Climate Resilience
The Center is building a more inclusive and sustainable economy where small business growth and climate resilience go hand in hand. Across the country, clean energy opportunities are reshaping how communities work, build, and grow, and The Center ensures that diverse local entrepreneurs aren’t left behind.
Our Strategies
Main Street Goes Green
Climate resilience starts on Main Street. The Center equips small businesses and contractors with tools to cut energy costs, improve efficiency, and strengthen their bottom line while adopting sustainable practices.
Through the Main Street Goes Green Accelerator, participants access grants, one-on-one support, and financing connections that make energy upgrades achievable and affordable. Our dedicated website offers guides, funding resources, and case studies showing how businesses can thrive through sustainability.
Contractors Accelerator for Climate Resilience
The Center helps small and diverse contractors compete in the growing clean-energy and infrastructure economy. Through the Contractors Accelerator, we provide technical assistance, business advising, and access to capital that help contractors expand capacity and perform at scale.
Participants of our program have already secured $23 million in new contracts and nearly $2 million in capital, and The Center is now expanding this work into a scalable national model that creates pathways for growth, good jobs, and reinvestment in local communities.
Contractor Support for Middle Market Businesses (MMBs)
The Center supports MMBs in building and managing strong, high-performing contractor networks that can meet clean-energy demands. We’re creating practical tools and frameworks that help firms evaluate contractor readiness, connect to financing, and strengthen supply-chain partnerships.
By helping MMBs access qualified, well-resourced contractors, The Center ensures inclusive growth within the clean-energy industry and builds a more resilient business ecosystem.
Economic Recovery Corps Fellowship
The Economic Recovery Corps (ERC) is a national initiative that places fellows in communities to strengthen local capacity for inclusive economic development. Through this fellowship, The Center hosts Alli Paillant, who supports our contractor-focused climate resilience work—helping expand networks, strengthen partnerships with MMBs, and connect local contractors to the growing climate economy.
* The Center was one of 65 sites selected from over 500 applicants to host an Economic Recovery Corps (ERC) fellow. This new initiative connects organizations with skilled professionals to accelerate post-COVID economic recovery in under-resourced communities.
Featured Stories
California’s Small Businesses to Become Stronger, Greener With Inflow of Climate Resilience Funding
This story was written by Lila Brown for California Black Media and featured in the...
New Partnerships for Climate Resilience
The Center collaborates with the City of San Fernando to strategize on supporting small...
Strengthening Diversity in the Green Economy
The United States is leading a transformative shift towards an inclusive green climate...
Partner With Us
Are you a contractor, middle-market firm, utility, or prime looking to build a stronger, more inclusive climate-ready contractor network?
Join us in expanding opportunity and delivering lasting community impact.
If you’re seeking capital for adopting clean energy, visit our strategic partner, Lendistry.
