Business Equity Alliance is a nonprofit dedicated to empowering small and diverse businesses through capacity-building, strategic partnerships, and corporate readiness programs.
Economic equity starts when diverse owners have the same tools, knowledge, and access as everyone else.
Business Equity Alliance was founded on a simple but powerful conviction: economic equity is achieved when diverse business owners have the same tools, knowledge, and access as their counterparts. Too many talented entrepreneurs are held back not by lack of ambition, but by lack of access — access to knowledge about certifications, access to coaching on financial systems and operational readiness, and access to the corporate relationships that open doors.
BEA fills that gap. We equip small and diverse businesses with the technical foundation, professional networks, and strategic support they need to transform from capable to contract-ready. When diverse businesses thrive, entire communities benefit through job creation, wealth building, and economic stability.
Business Equity Alliance builds the competitive readiness of small and diverse businesses through targeted technical assistance, capacity-building programs, and strategic partnerships. We equip entrepreneurs with the expertise, systems, and networks needed to successfully pursue and fulfill contracts with corporations and public agencies, creating pathways to sustainable growth and economic equity.
A thriving economy where small and diverse businesses have the capacity, connections, and confidence to compete for and sustain meaningful corporate and public sector opportunities.
The principles behind every program, partnership, and decision.
Practical, accessible technical assistance that turns capability into lasting confidence.
We build an ecosystem with nonprofits, corporations, and community partners — success is amplified together.
Removing barriers and creating equitable access for underrepresented entrepreneurs.
Operational excellence, professional standards, and corporate readiness in everything we teach.
Long-term capacity over short-term fixes — growth that builds generational wealth.
We meet entrepreneurs where they are, with high standards and genuine understanding.
BEA is led by founder Edward A. Simon II and guided by a board committed to economic equity for diverse businesses.
For the third consecutive year, the founder (Edward Simon) is honored to facilitate the Veterans in Business (VIB) Network's B.R.A.V.O. Mentorship Program, guiding veteran-owned businesses through mentor-protégé matching, capabilities statement development, and a Corporate Mega Showcase that culminates each spring in a graduation ceremony for the cohort. Building on that partnership, he is now facilitating VIB Network's "Access. Engage. Win." Southern California Procurement Engagement Series—a seven-session workshop series sponsored by Kaiser Permanente that connects veteran business owners directly with corporate buyers and community-based organizations, including CA Area Utilities (California American Water, San Diego County Water Authority, and SDGE), CBO's (PSWMSDC, San Diego County Black Chamber of Commerce, San Diego Military Advisor Council (SDMAC)), and other large San Diego Corporations (Dexcom, Kaiser Permanente, and General Atomics), on topics spanning procurement readiness to access to capital. This continued, multi-year collaboration reflects our leadership and BEA's ongoing commitment to supplier inclusion and to opening real pathways of opportunity for diverse, veteran-owned, and small businesses.
Get involved
Whether you're a business owner ready to get corporate-ready or a partner interested in collaboration, we'd love to hear from you.