“These sort of grants are valuable, said Segun Idowu, president of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts, because Black entrepreneurs have historically had less access to venture capital and are often charged higher interest rates on bank loans. Few programs in the region have doled out five-figure sums to small businesses, and $25,000 could be a lifeline. To Idowu, the $1 million initiative is a signal that Black entrepreneurship is on the rise. These awards are not just grants, he said, but investments. “If the Celtics and Vistaprint and the national NAACP were able to find us,” Idowu said, ‘we should not be hearing from local business owners and policymakers and corporate leaders that Black businesses and entrepreneurs cannot be found.’”