Buffalo Niagara MWBE & SDVOB
Capacity Building Program 2026
"We didn't host an event. We started a movement — one business at a time."
It started with one room, one night, and a question — are you ready?
Before there was a cohort, there was a conversation.
The RARE Place, Inc. saw a gap that no one was filling; businesses were getting certified, attending events, and showing up to the table, but too many were not ready for what the table required.
So we built something different.
We launched the program with Illuminate 2026 — a kickoff event held at Kern's Bowling Center, the only Black, service-disabled veteran-owned bowling alley in New York State. We did not just invite people to come and listen. We asked them to show up, fill out an honest intake survey, and tell us exactly where they were. And they did.
Outcome: Businesses that are prepared, structured, and positioned to grow.
WHAT WE TEACH
Four tracks. One year-round pipeline.
Financial readiness
Credit building · banking relationships · capital readiness · cash flow · pricing strategy · profit & loss · financial documentation
Contract Readiness
MWBE/SDVOB certification navigation · capability statements · bid readiness · compliance · procurement basics · prime contractor relationships
Digital Media & Workforce
Canisius University intern pipeline · session documentation · YouTube library · hands-on marketing strategy · real-world student workforce experience
Conference Graduation
Annual Buffalo Niagara MWBE & SDVOB Training Day Conference · cohort graduation · ESD appointment room · BPI integration · business showcase · agency access
What Makes Us Different?
Other programs open doors.
We make sure you're ready to walk through them.
There are programs in Buffalo that talk about business. There are events that bring businesses into rooms with agencies. There are certifications that put your name on a list. We respect all of it. But none of it is what we do.
What we do is harder, deeper, and more honest; and it produces results that speak for themselves
Every session is drawn directly from Black in Business, the curriculum authored by Talia Johnson Huff and sold to over 1,000 readers. This is not an adapted template; it is original work rooted in lived experience, including failure, delivered with an honesty participants describe as unlike anything else they have encountered.
"We didn't start with a lesson on credit scores passed down from a textbook.
We started where these businesses actually are — and we built from there."
Led by real business owners — not program administrators
Real
Most programs experience leadership burnout because they are run by people who understand business in theory. This program is led by a contractor, a certified project manager, a published author, and a woman who has failed and rebuilt. That lived experience is the curriculum.
Built in the community — money stays in the community
We train at Black-owned and MBE-owned venues. We contract with our cohort members for our own events. We write grants for our community anchors. Every dollar we spend is a dollar that stays on the East Side of Buffalo — and our cohort members are building past performance by contracting with each other.
Relevant
We teach failure as prevention, not inspiration. Every business failure has a recipe. We share ours; and our partners share theirs, so that no one in this cohort creates the same recipe. This is not a motivational talk. This is a master class in what goes wrong and exactly how to avoid it.
Researched
We see the gaps from the inside. Our founder works in economic development and sits on public contracts where agencies say there are not enough qualified, certified businesses. We know what agencies are looking for before businesses even see the RFP. We know the words in contracts — liquidated damages, lien waivers, prevailing wage — that most business owners have never heard but will need to know. We are in the trenches and we go where they are trying to go.
Our Journey in Numbers
77
Businesses completed intake survey
45+
Attended Illuminate Launch
13
Cohort 1 Businesses Selected
Meet Cohort 1 - The L.I.T. Cohort
A year-round pipeline that helps MWBE, SDVOB, Black and Brown-owned businesses, and underserved entrepreneurs become bankable, contract-ready, capital-ready, and prepared to compete.
The L.I.T. COHORT SPEAKS
Follow Along
Illuminate 2026 —
Program Launch
77 businesses completed our intake survey. 45+ attended the launch event at Kern's Bowling Center — Buffalo's only Black-owned, veteran-owned bowling alley.
13 businesses were selected for Cohort 1.
Cohort 1 —
Active Training Sessions
13 businesses meeting monthly at Kern's Bowling Center and Oakhaus, a certified MBE-owned venue.
Sessions cover pricing, credit, banking, P&L, certification pathways, procurement readiness, capability statements, and more.
Sessions are interactive, fun and intentional.
End-of-cohort survey &
final sessions
Cohort 1 businesses are completing their closing survey measuring growth since Day 1.
Final sessions include AI tools for business using technology responsibly for pricing, marketing, invoicing, and identifying NAICS codes.
COMING OCTOBER 22, 2026
Cohort 1 Graduation:
Buffalo Niagara MWBE & SDVOB Training Day Conference
Cohort 1 businesses are completing their closing survey measuring growth since Day 1.
Final sessions include AI tools for business using technology responsibly for pricing, marketing, invoicing, and identifying NAICS codes.
"These sessions have been the best because we feel safe, seen, and Talia understands us ."
— L.I.T. Cohort - Monisha
COHORT 2 IS FORMING NOW
We select a small group of businesses ready to do the real work — not just attend a workshop, but commit to growth, accountability, and readiness. Cohort 1 is still in session. If you want to be considered for Cohort 2, express your interest now.
Our annual signature event focused on connecting businesses to contracts, capital, and community.
Buffalo Niagara MWBE Training Day Conference
500+
Businesses Engaged
Educated, impacted, and connected across two years of programming
60+
Trainers, Speakers & Industry Experts
Across panels, workshops, and breakout sessions
70+
Businesses Applied for Capacity Building Cohort demonstrating strong demand and credibility
1 GOAL
Building businesses that are prepared, positioned, and paid!
We are doing that.