After a 12 week crash course on entrepreneurship, students at Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) made final business pitches to their classmates. This opportunity was made possible for a few students by a Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation grant awarded to the Everyday Entrepreneurship Program (EEP).

The EEP is an opportunity to cultivate business ideas, collaborate and prepare those business ideas to launch. The program was created with the underrepresented and underserved populations in mind – funding from this specific grant is reserved for the benefit of Black refugee students.

According to the Refugee Processing Center, Utah is home to about 60,000 refugees from around the world. Refugees from Somalia, The Democratic Republic of Condo, make up the current majority Utah has welcomed.

As we collectively celebrate Black History Month every February, it's important to acknowledge both past and current struggles and rich contributions of Black Americans and people of African descent. Dominion Energy's Social Justice Grants Initiative addresses the fundamental causes of systemic racism (e.g., racial injustice, health disparities, voter suppression, educational access, environmental injustice, and/or law and criminal justice reform) that impact Black and African Americans across our footprint.

The $25,000 Social Justice Grant awarded to SLCC included tuition costs, a mentorship program, and the Everyday Entrepreneur Venture Fund, which provides small grants to successful members of the cohort to start their own businesses.

Brian Acord, the head instructor, has taught this course since August 2022. In that short time Acord says he has become inspired by each student's story.

“I love teaching this class in particular,” he says, “because it reminds me that the American Dream is still alive and burning bright in the hearts of new Americans who come to this country seeking a better life.”

Julian Muki is a native of South Sudan and one of the African refugees who benefited from Dominion Energy's grant. Through this experience, she hopes to start her own healthcare-provider business one day. For her, this venture is personal. Her daughter, Akulia Muki, is a person who has Down syndrome, which inspired her to ideate a business around homecare services. Her goal is to start her business and pay it forward to others who face similar circumstances.

“This program is about giving back to the community,” she says. “One day, when I can, I would like to give back as this program has given me. This is the American Dream.”

* Photos for this story were provided by Salt Lake Community College.