Google and the National Business League (NBL) have announced a partnership aimed at assisting Black startups in Detroit.
NBL, Formerly known as the National Negro Business League, promotes the financial and commercial development of Black-owned businesses. NBL is the nation’s oldest trade organization for Black businesses and was acquired in 2017 by the Michigan Black Chamber of Commerce.
Google opened a sales office in the Little Caesars Arena earlier this month and the company is now helping more Black-owned businesses use its cloud technology.
“Here we are as a national organization to not only connect the dots effectively but to also transition Black-owned businesses from your storefronts into the cloud of the best and brightest company in the entire world,” said NBL President Ken Harris at a launch event last week. “For us to keep in a marketplace that is changing tremendously, technology is not only important but critical to Black-owned businesses’ development.”
The partnership gives businesses a free website, domain, email addresses and free programming set to start in January.
“More businesses are looking online to grow,” Chris Genteel, director of Community & Business Inclusion at Google, said in the news release. “With this announcement, we look forward to providing resources to Black business owners so they can also take advantage of the digital economy.”
Google is also building partnerships aimed at diversifying tech businesses in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta.
