A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-20, regarding a report on coordinating efforts to formally recognize and promote National Black Business Month in August and Women's Small Business Month in October

C I T Y O F C A M B R I D G E Community Development Department 344 Broadway Cambridge, MA 02139 Voice: [phone removed] Fax: [phone removed] TTY: [phone removed] www.cambridgema.gov IRAM FAROOQ Assistant City Manager for Community Development SANDRA CLARKE Deputy Director Chief of Administration KHALIL MOGASSABI Deputy Director Chief Planner To: Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager From: Iram Farooq, Assistant City Manager for Community Development Date: June 1, 2021 Re: Policy Order POR 2021 #59 dated March 29, 2021 related to coordinating efforts to formally recognize and promote National Black Business Month in August and Women’s Small Business Month in October. In response to the above referenced Awaiting Report, we submit the following. The City has committed resources to support the vitality of its small local businesses, especially its women owned and Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) owned businesses and expand direct work with Cambridge’s business associations and community groups to help grow and support our diverse small businesses. The Retail Strategic Plan was completed in June 2017 and many recommendations to help Cambridge’s small businesses have since been executed. A key Retail Strategic Plan recommendation was to drive experience in the City’s diverse commercial districts. Community Development Department’s (CDD) economic development division staff continue to develop a variety of programs to implement this recommendation, including celebrating National Small Business Week (since May 2019), Small Business Saturday/Shop Cambridge fall/holiday campaign (since November 2019), and supporting business associations with their targeted neighborhood events. In collaboration with the businesses and business associations, we will develop programming and marketing for National Black Business Month in August and National Women’s Small Business Month in October that will include the following: 1. Web and Social Media Campaigns: In August 2021, we will implement a social media and web campaign featuring black owned businesses in Cambridge, and in October 2021 we will implement a social media and web campaign featuring women owned businesses in Cambridge. 2. Special Events: During the months of August and October, we will promote and develop special events with community partners including, but not limited to: black owned business panel, women owned business panel, and special networking sessions. 3. Additional Signage: We will use City-owned lawn signs, digital construction signs, and City/CDD website to promote both National Black Business Month and National Women’s Small Business Month.

2 We will also work with traditional media to publicize these events for National Black Business Month and National Women’s Small Business Month and encourage people to discover and shop at businesses owned by Black and women entrepreneurs.