Collaborative Community Initiative

What Collaborative Community Initiative does

Collaborative Community Initiative (CCI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2017 and headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana. CCI operates at the intersection of community engagement and data analysis to advance economic equity for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities and business owners in Louisiana. Its work is organized around three interconnected service lines: Research & Data Analysis (producing proprietary reports on economic disparity using independently collected data combined with public sources such as the Federal Economic Census and the American Community Survey), Community Awareness (disseminating disparity and policy information to civic groups, churches, and community organizations), and Small Business Engagement (connecting with BIPOC businesses through surveys, events, and outreach). Specific initiatives include the Black Business Data Project (a census of New Orleans' Black-owned businesses launched in 2022), the expanded New Orleans BIPOC Business Analysis (2023), and the annual DBE Scorecard monitoring the City's Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program.

CCI is a wholly volunteer, board-directed organization with no paid staff; all work is performed by board members and volunteers with professional backgrounds in minority business lending, economic development research, and project management. The organization is governed by a Board President (Jessica Jenkins), Board Secretary (Shana Hartmann), Board Treasurer (Michelle Nixon Stanton), and additional board members (Juanita Holmes, Andrea Maurizio). CCI does not sell products or services; its operating model is donation-driven 501(c)(3) funding, with disclosed foundation and corporate supporters including the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana, Jones-Walker, Capital One, JPMorgan Chase, Greater New Orleans Foundation, and Hancock Whitney Bank, many of which initially supported CCI through Propeller's 2021 Impact Accelerator cohort in the Community Economic Development category. CCI's distribution is entirely non-commercial, relying on direct community engagement, partnerships with advocacy organizations (The Collaborative, Urban League of Louisiana), social media channels, email newsletters, community events such as the 'By the People' Debate Series, and earned media coverage. The organization has documented policy influence, including contributing research and community engagement expertise in support of Louisiana Act 230 (HB-224), which authorizes the City of New Orleans to set aside up to 25% of city contracts for socially and economically disadvantaged businesses.

Name

Collaborative Community Initiative

Legal name

Collaborative Community Initiative

Website

https://ccinola.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Collaborative Community Initiative is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) non-profit in New Orleans that advances economic equity for BIPOC communities through proprietary disparity research, community engagement, and small business outreach, funded by foundation donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: CCI operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Revenue is generated through donations from individuals and organizations. The organization is supported by foundations including the Kellogg Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana, Jones-Walker, Capital One, JPMorgan Chase, Advancing Cities, Greater New Orleans Foundation, and Hancock Whitney Bank.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CCI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that delivers research and data analysis on economic disparity, builds community awareness through information dissemination to civic and faith groups, and engages BIPOC small businesses via surveys, events, and outreach. It supplements these services with specific research initiatives (Black Business Data Project, New Orleans BIPOC Business Analysis), policy advocacy (DBE Set-Aside Program, DBE Scorecard), and community events (By the People Debate Series) to advance economic equity in Louisiana's BIPOC communities.

Product overview

Collaborative Community Initiative (CCI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that operates as a unified service organization rather than a product company. CCI's offerings consist of three interconnected core services: Research & Data Analysis, Community Awareness, and Small Business Engagement. These services work together to advance economic equity in Louisiana communities, particularly for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) populations. The organization also conducts specific research initiatives including the Black Business Data Project and New Orleans BIPOC Business Analysis, and advocates for policy changes such as the DBE Set-Aside Program and DBE Scorecard. CCI is wholly volunteer-run and board-directed, with services delivered through community partnerships, data collection, and direct outreach rather than through a software product or technology platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research & Data Analysis CCI generates information and reports on the state of economic parity using independently collected data and public sources to inform citizens and drive equitable economic policies for BIPOC communities in Louisiana.
• Community Awareness CCI provides up-to-date information on disparity and policy to advocates, civic groups, community groups, churches, and others in New Orleans and the surrounding region.
• Small Business Engagement CCI connects with BIPOC businesses through surveys, events, and outreach to understand and support the local business ecosystem.
• Black Business Data Project A census of New Orleans' Black Businesses launched in 2022 to collect comprehensive data on the local Black business ecosystem.
• New Orleans BIPOC Business Analysis Full New Orleans BIPOC Business Analysis expanded in 2023 to include comprehensive research on businesses owned by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.
• DBE Set-Aside Program Advocacy CCI advocated for and contributed to the development of Louisiana Act 230, which authorizes a Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Business set-aside program for the City of New Orleans.
• DBE Scorecard An annual report card to monitor the effectiveness, growth, and success of the City's DBE program by evaluating and grading DBE contracting of each City department.
• By the People Debate Series A community-powered platform uplifting the voices, needs, and priorities of Black and Brown New Orleanians through a series of debates including City Council district debates and the Mayoral Debate.

