Palm Springs puts $1 million behind business program tied to Section 14 settlement

The Palm Springs City Council approved a new five-year, $1 million agreement last week with Caravanserai – Alliance for Entrepreneurs to continue the city’s small business support program, known as BizUp: Palm Springs.

The agreement provides $200,000 annually, with $150,000 each year going directly to micro-grants for entrepreneurs and the remaining $50,000 covering administration, training, outreach and other program costs, according to a staff report.

BizUp is one of the city’s responses to the Section 14 settlement and is part of a broader restorative justice framework approved by the council in November 2024. That framework also included a $5.9 million direct settlement for verified former Section 14 residents and descendants, along with $20 million over 10 years for housing programs.

Although BizUp is open to entrepreneurs throughout Palm Springs, Section 14 survivors and descendants receive priority outreach and enrollment opportunities.

The new agreement expands a pilot program Caravanserai has operated with the city since 2024. During its first two years, the program served 70 entrepreneurs, provided funding to 35 businesses, helped create 21 jobs and generated $1.18 million in revenue growth, contracts and investments reported by participants, according to the staff report.

Under the renewed program, Caravanserai will operate two cohorts of 20 to 25 participants each year, serving an estimated 40 to 50 entrepreneurs annually and 200 to 250 over the five-year agreement.

Participants will receive 10 business workshops and 10 one-on-one coaching sessions through a hybrid program offered in English and Spanish. Those who complete the training, required coaching and a business plan will qualify for a $3,750 micro-grant, with as many as 40 grants available each year.

Section 14 survivors and descendants will receive a 90-day priority outreach period before recruitment opens citywide for the first cohort, followed by 30-day priority periods before subsequent cohorts. Outreach will include information sessions at Ajalon Missionary Baptist Church and the James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center.

During the meeting, members of the city council broadly supported continuing the program but also emphasized the need to measure whether the city’s investment produces lasting economic benefits.

They asked Caravanserai to continue tracking outcomes such as business growth and the longer-term performance of participating entrepreneurs, while also noting that some benefits — including the relationships and sense of community developed among participants — may be harder to quantify.

Melissa Dolores Silva, representing the Section 14 Survivors, spoke in support of the agreement during public comment, saying survivors and descendants were pleased to see the program moving forward after nearly two years of delays and miscommunication.

“We have waited nearly two years for this program, and although there have been a few delays and miscommunications, we are excited to have this move forward,” Silva said.

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