Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

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From capital access to a national stage, see how Louisiana Economic Development (LED) and New Voices are helping small businesses grow through the ESSENCE Festival of Culture.

Louisiana entrepreneurs share how LED's certification programs and state-backed capital loans helped them scale, and how New Voices — in partnership with ESSENCE and Sundial Media Group — gave them a stage to share their stories, showcase their products, and connect with new audiences.

This is economic inclusion in action: knowledge, access, and capital coming together to help Louisiana-based businesses do big business.

🔗 Learn more about LED's small business programs: opportunitylouisiana.gov
🔗 Learn more about New Voices: newvoicesfoundation.org

Subscribe to Sundial Media Group for more from ESSENCE Festival of Culture 2026.


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ESSENCE is the Black woman’s guide to what’s hot now — our stars, our style, our lives.

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