About SBEF
Access is where opportunity begins.
SBEF is a Cleveland-based organization focused on equipping entrepreneurs and small-business owners with practical knowledge, support, and connections.
Our purpose
Why SBEF exists
Starting and sustaining a small business takes more than a good idea. Owners need practical knowledge, trusted guidance, resources, and people who can help them navigate decisions as their businesses evolve. Access to those supports is not always equal, particularly in historically underserved communities.
SBEF exists to make those connections more accessible. From Cleveland outward, our work centers on education, strategic support, mentorship, and community relationships that help entrepreneurs move from planning to building a business that can last.
When owners can make informed decisions and find relevant support, their businesses have a stronger foundation to serve customers, create opportunities, and contribute to the neighborhoods around them. This is the purpose behind our focus on access and long-term sustainability—not a promise of any particular funding or business outcome.
Our commitment
Our mission
The Small Business Empowerment Foundation exists to empower entrepreneurs and small-business owners—especially those in underserved and minority communities—with the education, resources, mentorship, strategic support, and connections needed to build sustainable businesses, create jobs, and strengthen their communities.
What we imagine
Our vision
Our vision is to create communities where every entrepreneur has a fair opportunity to build, grow, and sustain a successful business—regardless of background, access, or circumstance—and where thriving small businesses become a driving force for economic stability, job creation, and generational progress.
Our foundation
The values behind the work
Our approach
Educate. Support. Connect. Sustain.
Educate
Make practical business knowledge more accessible.
Support
Help owners navigate decisions and set useful priorities.
Connect
Link people to relationships, referrals, and resources.
Sustain
Keep long-term business health and community strength in view.
Our focus begins in Cleveland and surrounding areas, with room to expand programming over time as needs, partnerships, and resources evolve.
The people
Leadership
Leadership profiles will be published when approved names, titles, biographies, and photos are available. We do not list unconfirmed staff or board members.
Empower. Build. Sustain.