Brooklyn, New York, – May 17, 2021 – The Central Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation (CBEDC), founded in 1989 with the mission to build self-sufficiency for underserved businesses and individuals in Brooklyn, is partnering with Klēn® to help ensure that small businesses in Central Brooklyn have the information, resources, and supplies they need to comply with all restrictions and health recommendations regarding Covid-19.
Project Trust combines the CBEDC’s community outreach with Klēn® technology to provide the app’s leading-edge AI technology free to minority-owned businesses in Central Brooklyn creating a zone of safety transparency for economic development growth.
Participants in the program will also receive Klēn® Kits that contain signage to enforce social distancing, personal protective equipment for staff, including masks, and approved disinfectants to ensure that the business has the necessary supplies on hand to follow health and cleaning protocols.
“We are so excited to be a part of Project Trust. In Brownsville, community culture is centered around relationship building. Project trust will be a great vehicle to help our local businesses re-open and reconnect with their customers and community. We can’t wait to get started” said La’Shawn Allen-Muhammad, Executive Director of CBEDC.
Since it first emerged as a threat to public health early last year, Covid-19 has had an overwhelming influence on social and economic life, but the burdens have not been shared equally. From supply chain disruptions to school closures and overwhelmed health services, the pandemic has disproportionately impacted underserved minority communities across the country. As the pandemic continues to create barriers to success for individuals and small businesses, some communities are finding creative solutions to help build resilience, self-sufficiency, and trust between businesses and consumers on a hyper-local level.
Throughout the pandemic, small businesses have borne the brunt of Covid-19 restrictions, with minority-owned small businesses suffering the biggest setbacks. The health of local economies depends on how small businesses and individuals adapt to pandemic-driven challenges and address new consumer needs and expectations to thrive in the ‘new normal.’
Despite facing potentially greater threats to their survival during the ongoing pandemic, in a poll taken of more than 1,000 small businesses last May, 40% of minority-owned businesses had added new administrative or other services to support employees and their local communities during Covid-19, compared to 27% of small businesses overall.
“I’m delighted to express the excitement of the entire Klēn® team to partner up with the CBEDC. Central Brooklyn will be the very first community in the entire country that will be driving economic development with the transparency needed in this new normal. We’re so thrilled to support this ground-up hyper-local economic development with Klēn®’s AI technology” said Sol Girouard, CEO of Klēn®.
Klēn® offers the only comprehensive list of all state and local restrictions and CDC recommendations relevant to your specific industry, updated to reflect changing obligations in near time. Through Klēn®’s free consumer app, users will be able to communicate directly with business owners providing important safety feedback while preserving the business’s online reputation. Providing an accessible, transparent digital platform for small businesses and their customers to communicate directly can create a climate of trust and mutual support, catalyzing the inclusive economic growth of the micro-economies that support strong, resilient communities.
About CBEDC:
CBEDC is a Brooklyn-based not-for-profit agency in Brownsville, Brooklyn whose mission is to create community economic growth opportunities. Founded in 1989, CBEDC develops pathways to self-sufficiency for individuals, families, and small business owners in Central Brooklyn. They are committed to assisting community residents to achieve economic success and well-being and envision a thriving, prosperous, culturally rich community. Together we grow. CBEDC advocates for public/private investments and resources to support the expansion of hyper-local organizations and small businesses. A robust hyper-local economy is a key to closing racial wealth gaps, income disparities, and improving the overall health of the community.
About Klēn®
Klēn® is changing how businesses communicate COVID-19 safety to customers using AI-powered technology. The platform delivers business insights across industry verticals and locations, and highlights which protocols consumers value the most to gain insight into customer behaviors and preferences during COVID-19. Staffed by accomplished data scientists, Klēn® helps businesses showcase their commitment to health and safety, keep customers informed, and increase public confidence and trust. For more information, visit klen.io.