Multicultural Small Business Labs
Harrisburg, PA
Our next Multicultural Small Business Lab is being held in Harrisburg, PA. It will kick off on Wednesday, May 10th and run every Wednesday evening through June 21st. Hurry now, space is limited to 50 participants.
Registration now closed.

Program Highlights
M&T Bank’s Multicultural Small Business Lab is an intensive weeks long program designed to help to empower, develop and scale racially and ethnically diverse small businesses. It aims to promote business and financial inclusion through empowerment, providing diverse owners the much-needed access to information, tools, resources, and connections they need to grow and thrive. The lab’s mission is to present an opportunity for multicultural businesses to increase their visibility, accelerate their business and achieve success.

Creating a Business Plan
Learn what it takes to create an effective business plan through discussion on setting goals, knowing your industry, what finances you have in place, and much more!
All About Credit
Do you need to understand more about credit and how it can affect your business? With M&T small business multicultural lab, we will dive into the importance of credit, accessing capital and how you package your credit application.

Marketing & Branding
Learn how to make your business stand-out among the competition through an in-depth discussion on branding and marketing so you can be prepared to get the word out on your diverse business.
Pitch Tips
You have everything that you need to scale and grow your business, but your business needs funding. As part of the series, we will provide you tips and tricks when presenting to potential investors. Learn how to present with ease and how to make your business plan shine.
Innovation Lab Overview
The M&T Multicultural Innovation Lab celebrates and empowers local multicultural owned small businesses through education and a spirited competition. For the Harrisburg edition, we will be partnering with Harrisburg University. The location for this 7-week program will be at the Harrisburg University of Science and Technology:
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology
326 Market Street
Harrusburg, PA 17101
Registration now closed.
Program Eligibility
Open to existing Multicultural small business owners and hopeful Multicultural small business owners in the planning/concept phase (e.g. Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, Asian American) – in accordance to local demographics.
- Been in business less than 36 months
- Average annual revenues of $350K or less
Schedule
- 7-week course presented by M&T Bank experts and community partners
- Beginning May 10th, 2023
- Course ends June 21th, 2023
- In-Person Attendance
- 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Wednesday evenings
Curriculum
- Business Planning (1 session)
- Credit Fundamentals (2 sessions)
- Marketing & Branding (1 session)
- Networking & Community Resources (1 session)
- Business Valuation (1 session)
Pitch Competition
- First Round: 2-minute video with written answers
- Second Round: 3-minute live pitch with a 2-minute Q&A
- Prizes:
- 1st place - $6,000
- 2nd place - $4,000
- 3rd place - $2,000
Participating Cities
Do I need to be a resident of the community that the program is in to participate?
You must be a resident of the city where the lab is being held. Please refer to the specific location terms and conditions.
Yes, the principal owner needs to be a permanent legal resident of the Harrisburg, PA . See terms and conditions.
How do I know if I’m a good fit?
We are open to different kinds of multicultural – racially & ethnically diverse small owned businesses (e.g. Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, Asian American ). To qualify, the principal owner must be 18 years or older, a permanent legal resident of Harrisburg, PA , be in business for 36 months or less, and have a annual business revenue of $350,000 or less. See terms and conditions.
How do I register?
Registration now closed.