Fresno, Calif., Feb. 7, 2023 – Today, Bitwise Industries (www.bitwiseindustries.com) announced a new partnership with the City of Fresno, to launch a Digital Empowerment Center that will support over 1,500 micro and small businesses owners in Fresno.  The center will provide local businesses with necessary resources to succeed in the digital economy, while increasing  digital literacy and promoting inclusive economic recovery in the Fresno area.

“In an economy that went nearly digital overnight during the pandemic, 80 percent of U.S. small businesses owners are not taking full advantage of digital tools and in Fresno they have struggled to stay afloat as a result. Bitwise Industries has a history of reaching out to communities that may not fully realize the power of technology for economic stability. This collaboration with the City of Fresno will bring businesses previously left out into the digital economy into the modern era,” said Thilani Grubel, VP of Fresno at Bitwise Industries. “This resource is another example of how we are working with local governments nationwide to provide the digital awareness necessary to strengthen economies.”

As part of this digital equity initiative, a working group led by Fresno-area residents who live in underserved and disconnected neighborhoods. The goal is to equip micro and small businesses in the Greater Fresno City Metropolitan area with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed in the digital economy. It includes direct outreach, advocacy, mentoring, and informational workshops.

“We hope this program will be able to provide the much-needed support to local businesses that otherwise would have fallen even farther behind,” said Mayor Dyer. “Many of these businesses sell unique or traditional products that represent our region but don’t have access to the online tools that enable the use of technology within commerce. We encourage these businesses to leverage the digital empowerment center and access the information that can elevate their businesses.”

The new digital empowerment center in Fresno will reach 5,000 micro/small businesses, with the goal of helping at least 1,500 business owners increase their digital literacy by introducing them to IT solutions. This will allow them to harness revenue-earning opportunities available through the internet (e.g. websites, web applications, processing digital payments, and keeping digital or web-based records). According to recent analysis, supporting small businesses through digital tools results in:

• Two times as much revenue per employee
• Nearly four times the revenue growth over the previous year 
• Almost three times more job creation 
• More than six times the average employment growth rate 

To learn more about the digital empowerment center visit: https://dec.bitwiseindustries.com 

About Bitwise Industries: 

Bitwise Industries, is a for-profit, mission driven company delivering Salesforce managed services, Docusign, and Custom SaaS solutions while developing the most representative tech talent in the country, at scale. Bitwise partners with organizations across sectors to create innovative solutions globally, delivering clear business benefits that are directly cutting costs, increasing productivity and driving revenue. 

These partnerships fuel the connections between people and opportunity that set individuals on a path toward upward mobility. The economic transformation of this work in the communities Bitwise serves can be felt by all that call it home. Centering its efforts in the heart of cities’ downtown areas, Bitwise becomes an economic driver for the region, motivating the creation of thousands of jobs. 

Since its founding in 2013,Bitwise has raised more than $100M in support of this work; rapidly expanding its model to serve ten cities: Fresno, Bakersfield, Merced, and Oakland in California and Toledo, OH, Buffalo, NY, El Paso, TX, Greeley, CO, Las Cruces, and NM across the country. To learn more about Bitwise Industries, check out www.bitwiseindustries.com