Small Business Funder Learning Collaborative: Aligning for Digital Equity: Supporting Small Businesses in a Tech-Driven Economy
This 75-minute virtual learning session will explore what AI and emerging technologies mean for small businesses, with a particular focus on BIPOC-owned enterprises that are most at risk of being left behind.
As technology rapidly reshapes how businesses operate, compete, and grow, funders are increasingly grappling with questions about what AI can realistically do for small businesses today, what remains out of reach, and what is coming next. This session is designed to meet that moment.
The purpose of this conversation is to inspire, educate, and activate funders by offering a grounded, practical understanding of:
- What AI can and cannot do for small businesses today, and what is on the horizon
- The misconceptions, fears, and structural barriers that limit technology adoption
- Why strengthening a business’s technology muscle is more critical than scaling or innovation for its own sake
- The ethical risks and societal harms that can arise from poorly designed or inequitable AI systems
- How AI may reshape, or even eliminate certain sectors, and what that means for workers, entrepreneurs, and communities
Leading voices from the sector:
This session will be led by three distinguished leaders bringing a distinct and critical lens to the conversation offering funders an opportunity to engage AI from a strategic, human, and practical perspective.
- Joanne Oparo Eriaku (Moderator) brings a strategic foresight and systems lens to help funders understand how disruption forms and what organizations must become to thrive in an era of accelerating change. Her facilitation will ground the conversation in long-term thinking, adaptive capacity, and leadership under uncertainty.
- Vincent Hunt offers a future-facing, human-centered perspective on the intersection of AI, creativity, and economic opportunity. His work challenges funders to consider how human imagination, cultural intelligence, and creative capacity must be protected and strengthened as technology accelerates.
- Blessing Richardson brings hands-on experience helping small businesses and non-technical founders apply AI in ways that are practical, empowering, and aligned with existing workflows. Her insights ground the conversation in what is realistically possible today, and what support structures are needed to make adoption equitable.
About the Collaborative:
Together as a group of funders, we will identify needs, set shared goals, and develop strategies to enhance the support system for small businesses in Massachusetts. As a participant, you'll engage in discussions, share insights, and explore innovative solutions with fellow funders, both via Zoom and occasionally in person. Join us if your foundation funds in this area and you have the availability to attend regular Collaborative meetings (approx 6 per year).
Please feel free to reach out to the project manager for this collaborative,
Karleen Porcena, if you have any questions.