Operation HOPE and Shopify Team with GoodCarts to Empower One Million Black Businesses in E-Commerce Arena

Bold initiative aims to create opportunities for Black-owned businesses to grow together, win together

MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Minneapolis-based GoodCarts is proud to partner with 1 Million Black Businesses (1MBB), powered by Operation HOPE and Shopify, working to bring a wave of new customers to help build Black-owned online stores.

"With 1MBB, together we will boost Black-owned e-commerce brands with one-of-a-kind cross-promotional technology from GoodCarts and our Shopify app," said Steven Clift, CEO of GoodCarts. "Through this partnership, we are committed to growing our Black-owned Businesses circle with at least 1,000 Black entrepreneurs and businesses by 2024, promoting 1MBB training and mentorship with GoodCarts members and collaborating on future opportunities to grow purpose and social impact via e-commerce."

Black business ownership has risen exponentially – by some accounts as much as nearly 40 percent – after being hit hard by the pandemic. Partnering with 1MBB provides business owners support and free online marketing to help improve the chances for sustained success with access to new customers. GoodCarts' technology is a tool that allows brands to do more with less – less time, energy, and budget. Access to the app is free.

"1MBB is excited to help Black-owned brands grow together. Our new Black-owned Business circle on GoodCarts extends our abilities to offer community, resources and support for Black entrepreneurs to take their brands to market," said Lance Triggs, Executive Vice President of Program Operations, Operation HOPE. "It's a win-win in our collective fight for economic opportunity."

Operation HOPE was founded in 1992 and has spent decades working to disrupt poverty and empower inclusion for people with low and moderate incomes. Their 1MBB initiative, in partnership with Shopify, will start, grow and scale one million Black businesses over the next 10 years to provide a successful path to wealth creation for the Black community. The goal is to drive Black economic development across the United States.

Shopify's collaboration with Operation HOPE is part of their shared passion for helping underrepresented communities succeed. Shopify's focus is on removing barriers to entrepreneurship so anyone can leverage its power to create their own independence and drive their community forward.

GoodCarts is the free e-commerce app for Shopify and other major retail platforms. This pioneering "tech for good" company allows online retailers to grow their sales and impact with zero customer acquisition costs using post-checkout cross-promotion. Customers earn exclusive discounts to try new Black-owned brands after purchasing from other members in the network. GoodCarts' growing communities of "circles" with hundreds of online retail members also cover themes like sustainable products, Made in the USA, BIPOC-owned and more.

"GoodCarts is thrilled to work in collaboration with the 1MBB initiative," said Clift. "We look forward to working with their team to expand opportunities for Black-owned businesses across the country."

Founded by Chris Dykstra, GoodCarts is a startup incubated within Warecorp, a member of the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America.

To learn more about GoodCarts or sign-up your business for free, visit: goodcarts.co

Launched in October 2020 by Operation HOPE and Shopify, 1MBB aims to remove traditional hurdles to Black entrepreneurship and encourage more aspiring Black business owners to start and scale by providing tools, resources and education to succeed. Learn more at: operationhope.org/1mbb

Since 1992, Operation HOPE has been moving America from civil rights to "silver rights" with the mission of making free enterprise and capitalism work for the underserved—disrupting poverty for millions of low and moderate-income youth and adults across the nation. Through its community uplift model, HOPE Inside, which received the 2016 Innovator of the Year recognition by American Banker magazine, Operation HOPE has served more than 4 million individuals and directed more than $3.2 billion in economic activity into disenfranchised communities—turning check-cashing customers into banking customers, renters into homeowners, small business dreamers into small business owners, minimum wage workers into living wage consumers, and uncertain disaster victims into financially empowered disaster survivors. Project 5117 is its multi-year four-pronged approach to combating economic inequality that aims to improve financial literacy, increase business role models and business internships for youth in underserved communities, and stabilize the American dream by boosting FICO scores. Operation HOPE recently received its eighth consecutive 4-star charity rating for fiscal management and commitment to transparency and accountability by the prestigious non-profit evaluator, Charity Navigator.

For more information: www.OperationHOPE.org. Follow the HOPE conversation on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

PRESS CONTACT
Lalohni Campbell
404-941-2919
https://operationhope.org/

SOURCE Operation HOPE, Inc.