Who is Interise and what should we know about you?
Interise is a national not-for-profit that builds diverse and inclusive local economies through small business-led economic development. We focus on supporting the growth of small businesses owned by women and entrepreneurs of color, as well as small businesses located in low-wealth communities.
How do you manage and maintain a positive company culture?
Interise’s strength comes from our dedicated team of passionate, curious, and innovative people, each bringing deep and varied experiences to our organization. Our remote work environment allows our team flexibility to live full lives, from running their own small businesses to serving their local communities. Even though we are remote, we make sure to come together quarterly for virtual socials and meet up annually in person at our national convenings.
What is unique about your business that makes you stand out?
The BEST part about Interise is our dynamic network of small business owners, instructors, program managers and partners. Over the last 20 years, we have trained over 10,000 small businesses in 80 communities on building resilience and growth. And we know our programs work—our companies are growing at an average of 38%, and they have created close to 200,000 jobs. We are proud to be at the heart of an ecosystem built on support and growth.
Are there new markets or demographics you are targeting?
With the support of our strong network, Interise is scaling up our work to reach more small businesses in the Southeast region. Tennessee has always been important to Interise, and we are proud that our partnership with the Tennessee Urban League Affiliates has made a big impact in the local economy. In the past few years, Nashville especially has been a promising environment for minority- and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs). With a focus on equitable procurement, we’re also working to expand our partnerships with organizations across high-growth industries, where we expect to see a lot of private and public investment in the near future.
How do you stay involved in the community?
In addition to Interise’s Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce membership, our local program manager, Christina Griffin, is deeply committed to community involvement and making a lasting impact. From dedicating over 100 hours annually to volunteer service with organizations like the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Out of the Darkness Walk, Nashville Rescue Mission, CASA, The Family Center, Nashville Diaper Connection and 9/11 Day to contributing to the lives of women and children as the owner of her own coaching and consulting practice. In addition to being a 2024 Young Leaders Council program alumni, she contributes to the missions of local Tennessee-based not-for-profits as a Parliamentarian on the Board of Directors for the Junior League of Nashville, the Board of Directors and Governance Committee for Pawster, and is the Board of Directors Intern and Events Committee member for the Tennessee Justice Center.
