village out of shipping containers in the North Greenwood Community Redevelopment Area. Image: CULC. A nonprofit dedicated to uplifting a long-neglected, predominantly African American community in Clearwater has received the green light to create a culturally rooted economic engine out of shipping containers. Tentatively dubbed The Village, the Clearwater Urban Leadership Coalition’s (

Mark Parker
1 day ago4 min read


New: $10K Home Renovations Support for Homeowners in Zip Code 33712
If you live in zip code 33712, you could be eligible for up to $10,000 in home renovation support, the Pinellas County Urban League (PCUL) announced on Wednesday. The funding is part of the Home Resilient & Ready Collective (HRRC), an initiative led by the PCUL and funded by Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg. The goal of the initiative is to make the city’s homes and neighborhoods safer and healthier. The HRRC will support home improvements such as repairing roofs and

Aleyah Conway
2 days ago1 min read


American Express Opens New AI Scholarship Programs For Small Businesses
On May 6, American Express announced two programs focused on AI training and workforce development American Express issued a press release in early May announcing partnerships with two nonprofits — Generation and Scholarship America — to introduce new artificial intelligence (AI) education initiatives designed to help small businesses and their employees integrate AI into their day-to-day operations. Jennifer Skyler, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at American Express, noted

Aleyah Conway
4 days ago2 min read


Local lending guru disrupts the small business loan industry
Chris Hackney, chief lending officer for Lendesca. Photo courtesy of Chris Hackney. Lending expert Chris Hackney is passionate about helping small business owners receive the capital they need to thrive. However, protracted application processes can sink those already struggling to stay afloat. Hackney helped launch Lendesca, which offers a faster, more efficient pathway to secure U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loans, to mitigate accessibility hurdles. A beta ver

Mark Parker
May 54 min read


Decorated leader works to uplift Florida’s largest CRA
Dr. Jeffery Johnson, chairman of the East Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency, plans to eventually add “mayor of Tampa” to an already extensive resume. Photo: Facebook. Dr. Jeffery Johnson is a pastor, founder, executive, U.S. Navy lieutenant, global ambassador, and Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award winner. He also has unfinished business in the East Tampa Community Redevelopment Area (CRA). Johnson was reelected, unopposed, to a second one-year term as chairman of F

Mark Parker
Mar 223 min read


New leadership appointments for Flowers, James and Johnson
New leadership appointments were announced this week for Dr. René Flowers, Dr. Jeffery Johnson, and Roy James, Jr. by (respectively) the David Jolly gubernatorial campaign, the City of Tampa and the City of St. Petersburg. Commissioner René Flowers to Co-Lead Community Development for Jolly Campaign Pinellas County Commissioner René Flowers at an October 2025 groundbreakingceremony […]

Gypsy C. Gallardo
Nov 13, 20254 min read
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