The Community Economic Development Clinic (CEDC) within the Edward P. Swyer Justice Center at Albany Law School is continuing work to support entrepreneurship in the Capital Region.

The CEDC works alongside Elevate Every Business, Inc. (EEB) to co-host a training program for women’s entrepreneurial development, the Madie Maude Project. The program supports a cohort that meets at The Edward P. Swyer Justice Center at Albany Law School every other Sunday, most months.

The Madie Maude Project, named after the grandmother of EEB’s founder, Ms. Deborah Williams, is an entrepreneurship program for Black women, particularly inclusive of those living with a disability or a chronic illness, those who are low-income and/or formerly incarcerated. While the program’s mission is targeted, enrollment is not limited to one racial or ethnic demographic. The program differs from many other entrepreneurship programs in its focus on health in personal and business startup planning. 

“This program builds on the true community partnership we have developed over the years,” said Todd Arena, Senior Staff Attorney in the CEDC. “As individuals living with chronic illnesses and ADA-covered conditions ourselves, we of course recognize the challenges that disability brings. Yet we also know from our own lives that it’s important to re-frame disability not as a deficit, but as an asset.”

Law students are able to sharpen several skills through their work in the CEDC. In the clinic’s work with EEB, students gain firsthand experience navigating  laws small businesses must follow as they become established, earn money, hire employees, expand, etc. And beyond the textbook legal skills, students are able to practice soft skills like active listening, counseling, and compassion. 

“Hosting this program inside the Swyer Justice Center is especially beneficial for our students; it’s one thing to read about the resiliency of people living with a disability, but nothing compares to being up close and personal with an entrepreneur who is putting it all on the line to build something new and exciting,” Arena said. “Whether contemplating a future in business law, elder law, or trusts and estates, understanding how to safely navigate special needs estate planning for owners launching new business ventures is an invaluable skill.”

Health and health care disparities are at the very core of the multiple intersecting social and economic inequities that structure differential access to economic opportunity in the Capital Region, and indeed everywhere in the United States. As noted by healthcare news nonprofit KFF:

Racial and ethnic health disparities result in higher rates of illness and death across a wide range of health conditions. Research shows that these disparities are costly, resulting in excess medical care costs and lost productivity, as well as additional economic losses due to premature deaths.

Rather than overlooking the impact of these disparities on entrepreneurial outcomes, the Madie Maude Project centers them in every aspect of its program. First, by focusing on the entrepreneurs most likely to be negatively impacted by such disparities, and building the program around their specific needs and opportunities. More fundamentally, by tailoring the content of the training to them. 

A key aspect of this content tailoring is a focus on accessible options for capital access, a critically missing piece of the entrepreneurship puzzle, as highlighted by recent scholarship. In addition to advice on how to select the right service providers for a given business, the Madie Maude Program helps trainees understand the role that public policy can play in supporting their business startup and growth. 

Chief among these are work incentive programs designed to support entrepreneurs living with a disability, such as Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts, ACCES-VR and the Social Security Administration’s Plan to Achieve Self Support (SSA PASS Plans). These programs enable entrepreneurs to earn and accumulate capital without immediately losing the benefits they need to be successful in their businesses. The PASS Plan, in particular, helps applicants navigate the complexities around being a person with disabilities, receiving SSA benefits, and starting a business. 

”One of the biggest issues facing entrepreneurs living with a disability is the level of support that the entrepreneur receives outside of the business. The PASS Plan is so valuable not only because of the resources it helps the disabled entrepreneur bring into the business, but because it centers these factors,” Williams said. “Everyone says they agree that supporting entrepreneurs is the path forward. This program is about addressing head-on the true barriers to entrepreneurial success for so many, here in Albany and around the globe. You can’t have a healthy business without a healthy body. A healthy body means a healthy mindset. We have to plan for health if we want to see healthy, sustainable outcomes.”