Beyond Open CLT
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Beyond Open helps to build economic mobility among diverse small business owners in Charlotte.
Beyond Open grantee, Dr. Tammy Foster-Knight is the President and CEO of Optional Solutions , which provides high-quality healthcare equipment and personal safety gear. The business specializes in durable medical supplies and safety products for construction workers, ensuring both health and safety across industries.
With support from the Beyond Open small business grant program, Dr. Foster-Knight was able to purchase a cargo van, enhancing their ability to deliver products directly to clients. This investment has helped the business to establish new client relationships, hire additional staff, and increase their reach.
As Dr. Foster-Knight shares, "We’ve even started a new service to deliver blood samples, medical equipment, and other essential items to hospitals, clinics, and other medical services."
Hear the full grant story by visiting the link in our bio or beyondopenclt.com/grantee-stories
Meet Yazan AlHakim, owner of FASTSIGNS Independence , a full-service signage company that helps businesses make a bold statement with everything from business cards to company signs and more.
With a Beyond Open grant, Yazan was able to invest in a flatbed printer, which allows his team to print directly on materials, cutting both cost and production time.
His full story is available at beyondopenclt.com/grantee-stories
11/18/2024
All Beyond Open Round 3 applicants have been notified of their award status.
Congratulations to all of the small businesses in our community that was awarded a grant in this final round! The program has selected 109 grantees in the third round, with grants ranging from $10,000 to $150,000 and totaling $5.8M in awards.
Across three rounds of grantmaking, Beyond Open has awarded a combined total of $16.3M in direct grants to 402 small businesses and select nonprofits, exceeding the program’s original commitment of $15M across three rounds.
Applicants who did not receive an award are encouraged to continue engagement with small business providers (including ASPIRE Community Capital, Women's Business Center of Charlotte, Prospera and others found on our website), to explore additional resources in the Beyond Open Small Business Resource Guide, and to utilize RISE–a digital suite of small business resources developed by the Charlotte Alliance Foundation. These resources were created to consolidate the many resources and funding opportunities available to diverse small business owners in Charlotte-Mecklenburg.
Read the full announcement by visiting beyondopenclt.com or clicking the link in our bio.
10/31/2024
We would like to introduce you to the owners of . Le’s Sandwiches & Cafe, founded by Tuan's parents, was the first authentic Bahn Mi restaurant in Charlotte. Originally opened at the Asian Corner Mall, they strive to serve authentic and affordable Vietnamese food.
The Beyond Open grant was used to purchase industrial kitchen supplies.
"Charlotte needs more mom and pop shops-authentic restaurants. We wanted to bring that authenticity to Charlotte, let people have a taste of what Vietnam was.” - Tuan Nguyen
View their Beyond Open Grantee Story at beyondopenclt.com/grantee-stories or by visiting the link in our bio.
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220 North Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC
28202
