Advancing Job Quality with the Aspen Institute

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In 2025, ICA continued to shape the small business ecosystem through strategic partnerships that advance both founder success and worker well-being. This year marked the completion of a multi-year collaboration with the Aspen Institute’s Economic Opportunities Program through the Shared Success demonstration, an initiative focused on integrating job quality into small business support. Through this partnership, ICA deployed $135,000 in grant funding to nine portfolio companies, enabling founders to take meaningful, context-driven steps toward improving job quality within their businesses.

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Building safer jobs with BOLD Property Restoration

One example is BOLD Property Restoration, which leveraged a $10,000 grant to build a customized workplace safety training program for its employees. In a high-risk industry like construction, this investment is critical but often financially out of reach for growing businesses. With ICA’s support, BOLD was able to accelerate implementation, upskill its workforce, and create safer job sites demonstrating how targeted investments in job quality can drive both employee well-being and business performance.

As part of a national cohort of community capital providers, ICA’s participation in Shared Success contributes to growing evidence that improving job quality leads to stronger, more resilient businesses. These partnerships not only expand what’s possible for individual founders, but also help define a more equitable and sustainable model for small business growth.

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30 Years of ICA Fund

This year, ICA Fund celebrates 30 years of backing great businesses and proving what’s possible when underrepresented founders get the support they deserve. To mark this occasion we will be lifting up the ICA Fund community that got us this far and charting the bold work ahead. Stay tuned for new founder stories, case studies on the innovations our portfolio companies are creating, and deep dives on how our model works. Join us in stewarding the next 30 years of ICA Fund — together we’re building the future of investing.

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