The Book Industry Charitable Foundation has announced the 12 entrepreneurs who will make up the inaugural cohort for BincTank. Launched last summer, BincTank is a business incubator program designed to increase equity in bookstore ownership by supporting entrepreneurs from historically underrepresented communities.
The cohort members are:
- Courtney Bledsoe, who will soon open a bookstore in Chicago, Ill.
- Aysia Brown, who recently opened Protagonist Black in Fontana, Calif.
- Diana Dominguez, who recently opened Más Libritos Bookstore in Springdale, Ark.
- Robert Eckman, who plans to open a bookstore in Belleville, Ill.
- Alma Guzman, who plans to open a bookmobile in southeast Los Angeles, Calif.
- Gwendolyn Henderson, who recently opened Black English Bookstore in Tampa, Fla.
- Kenya Kirkman, who intends to open a bookstore in Brooklyn, N.Y.
- Ashley Mireles-Guerrero, who plans to open a bookstore in Fresno, Calif.
- Angie Nixon, who recently opened Café Resistance Bookstore in Jacksonville, Fla.
- Ciona Rouse, who plans to open a bookstore in Nashville, Tenn.
- Jay Williams, who opened Next Chapter Books in Detroit, Mich., last year.
- Kevin Zambrano, who plans to open a bookstore in Brooklyn, N.Y.
"We are so proud to support this first group of entrepreneurs dedicated to opening bookstores in their community," said Binc executive director Pam French. "They share our commitment to and passion for closing the diversity gap in bookstore ownership, and we can’t wait to visit their stores."
Ken White, BincTank program manager, said: "These applicants bring a great diversity of experience, skills and background to BincTank from community organizing, bookselling and politics to working in the publishing industry, teaching and writing books. They come from across the country in communities large and small, and their enthusiasm is contagious. Together we will work to increase the number of BIPOC-owned bookstores."