{"id":861027,"date":"2026-09-26T05:56:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-26T05:56:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/861027\/"},"modified":"2026-09-26T05:56:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-26T05:56:11","slug":"durhams-750000-bet-on-small-businesses-is-paying-off-county-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/861027\/","title":{"rendered":"Durham’s $750,000 bet on small businesses Is paying off, county says"},"content":{"rendered":"

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) — Federal COVID relief money has been dogged by stories of waste and fraud across the country. But in Durham, county leaders say a small-business recovery program did exactly what it was supposed to do.<\/p>\n

Two years ago, Durham County commissioners launched<\/a> “Durham Rising,” putting $750,000 in federal American Rescue Plan money into the hands of a local nonprofit, Knox St. Studios. The mission: help small businesses hit hard by the pandemic get back on their feet. Knox St. Studios coaches small business owners – and backs that coaching with cash.<\/p>\n

Now, the nonprofit says that bet paid off big.<\/p>\n

A Fashion Tech Founder’s Boost<\/p>\n

Jessica Couch needed a boost to get her artificial intelligence-powered fashion shopping tool off the ground.<\/p>\n

“Looks AI is a peer-to-peer fashion discovery platform that we’re launching on Shopify that allows you to shop based on people who are built like you and have similar style,” Couch said.<\/p>\n

Couch was one of more than 200 small business owners who went through Durham Rising’s programming. Along the way, she received a $5,000 grant to help develop her company.<\/p>\n

“That was a huge deal,” Couch said. “And I think when it’s not coming out of your own pocket, and someone gives you $5,000 to put toward your project, I think that changes everything.”<\/p>\n

The Numbers Behind the Program<\/p>\n

Knox St. Studios<\/a> Executive Director Talib Graves-Manns says the county’s approach to its federal recovery dollars stood out.<\/p>\n

“Federally, they put out all this money, billions and billions of dollars,” Graves-Manns said. “And I think one thing that’s unique about Durham is they care more than some other places about small businesses and entrepreneurship. And they intentionally made a commitment of the capital for Main Street businesses.”<\/p>\n

The results, according to Knox St. Studios:<\/p>\n

More than 200 small businesses servedMore than $302,000 in direct funding and supportA projected 1.5 times return on the county’s investment – more than $1 million in valueFederal Money, Local Questions<\/p>\n

Nationally, American Rescue Plan funding has drawn federal audits and accusations of waste. ABC11 asked Durham County Commissioner Michelle Burton how the county verified the numbers Knox St. Studios reported.<\/p>\n

Top Stories<\/p>\n

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“They have to report quarterly back to our economic development team,” Burton said. “I’m pleased to say that Knox Street has done a really phenomenal job with the resources that we gave them.”<\/p>\n

But Burton says the county hasn’t yet independently verified those numbers. That confirmation, she said, is still expected from the county manager’s office.<\/p>\n

What Comes Next<\/p>\n

The COVID recovery money behind Durham Rising has run out, and what happens next remains an open question.<\/p>\n

Asked whether there’s an appetite to fund a “Durham Rising 2.0,” or to fold the program into the county’s ongoing budget rather than relying on one-time federal money, Burton was noncommittal.<\/p>\n

“You know, we’ll just have to wait and see,” she said. “I have to have some conversation with the county manager.”<\/p>\n

Graves-Manns hopes the county finds a way to keep programs like it going.<\/p>\n

“Anything that was started out of ARPA that worked and made a lot of sense; let’s figure out a way to fund it and keep it moving forward,” he said.<\/p>\n

Not Looking Back<\/p>\n

Back at Looks AI, Jessica Couch isn’t waiting on the county’s next move.<\/p>\n

“This program actually was a catalyst to put me in full go-forward mode,” Couch said.<\/p>\n

Jessica Couch is the founder of Looks AI. Talib Graves-Manns is executive director of Knox St. Studios. Michelle Burton is a Durham County commissioner.<\/p>\n

Download the ABC11 News app<\/a><\/p>\n

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