Overview: The Black and Brown Opportunities for Profit (BBOP) Center in San Bernardino, California, is a hub designed to empower women of color to achieve entrepreneurial success. The center, established by Kim Carter-Tillman, provides access to business education, mentorship, and financial guidance, and aims to break down barriers that have historically excluded women of color from wealth-building opportunities. The BBOP Center is looking to grow in the new year and held a holiday celebration to uplift the work of the center’s community.
Aryana Noroozi
This holiday season, the Black and Brown Opportunities for Profit (BBOP) Center hosted a holiday celebration to uplift the work of the center’s community – for both the staff and entrepreneurs.
The BBOP Center, based in San Bernardino, CA, is a hub designed to empower women of color to achieve entrepreneurial success. Established by Kim Carter-Tillman, the center serves as a space to address systemic inequities by providing access to critical resources like business education, mentorship and financial guidance. With state-of-the-art co-working spaces – from childcare services to a meditation room – along with their tailored programs, BBOP creates opportunities for women to not only start, but also scale and sustain their businesses, driving economic growth in the community.
As a project of the Time for Change Foundation, BBOP goes beyond traditional business support by focusing on breaking down barriers that have historically excluded women of color from wealth-building opportunities. Initiatives such as the BBOP Business Academy equip participants, through curriculum and hands-on workshops, with practical skills, tools and networks needed to thrive in today’s competitive marketplace.
“We try to give them an outlook and more of a material curriculum to be able to read through and get the information as a business, instead of having to attend a school or attend a university and putting years into it,” said Shayna Jackson, a staff member at the BBOP Center.
The holiday party featured a toy drive for children of formerly incarcerated individuals. Attendees brought unwrapped gifts so parents will be able to select and wrap gifts for their children.
When it comes to goals for the new year, Jakcson explained that the BBOP Center is looking to grow.
“[We’re] trying to have a bigger audience,” she said. “Trying to let our ladies know that they are strong and they have a sisterhood. They have somewhere where they can trust and know we want them to succeed.”
