Jrue Holiday's Boston Creator Accelerator: Boosting Underrepresented Entrepreneurs

0:00On April 17th, Jew holiday got traded from the Boston Celtics to the Portland Trailblazers last summer, wrapping up his two-year run there. But even from Portland, he's keeping his mark on Boston through big-time philanthropy. Teaming up with Celtic star Jalen Brown and his wife Lauren, they launched the Boston Creator Accelerator about a year and a half ago to boost, underrepresented entrepreneurs. The program kicked off strong, handing out $1 million in grants to 10 startups, plus mentorship and resources straight from the athletes. It backed things like chess academies for underserved kids, kid-friendly cafes with diverse foods and streetwear running gear companies. Their Jew and Lauren Holiday Foundation has been doing this work in five cities since 2020, dropping $25,000 to $50,000 grants to over 150 black-owned businesses. Folks involved, say, the support changed lives. One chess academy owner quit his 40-year post-office job after getting the funding, and their

1:02revenue jumped from $50,000 to $300,000 a year. The holiday's giving spirit bills community wherever they go, and Brown praised them for jumping in when others hesitate. Now they're doubling down with a second round, investing another $1 million into ten more businesses. Applications close April 21st. This pilot is even shaping national policy, like the Spark Act, in Congress, to help minority entrepreneurs get capital nationwide. Even as the trailblazers hit the playoffs, Sunday against the spurs and the Celtic start theirs, holidays bond with Boston stays tight. Once you're in the family through this work, you're locked in for good. Team coverage, powered by AI, this is Boston Celtics News Today.