A venti investment

Starbucks perks up Houston minority communities as part of $100 million investment

That next Frappuccino could help support BIPOC-owned businesses.

Courtesy of Starbucks

The Bayou City will be a major beneficiary of a new initiative from Starbucks. The Seattle-based, global coffee giant announced that it has selected Houston as one of 12 U.S. cities that will receive funds from the Starbucks Community Resilience Fund.

Seeded with a $100 million investment, the fund will be used to support small businesses and community development projects in BIPOC (Black, indigenous, and people of color) neighborhoods. In addition to Houston, the program will launch in Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and Washington D.C.

“Starbucks has always been a company focused on caring for our partners, creating experiences for our customers and playing a positive role in our communities and throughout society,” Kevin Johnson, Starbucks president and CEO, said in a statement. “We are excited to make this investment as it aligns with our mission and values and supports our aspiration to advance equity and opportunity in the communities we serve.”

Working with partners such as the Opportunity Finance Network, Starbucks will select certain Community Development Financial Institutions that will receive funds. CDFIs focus on providing capital and promoting economic development. These institutions will then provide loans to small businesses and community development projects. In addition to money, CDFIs offer mentorship and flexible repayment terms that help projects become successful.

Specific Houston beneficiaries are still unknown at this time, but the funds have the potential to benefit a diverse array of projects, including those focused on addressing the impacts of climate change and investments in neighborhoods that are overlooked by traditional lenders.

For example, as part of a $10 million investment in four, Chicago-based CDFIs, Starbucks helped fund Green Era Sustainability's campus project that includes a 2-acre clean energy generation facility, an urban farm, green houses, an outdoor fresh produce market, a visitor center with classrooms for community activities, and a STEM education center. The project will create 247 construction jobs and 25 permanent jobs in Chicago's Auburn Gresham neighborhood.

“Given the severe impact of the pandemic on the long-disinvested communities CCLF serves, our lending is more important than ever to help these communities grow and thrive,” said Bob Tucker, COO for the Chicago Community Loan Fund. “Our customers have urgent needs, and Starbucks investment in CCLF will help tremendously in bringing them the resources they need.”

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helping disabled houstonians

Meta picks Houston nonprofit for innovative AI Glasses grant

Photo courtesy of Meta

Meta AI Glasses may innovate accessibility.

A grant by Meta will help Easter Seals Greater Houston determine whether wearable smart frames make life easier for disabled Houstonians. The local nonprofit is one organization that received a share of $2 millions that Meta allocated on Monday, July 27.

"Meta is proud to select recipients, including the Easter Seals Greater Houston, based on demonstrated impact, scalability, and relevance to areas where hands-free technology can make the biggest difference," Meta executive Beth Murray said in response to CultureMap's request for comment. "It was exciting to receive nearly 500 applications from organizations across the country, and now the real innovation begins here in Houston with the Easter Seals project to understand how different local communities can benefit from AI glasses."

Meta launched its AI Glasses Impact Grant program in January with the goal of delivering nearly $2 million in funds to organizations across the country to see how their Meta AI Glasses could improve people's lives. It selected over 30 recipients from more than 500 applicants.

Easter Seals is using the grant to help pay for a program to incorporate smart frames into support for individuals with visual impairments, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and cognitive aging. Easter Seals is part of one of the oldest networks in America for disabilities, delivering disability support, veteran training, and other services. The Greater Houston branch was established in 1947.

Meta AI Glasses integrate AI personal assistance with wearable tech to give a hands-free connective experience. While many people use their built-in cameras and social media access to create content, the Impact Grant promotes how the technology might assist people with disabilities as well as innovate in industrial and scientific fields. Data storage and recall could aid people with memory loss, while interpretative AI facial recognition software may let neurodivergent and developmentally delayed people recognize social cues. The pilot program at Easter Seals will explore some of these possibilities.

Two other Texas organizations received grants. The University of North Texas will also explore disability assistance through Meta AI Glasses, albeit through a school environment rather than in the general public space. Austin software company Embarcadero Technologies will be using the glasses to build a remote training platform that can simultaneously mentor five junior workers at once.

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