Quantifiable outcome

• Influenced passage of Louisiana Act 230 (HB-224), which authorizes the City of New Orleans to set-aside up to 25% of city contracts for socially and economically disadvantaged businesses
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• PropellercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021CCI participated in Propeller's 2021 Impact Accelerator program, which supports early-stage non-profits dedicated to racial equity and regional prosperity. The program evaluates financial viability, social impact, network expansion, and growth potential of participating organizations.
• The CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCI grew out of the work of The Collaborative, a group of Black businesses and allies advocating for economic equity policies. CCI continues to work closely with The Collaborative, providing research and community engagement expertise in support of policy initiatives such as Act 230.
• Urban League of LouisianamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCI partnered with the Urban League of Louisiana to host the 'By The People' Debate Series, a community-powered platform uplifting voices of Black and Brown New Orleanians, covering City Council, Assessor, and Mayoral debates.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Greater New Orleans Foundation: Regional community foundation funding equity initiatives in the New Orleans metro, including CCI's work. Comparable as a funder-advocate hybrid operating in the same BIPOC economic equity space within the same geography.
• CUEE, Inc. New Orleans-based nonprofit community development lender serving small and minority-owned businesses. CCI's board president and treasurer are former CUEE executives, and the organizations share a focus on capital access and minority business support in the same metro.
• The Collaborative (New Orleans): The Black business advocacy coalition from which CCI originated. Operates in the same niche — Black business policy advocacy in New Orleans — with overlapping leadership and shared agenda (Act 230). Functionally CCI's parent advocacy entity, making it the most comparable direct peer.
• Urban League of Louisiana: Direct peer and active partner of CCI. Urban League of Louisiana advances economic empowerment for African Americans and other underserved communities in Louisiana through advocacy, workforce development, and civic engagement — overlapping heavily with CCI's BIPOC economic equity mission and serving overlapping constituents in the same geography.
• The Data Center: New Orleans-based research organization producing the New Orleans Prosperity Index and disparity analyses cited by CCI. Directly comparable as a local research/advocacy data producer focused on equity outcomes in the same metro market.
• New Orleans Business Alliance (NOLABA): Public-private economic development organization for the New Orleans region. Comparable in producing research and policy recommendations on local business conditions and inclusion, and overlaps with CCI in engaging city officials on equitable economic development.

Others

• Propeller: New Orleans-based impact accelerator that incubated CCI via its 2021 cohort. An ecosystem enabler/incubator rather than a direct competitor, but deeply comparable in mission orientation around social ventures addressing regional inequity.
• Louisiana Economic Development (LED): State government economic development agency that sets policy and procurement frameworks CCI engages with. Included as an adjacent institutional stakeholder rather than a peer — represents the policy infrastructure CCI seeks to influence through research and advocacy.

Broad incumbents

• National Black Chamber of Commerce: National advocacy organization promoting Black business development, contracting opportunities, and economic policy — directly comparable mission to CCI but operating at national scale across many chapters.
• National Urban League: The national umbrella organization whose Louisiana affiliate works directly with CCI. Operates a much larger portfolio of economic empowerment, advocacy, and research programs across the U.S., making it a broad incumbent peer rather than a direct local competitor.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ccinola
• Facebookfacebook.com/Collaborative-Community-Initiative-289221455338533
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ccinola
• Instagraminstagram.com/ccinola

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Collaborative Community Initiative