Racial justice marches across the country are generating more support for Black-owned businesses, and a local organization is working to provide resources and training for these entrepreneurs to start up and succeed.

Genia Stevens founded Rock County Jumpstart last year after attending Beloit’s first Black Women in Business Expo, organized by Beloit business owner Vicky Lynn.

Stevens owns and runs a digital marketing agency called Belwah Media, which is helping fund her efforts with Rock County Jumpstart.

She wanted to use her skillset to help her fellow Black business owners navigate the challenges of sustaining and growing their companies.

“I learned there were so many of these entrepreneurship development programs for black business owners in Madison, but there’s nothing like that in the Rock County area,” Stevens said. “There’s so many of these business owners I didn’t even know existed in Beloit and Janesville, so I thought… I have to do something.”

She worked with the Madison non-profit Collaboration For Good and the Madison Black Chamber of Commerce to bring similar programs to Rock County.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Blackhawk Technical College provided Stevens with classroom space for Rock County Jumpstart’s in-person workshops and training, but her efforts have had to move online like so many other businesses.

Through her work with local Black business owners, she discovered many do not qualify for the COVID-19 relief loans available through local, state and federal governments, so she started her own fundraiser to support these overlooked small businesses.

Stevens has raised nearly $1,200 in the first four days of the GoFundMe campaign, and she’s encouraging the community to make an effort to support local Black-owned businesses.

“We spread our money around everywhere,” Stevens said. “I’m not asking you to only shop at Black businesses. I’m asking you to make sure you do shop at Black businesses while you’re out and about.”

You can hear WCLO’s full interview with Genia Stevens below.