BLDG Memphis

It's ! Time to celebrate equality and fabulousness! What are your favorite LGBTQ+ small businesses? Let us know in the comments and shower them with some love!

may be wrapping up, but the love for local businesses keeps going!

At BLDG Memphis, we've been blown away by the amazing entrepreneurs who participated in our Community Navigator Pilot Program (CNPP).

These incredible folks offer everything from financial guidance to fabulous hair days to delicious eats! They're the backbone of our vibrant Memphis community.

Let's keep the local love flowing! Head over to their pages and give them a follow:
GIP_Financials Leading In Life Enterprise The Podcast Center Lakeisha Buford Wilson LemdaddyZ Kitchen LLC The Wing Factory #1

Our Members got a chance to visit My City Rides to learn about their organization at our recent Members Happy Hour. We went on a tour of the building and shop and learned that MyCityRides makes reliable transportation affordable and ownership possible for those in the workforce with limited means but unlimited potential, increasing opportunity for everyone. Thank you to Andy and the rest of the team at MyCityRides for having us!

Affordable housing hero? Connect with your local CDC!

CDCs (Community Development Corporations) are on the front lines of creating affordable housing options in our communities. They're more than just builders – they're revitalizing neighborhoods and empowering residents. ✨

They can achieve this in three ways:
✨ 1. ACQUIRING & REHABILITATING EXISTING PROPERTIES: CDCs can identify and purchase older buildings or run-down properties. They can remodel the properties to create safe & aesthetic AFFORABLE housing units.

✨2. DEVELOPING NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS: CDCS can partner with developers or use their own funds to build new apartment buildings or single-family homes specifically designated as AFFORDABLE housing.

✨3. PROVIDING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO HOMEBUYERS: Some CDCs offer down payment assistance or other financial aid to help make purchasing a home for low- and moderate-income (LMI) families AFFORDABLE.

May is Affordable Housing Month!

BLDG Memphis Members... Grab your lunch and join us virtually for the first Lunch & Learn of the year! Charia Jackson, Program Officer of Housing with LISC Memphis, will inform us of the latest trends in the industry, funding on the horizon, and what affordable housing means in Memphis!

To register, sign in to the Member portal on UpSquad!

What's your favorite small business?

Leave a comment below and tell us why they're awesome! We'll be sharing some of your shoutouts all month long.

Want to show extra love?

Head to their shop, grab a delicious bite, or book an appointment! Every purchase helps keep our community thriving.

BLDG Memphis is celebrating Earth Day by highlighting some of our members who are doing the on-the-ground work of helping to support green practices in Memphis.

Our second member highlight is Young, Gifted & Green (YGG). YGG is a national civil rights and environmental justice organization that has been active in Memphis since 2017. Led by LaTricea Adams, a rising environmental leader, YGG tackles lead poisoning, especially in older housing and water sources.

They target high-risk neighborhoods through door-to-door campaigns and educational workshops. Partnering with local businesses, they bring environmental awareness directly to the community. YGG also trains residents to advocate for themselves, empowering them to influence environmental policies.

Are you or anyone you know a Memphis resident looking to advocate for lead poisoning? Reach out to Young, Gifted & Green! Go to www.younggiftedgreen.org to learn more!

BLDG Memphis is celebrating Earth Day by highlighting some of our members who are doing the on-the-ground work of helping to support green practices in Memphis.

Our first member highlight is Clean Memphis and their Project Green Fork (PGF) program. PGF aims to support businesses in adopting sustainable practices, offering various initiatives, workshops, and training programs to help businesses cut food waste, embrace eco-friendly practices, and work smarter.

Are you a business looking to be more sustainable? Project Green Fork can help! Go to www.cleanmemphis.org to learn more!

Today, BLDG Memphis celebrates Earth Day, an annual event celebrated on April 22nd that focuses on environmental protection. It was first held in 1970 as a way to raise awareness about environmental issues and has since grown into a global movement.

As a community development association, BLDG Memphis advocates for equitable and healthy environmental practices and policies in Memphis neighborhoods. We also support the work of our members who advance good, earth-sustainable practices in communities across Memphis.

Be sure to follow us as we highlight some of our members and their work to contribute to a greener earth!

All April, BLDG Memphis is highlighting fair housing in commemoration of the Fair Housing Act which offers protections from housing discrimination on the basis of race, s*x (including gender and s*xual orientation), national origin, familial status, and disability.

This legislation grants individuals legal protections that ensure access to housing programs, legal action, and increases housing accessibility.

It is your RIGHT to know YOUR rights!

Follow us to learn more about your Fair Housing Rights this April!

New City Builders is a six-month, hands-on group learning course offered by BLDG Memphis' CDC Capacity Building Program.

The goal is to strengthen the abilities of new leaders in the local community development industry by equipping them with the knowledge and connections necessary to stabilize and revitalize Memphis neighborhoods through:

🏠Field work with CDC industry partners: Touring, sightseeing, and a capstone project in the local community development industry.

