DCCDC BossTank Launches $2 Million Small Business Capacity Building Program in Washington, DC

Inaugural Participants Selected for Innovative Place-based Initiative East of the River

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, August 11, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- DC Community Development Consortium Institute (DCCDC), in partnership with the National Bankers Association Foundation (NBAF) and the Greater Washington Community Foundation’s Health Equity Fund (HEF), officially launched the DCCDC BOSSTANK (“Back Office Support Systems”) pilot program on Wednesday, August 5, at Sapodilla’s, a Black woman-owned Caribbean restaurant in Ward 8’s Historic Anacostia.

The program includes more than 40 small business participants across Wards 7 and 8, with a cohort of 22 entrepreneurs, known as BOSSES, receiving free, one-on-one capacity-building support from 20 Business Advisory Support Experts (BASE Contractors). Meet the inaugural DCCDC BOSSTANK cohort here.

Over the course of one year, BASE contractors work alongside BOSSES to strengthen the business infrastructure that lenders, investors, and other capital partners look for, including financial management and bookkeeping systems, tax and regulatory compliance, brand presence, as well as procurement and contracting pipelines.

“Traditional technical assistance has often focused on workshops and consultations, but that approach hasn’t moved the needle for too many businesses East of the River,” said Gloria Nauden, DCCDC Executive Director. “BOSSTANK takes a different approach—putting experienced professionals alongside these businesses to strengthen the operational management systems that position small businesses for more growth opportunities and greater access to capital.”

DCCDC BOSSTANK will culminate in a Pitch Showcase connecting participating entrepreneurs with a cross-sector network of impact investors, lenders, procurement and contracting officials, and philanthropic partners. The Showcase will provide entrepreneurs with an opportunity to present their businesses and engage directly with decision-makers from Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs), Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), corporate partners, and other mission-driven organizations to pursue capital, contracts, and strategic growth opportunities.

“Minority Depository Institutions were created because capital wasn’t reaching communities like Wards 7 and 8—and that gap persists today. CDFI Fund data tells the story plainly: between 2015 and 2019, less than $500,000 in small-business lending reached Wards 7 and 8 combined, compared with $7.8 million in Ward 1 alone,” said Nicole Elam, Esq., Executive Director of the National Bankers Association Foundation and President and CEO of the National Bankers Association. “Our banks want to say yes. BOSSTANK helps build businesses that are ready for that yes.”

Another cornerstone of BOSSTANK is the creation of neighborhood-based Business Hubs in Wards 7 and 8; bringing professional workspace, connections, and business resources directly into the communities entrepreneurs call home. These free, shared workspaces provide participating businesses with a place to work, meet with clients, participate in curated networking opportunities, and connect with DCCDC and its partners.

DCCDC BOSSTANK is supported by an economic innovation grant from the Greater Washington Community Foundation, Health Equity Fund. Read the Award announcement here.