Small Businesses. Huge Opportunity. How Regions Bank Is Helping Nashville Companies Grow – For Free

By Veleka Finch

NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 5, 2023 /3BL/ - Small-business owners in Middle Tennessee who are interested in growing their companies are encouraged to apply for a tuition-free business development program Regions Bank is bringing to Nashville for the first time in the program’s history.

Businesses accepted into the program do not have to be Regions Bank customers. Rather, the main qualifier is they need to be growth-oriented companies looking to build long-term success with a workable business plan. The program is specifically designed for entrepreneurs with a presence in or near urban or economically underserved areas.

The result is more business owners – in more neighborhoods – will be empowered to thrive.

While Nashville continues to experience incredible growth, we must ensure this growth reaches more neighborhoods and benefits more people.

Lee Blank, Nashville market executive for Regions Bank

The program is called Inner City Capital Connections, or ICCC. ICCC provides top-tier business training from nationally recognized experts, customized business coaching, marketing assistance, follow-up digital training, and more. ICCC is part of the nonprofit Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, which was founded by Harvard Business School Professor Dr. Michael Porter to strengthen communities through education and private-sector investment.

“While Nashville continues to experience incredible growth, we must ensure this growth reaches more neighborhoods and benefits more people,” said Lee Blank, Nashville market executive for Regions Bank. “That’s why Regions is bringing ICCC to Nashville as part of our commitment to create more inclusive prosperity. This program gives more entrepreneurs a seat at the table. It connects local companies with national experts on business growth – and it sews the seeds of success into more Nashville-based companies that are crucial to a healthy, vibrant and inclusive economy.”

Likened to a “mini-MBA in a day,” ICCC makes executive-level business education available to local entrepreneurs who often would not have the time or resources to receive such training in a traditional education setting. Instructors at ICCC events throughout the program’s history have included professors from institutions ranging from Harvard University to Dartmouth, New York University, and more. Training is customized to meet the needs of businesses that are accepted into the program, and it is delivered in a manner that minimizes the time investment business owners need to make – while maximizing results.

Consider these examples:

• Since ICCC’s inception in 2005, more than 5,800 businesses have participated in the program in cities across the country.
• Those businesses have since raised over $2.4 billion in capital.
• Further, they’ve created over 26,000 jobs, according to ICCC.

“ICCC has a proven track record of uplifting and empowering small-business owners, overwhelmingly BIPOC- and women-owned. And this is about more than one day of high-impact learning. It is about building connections and even mentorships that often lead to long-term coaching and support,” said ICCC Director Diego Portillo Mazal. “Regions Bank is one of our most valuable community partners, and we are excited to work with Regions in bringing ICCC to Nashville for the first time in the program’s history. We are confident this will result in a more sustainable small-business ecosystem spreading prosperity to more people and communities in Middle Tennessee.”

Financial support from Regions Bank and co-sponsors is what makes ICCC tuition free for qualified companies that are accepted into the training opportunity.

Business owners can learn more about ICCC and the program’s qualifications at this link. Those who would like to participate can access the online application for the Nashville program here. ICCC will review applications and connect with qualified companies to discuss next steps.

ICCC will culminate locally with an intense, all-day business education and coaching session scheduled for Wednesday, September 20. This is not just an average seminar. As this video from a Regions-sponsored ICCC program in St. Louis and this additional video from Indianapolis show, ICCC is an action-packed program filled with aha moments and key takeaways for entrepreneurs.

The Nashville application deadline is August 25, though space is limited, and available slots could be filled before then.

“As Regions has seen through ICCC events the bank brought to Atlanta, Houston, Tampa and St. Louis, spaces fill up fast because people recognize the value – and the results – of this program,” Blank concluded. “We encourage business owners to explore how ICCC Nashville can help them grow – and apply early before space runs out.”

About Regions Financial Corporation
Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $154 billion in assets, is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation’s largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates more than 1,250 banking offices and more than 2,000 ATMs. Regions Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com.