Designing Small Business Supports to Strengthen Fort Worth’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
Kamesha “Kay” West
City of Fort Worth - Economic Development Department
KAMESHA “KAY” WEST is an operational strategist and community collaborator with over ten years of experience providing management solutions to optimize business performance. Through her community engagement work and advocacy for small business initiatives, Kay developed a passion for business retention and expansion and economic development.
In addition, Kay has over 15 years of philanthropic leadership experience as a Board Director advising large and small nonprofits. In 2018, she was awarded the Whitney M. Young Service Award for her contributions to fundraising, leadership, and community service and was recently recognized as a 2022 Paul Harris Fellow.
Kay is a Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce Leadership Program Alum and is credentialed as a Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) through Nonprofit Leadership Alliance and as a Certified PeerSpectives Facilitator through the Edward Lowe Foundation. Kay received a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations from Louisiana State University Shreveport and an Associate’s of Applied Science Degree in Telecommunications from Bossier Parish Community College.
Project
To ensure small businesses not only survive but thrive post-pandemic, the City of Fort Worth is working to adapt its programs and resources provided through the Economic Development Department’s Business Assistance Center (BAC). Fort Worth will partner with FUSE Corps to build the BAC’s capacity, enabling it to supply the most impactful technical and programmatic resources to the city’s minority and women-owned small businesses.