The purpose of Montbello Organizing Committee’s (MOC) Building Wealth From Within (BWFW) initiative is to work with residents to develop an economic system in Montbello that provides employment and ownership opportunities for residents, protects against displacement and gentrification, and helps residents begin building generational wealth.

Ultimately, the long-term goal is that Montbello entrepreneurs and business owners of color will have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to launch and sustain their own businesses. The primary components of our Recovery and Reimagining approach include (1) Entrepreneur Training, (2) Business Lending, (3) Technical Assistance, and (4) Business Incubators & Real Estate Activities.

In order to make this initiative inclusive and equitable, a group of Montbello stakeholders were convened in 2021 through a series of three meetings led by Montbello Organizing Committee. The focus of these meetings were to bring the community together to ensure that any strategies discussed were driven by the constituents with the most expertise as well as those most affected by the implementation of this plan. Meetings with community leaders were held in October and November of 2021 with the goal of identity gaps, opportunities, and vision for the plan.

This plan was created using input from those meetings, discussions with MOC staff, and existing grants, contracts, and proposals that outlined concepts, ideas, goals, and measurables for MOC’s Building Wealth from Within Initiative.

This committee will work directly with the Building Wealth from Within team and advise on the design, implementation, and evaluation of programs created under our strategic plan. Members of the Building Wealth from Within committee will also serve as ambassadors in our community and help recruit individuals to participate into future programming.

The ideal candidate looks like someone who...
- is deeply committed to a community of excellence, equity, and diversity. We welcome applications from women, underrepresented minorities, persons with disabilities, sexual minority groups, and other candidates who will contribute to the diversification and enrichment of ideas and perspectives
- are able to attend monthly meetings that are 2 hours long (1-2 absences allowed and absences specific to health will be respected)
- likes to participate in meetings and share big, bold ideas. Comfortable working through potential disagreements with other committee members