Xavier University of Louisiana Receives $465,000 Grant for Minority Business Disaster Preparedness

New Orleans, LA -- Xavier University of Louisiana, a leader in the field of business and science, has received a $465,894 grant to help minority businesses better prepare for disasters and their aftermath.

The grant, awarded by the Minority Business Development Agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, will fund the MBE Disaster Readiness Project, an initiative whose objective is to disseminate pertinent information about disaster preparedness and about obtaining disaster related contracts to minority owned businesses in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The project will be managed through the Xavier Division of Business’ Entrepreneurship Institute under the direction of Mark Quinn, the Conrad N. Hilton Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurship. 

“$306 billion in clean up contracts were distributed in 2017 and this project is designed to help more minority owned businesses to be in position to obtain some of the disaster cleanup work that is likely to occur in the future,” said Quinn. “We are excited to address this issue with the support of the Minority Business Development Agency.”

Joe Ricks, Chair of the Division of Business at Xavier, said that the project is another example the Division and the University’s commitment to socially responsible business leadership, supporting entrepreneurs, and complementing the activities of our award winning Small Business Development Center.”

More information on the MBE Disaster Readiness Project is available by contacting Mark Quinn at mquinn@xula.edu.