Juneteenth: Capital Access, Elevated Rates, and AI Attacks

Today is Juneteenth. Black-owned businesses generate over $207 billion in annual revenue and employ nearly five million people — but the capital access gap remains the primary structural barrier, with 70 percent of Black business owners relying on personal savings to finance their businesses. With the Fed holding rates again, SBA loans are running 9 to 11.5 percent APR and the math on new debt is tight. And cybercriminals are now using AI to run attacks that cost 95 percent less — ransomware was involved in 88 percent of small business breaches last year.