By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
Last week, the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle (ULMS) announced that Deionte Abdullah Shareef Petty, Director of Entrepreneurship at ULMS, has won the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Champion Award presented by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The award recognizes the contributions of an individual or organization to the greater entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Petty has been recognized for his groundbreaking work in developing the ULMS’s Entrepreneurship Community and Cultural Office (ECCO), which opened in January of 2024, as a community space for individuals to access resources, assistance, and one-on-one business coaching.
Under the direction of Petty, the ECCO has increased the number of resources for aspiring entrepreneurs to use and has followed closely in line with ULMS’s commitment towards boosting and supporting Black, Brown, and Indigenous small businesses. Despite navigating through some challenges to open the ECCO, Petty, by giving endless amounts of dedication and support to marginalized communities, has provided access to services and programs to many people in the community that helped them reach their financial goals and business aspirations.
“I believe I received the award due to the unique positioning of the Entrepreneurship Community & Cultural Office, the diversity of our team, and the transformative work we’re doing,” says Petty. “There are other organizations that provide similar services and programs, but we have the desire to meet our community where they are at, both figuratively and geographically.”
Petty’s journey at the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle began in December of 2016, and since that time his dedication to uplifting and supporting the economic growth of his community has grown within the entrepreneurial community.
“I became the Director of Fund Development in 2020 and it was my goal to introduce that entrepreneurship service pillar to the Seattle chapter of the Urban League,” says Petty. In 2022, ULMS received enough funding to launch the pillar, while Petty took on both the position of Director of Fund Development and Director of Entrepreneurship before transitioning entirely into the role of Director of Entrepreneurship in 2023.
According to Petty, finding the right location for the ECCO was one of the most difficult parts of the process.
“Finding the location for the ECCO was the most laborious part. It took months to find the perfect location,” says Petty. “It was our goal to find somewhere centrally located but also somewhere that was easily accessible to people of color. We wanted to foster a space where even our partners could leverage to connect with communities of color instead of expecting them to venture further out.”
While the Urban League is still in the process of making upgrades to the facility, it already is an excellent resource for many entrepreneurs in the community. Inspired by Nipsey Hussle and David Gross’ Vector 90 project in the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles, the facility features two Mac studios, 3D printers, laptops, and many more physical resources that local business owners can leverage to support their business and business opportunities.
“We’ve been able to become a hub for entrepreneurs of color in a historically diverse neighborhood that is currently experiencing gentrification, and we already have served hundreds of businesses, launched 38 businesses, got our clients awarded contracts, and even helped some of our clients with global supply chain issues,” says Petty.
Looking to always challenge himself to bring change to his neighborhood, Petty has faced many barriers that drive him to help and provide support for those going through the same situations he once experienced.
“While I never thought of myself as a ‘Champion,’ I’ve empowered myself to bring change to my neighborhood,” says Petty. “As an African American Muslim, I’ve faced many barriers to financial stability and have seen many of my counterparts in the community struggle with the same. I’ve lost many friends due to gun violence. I’ve watched many of my friends get fast money which landed them in trouble with the law. Crime and violence have statistically been shown to be linked to economics and lack of opportunity. I’ve always tried to find culturally congruent solutions to legitimize our efforts towards financial security and provide opportunities that will refine our narrative.”
During his time at the ULMS, Petty has realized that it is time to break destructive habits that have impacted his community for many generations and begin to provoke the change the community would like to see.
“You can’t give from an empty bucket, so I’ve been doing my best to fill mine, hire like-minded individuals from the community, support them and their ideas, and create a workspace that feels like home where love exists,” says Petty.