Brands will collaborate with ACE | Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs to financially support minority entrepreneurs through the Atlanta Dream Collective

ATLANTA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / September 30, 2024 / Today, the Atlanta Dream and Starbucks Coffee Company, the world's premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee, announced a collaboration focused on empowering small, woman-owned and BIPOC-owned businesses in the Atlanta market.

Through this multi-year partnership, Starbucks will become a Proud Supporting Partner of the Atlanta Dream Collective, which is a strategic program aimed at assisting small businesses in overcoming marketing obstacles by enhancing their brand presence at Atlanta Dream games and connecting them with Dream fans. Dream Collective businesses reflect Atlanta's diverse entrepreneurial community, particularly women and members of the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities.

The inaugural members of the Dream Collective were recognized at a Dream home game in August and will be promoted during home games throughout the 2025 Dream season with on-court and video board features. Additionally, the partnership will create content throughout the year highlighting Dream Collective members, which include:

• Coordinates LLC - A pajamas brand and loungewear that celebrates creativity, art, and family. Designed to enhance special moments, Coordinates offers sleepwear and lifestyle apparel that reflects global diversity and encourages families to express their unique style.

• Cakes Designer Boutique & Academy - The company offers several workshops and classes in different culinary areas, as well as designs the most beautiful, original, and incredible custom cakes for various occasions like weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, baptisms, baby showers, and more.

• Dope Pieces, LLC - The company uses puzzles as a vehicle to connect artists needing more visibility for their work with a community seeking more representative puzzles.

• Moosh (Tracey Reed, LLC) - A women's home and children's boutique in Atlanta's historic Virginia Highlands, Moosh envisioned a lifestyle boutique with an urbane sensibility reflecting their cultural heritage. Moosh offers women's and children's clothing, shoes, accessories, home decor, toys, and specialty baby gifts.

• A Few Wood Men - A wooden watch and accessory collection was created and designed for Men of Distinction, that aims to provide sustainability, representation, and community through their wooden watches and accessory collection.

"The Atlanta Dream Collective was created to support and foster the entrepreneurial spirit of minority business owners in Atlanta," said Laila Brock, the Dream's senior vice president of strategic partnerships and community impact. "We are excited to partner with Starbucks, one of the nation's most recognizable brands that originally started as a small business, to help fuel small businesses in our community."

This partnership is an expansion of Starbucks' commitment through its Community Resilience Fund to expand initiatives to advance opportunity, equity, and inclusion in the communities it serves. In 2021, the company committed to investing $100 million to launch the Starbucks Community Resilience Fund focused on supporting small businesses and community development projects in Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) neighborhoods.

"Since our beginning, we have been driven by our belief in the limitless power of human connection," said Kelly Goodejohn, chief social impact officer at Starbucks. "That's why we have made a promise to contribute positively to every community we serve, and through our partnership with the Atlanta Dream, we are bringing our mission to life by creating opportunities to build a better future where success is measured by the lives we improve together. Starbucks is honored to be a part of this partnership."

ACE | Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) organization, that provides affordable loans and business development resources to entrepreneurs typically underserved through traditional financing. As this partnership's beneficiary, they will distribute the funds and implement the programming.

"We are pleased to be the beneficiary of the Starbucks-Atlanta Dream partnership," said Martina Edwards, chief of strategic partnerships and incoming CEO of ACE. "Like the Atlanta Dream Collective, which assists small minority-owned businesses in overcoming marketing obstacles, ACE stands in support of women and minority business owners by removing barriers to affordable capital which helps them realize their dreams. This alliance is a perfect example of how Starbucks fuels the growth and success of communities by investing in small business owners. It is very exciting to be a part of this collaboration centered around how we are all working to make dreams come true - Atlanta's very own small business Dream Team."

Stay tuned to Dream's social media channels throughout the season for co-branded content. For more information on the Starbucks Coffee Company, visit starbucks.com.

For more information on Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs, visit aceloans.org.

For more information on the Dream Collective, visit dream.wnba.com/atlanta-dream-collective/.

About the Atlanta Dream
Established in Atlanta in 2006, the Atlanta Dream is the Southeast's only WNBA franchise, playing its home games at the Gateway Center Arena @ College Park. Dream games are telecast locally on Peachtree TV and simulcast on Peachtree Sports Network across the state of Georgia. Since 2009, Dream teams have produced 11 WNBA All-Stars, achieved 3 first-place regular-season finishes, earned 9 playoff bids and made 3 WNBA finals appearances. For more information about the Dream, visit dream.wnba.com and follow @AtlantaDream on Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok.

About Starbucks
Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with over 38,000 stores worldwide, the company is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or online at stories.starbucks.com or starbucks.com.

About Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs Inc.
ACE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that provides affordable loans and business development resources to help entrepreneurs start and grow sustainable businesses. ACE serves as a key resource for those typically not fully financed by traditional lenders. Since 2000, ACE has provided more than $200 million in loans to over 2,600 entrepreneurs, helping create or retain more than 21,000 jobs in Georgia. Focusing on underserved communities, ACE supports small businesses owned by women, BIPOC, and low-to-moderate income entrepreneurs across the state of Georgia. ACE has offices throughout North Georgia, metro Atlanta, and South Georgia, as well as two Women's Business Centers (WBCs) in Norcross and Savannah. ACE's combination of capital, coaching, and connections helps sustain these businesses, retain jobs, and strengthen local communities. ACE is funded by grants and contributions from banks, foundations, government entities, and corporations, all supporting its mission to empower underserved business owners.

Contact Information

Bryan Harris
Communications
media@atlantadream.com
877-977-7729

SOURCE: Atlanta Dream