🏠Courses in Community Development: Several relevant workshops in the industry led by practitioners

🏠Making the Connection: Supplemental social and professional events, including a one-year free Individual Membership to BLDG Memphis.

🏠Culminating Project

For more information and to apply, click the link below!

https://shorturl.at/oxCQX

Today marks the 56th anniversary of The Fair Housing Act.

Fifty-six years ago, the Fair Housing Act was passed on April 11th, 1968. This act went beyond previous laws by protecting people from discrimination based on race, religion, origin, s*x, disability (added later), and having a family when buying, renting, or financing a home.

While stopping racial discrimination in housing was a key goal of the Fair Housing Act passed in 1968, it remains an issue even today.

Here at BLDG Memphis, we advocate for fair housing policies and practices for Memphis.

In April, the nationwide and local community development industry recognizes this month as Fair Housing Month to emphasize the momentousness of the Fair Housing Act.

At BLDG Memphis, we strive to heighten Member and public awareness of fair housing rights, responsibilities, and enforcement efforts while highlighting the significance of cultivating diverse and inclusive communities.

Meet Deveney Perry, BLDG Memphis' Executive Director.

Deveney is a proud Memphian who loves to travel throughout Memphis and to other cities to experience community development efforts as well as community histories and assets. The greatest strength she uses in her role at BLDG Memphis is visioning for organizational leadership, success, and advocacy. Deveney's greatest interest at this time is in the March Madness women's tournament (South Carolina is winning it all!) and exploring home improvements.

Inspirational Quote: “For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn’t end.” -Michelle Obama, Becoming

Meet Markuitta Washington, BLDG Memphis' Communications & Development Specialist.

While born and raised in Rockford, Illinois, Markuitta has been a transplant Memphian for a little over 10 years. Though a newcomer to the community development sector, she has quickly become immersed in the work, utilizing her strengths of creativity, resourcefulness, and being a connector. She previously served as one of our Small Business Outreach Navigators, supporting the work of the Community Navigator Pilot Program (CNPP), where she assisted Community Development Corporations (CDCs) in connecting small businesses in Memphis' underserved communities to technical assistance that provided direct guidance and skills to scale and sustain their businesses. In her new role, she supports the organization with communications/marketing and development. In her free time, you can find Markuitta cooking, eating good food, and watching a good sci-fi or mystery TV series.

Inspirational Quote: “Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Meet Christina Crutchfield, BLDG Memphis' Director of Neighborhood Planning.

Christina was born in Atlanta but has deep roots in Memphis. She has called Memphis her home for the past seven years. She believes that neighborhoods are the heart of the city and has dedicated her work to supporting access to resources in neighborhoods. At BLDG Memphis, she has engaged neighborhood and community leaders in various aspects of the planning process, hoping they can best activate on-the-ground change in their communities. In her free time, Christina enjoys singing in a community choir, attending shows at local theaters, and listening to live music throughout the city.

Inspirational Quote: "There is no logic that can be superimposed on the city; people make it, and it is to them, not buildings, that we must fit our plans." - Jane Jacobs

Meet Bailey Myers, BLDG Memphis' Advocacy Specialist. A lifelong Memphian, Bailey is a passionate advocate for the equitable development of Memphis neighborhoods. Through her work in Advocacy at BLDG Memphis, Bailey uses principles of participatory action research and community psychology to develop resident-informed and Member-led policy recommendations. She is led by the belief that those most affected by an issue should be centered in the creation of solutions. In her free time, Bailey enjoys roller skating and spending time outdoors.

A quote that inspires Bailey: “Years ago I recognized my kinship with all living things, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on the earth. I said then and I say now, that while there is a lower class, I am in it…while there is a soul in [oppression], I am not free.” ~Eugene V. Debs

A great conversation about culture driving and activating an economy!

"Culture is the denominator of what drives differentiation and activation of an economy, and we've got culture. It allows people to come into the city and look at spaces in a new way and conceive of new uses."

Ben Shulman of the Memphis Medical District Collaborative and Deveney Perry of BLDG Memphis share the important connections between people and the places they utilize to live, work, and play in . They detail how partnerships and collaboration can turn city blight into beautiful treasures to be enjoyed by all, and encourage Memphians to have high expectations for the future.

🎧 Tune in here: https://spoti.fi/3SbktDb

No matter how long you've been in business, there's always so much more to learn! Our workshops allow you to connect with local experts, such as our coaches, as well as fellow business owners, to gain useful knowledge about a variety of topics.

Let help you take your culinary business from a side-gig to a food staple. Stay updated on all of our upcoming events by filling out the form at this link: https://form.typeform.com/to/TfFGsBjU

Our events demonstrate the power of pop-ups. MEMFix events provide temporary showcases of what revitalized communities could look like with pop-ups, activated storefronts and more. Learn more at memfix.org