BackTo.Biz Launches to Provide Free Online Learning Tools to Help Small Businesses Pivot, Recover and Grow as They Continue to Navigate the COVID-19 Pandemic

The program supports small business owners with content that is:

• New and relevant to this moment, helping small businesses navigate the unique challenges of recovering from COVID-19 and adapting for the future in the light of seismic changes to consumer behavior and the economy;
• Built on data and insights gathered from engaging widely with small business owners and the organizations that serve them;
• Easy to use, actionable and accessible on-the-go;
• Innovative and inspirational, showcasing powerful stories of adaptation and first-hand learnings from the small business community, and
• Taught by a representative and inclusive group of entrepreneurs who reflect the diversity of America's urban and rural Main Streets, recognizing the disproportionate impact the pandemic has had on small businesses owned by people of color.

The BackTo.Biz program was funded by former Starbucks ceo and chairman emeritus Howard Schultz and the emes project, and co-created with CreativeLive, a global leader in online learning. To reach as many small businesses as possible and share additional best-in-class learning resources from top tier brands, BackTo.Biz has teamed up with a coalition of non-profit and business leaders to raise awareness of the program, including: Ascend, Chase, Community Reinvestment Fund USA (CRF), Facebook, Grow with Google, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, Intentionalist, Main Street America, Microsoft, Reimagine Main Street, Salesforce, Starbucks, Shopify, and CO— by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

"Small businesses, the very fabric of our communities, are struggling due to seismic changes in consumer behavior and the economy that have been unleashed by the COVID-19 pandemic," said Howard Schultz, former Starbucks ceo and chairman emeritus and founder of the emes project. "BackTo.Biz provides valuable lessons and skills to help small businesses adapt, pivot, and thrive in this critical moment."

"Online learning has the power to help small businesses develop actionable skills to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic," said Chase Jarvis, ceo of CreativeLive. "The free content taught by a diverse group of renowned entrepreneurs on BackTo.Biz will help small business owners recover and grow stronger than ever before." 

Find out more by visiting BackTo.Biz.

ABOUT BACKTO.BIZ
BackTo.Biz is a free online learning program created specifically for small business owners brought to you by CreativeLive, a global leader in online learning. Featuring a collection of 400+ individual video lessons, articles and tools from a diverse and renowned set of innovative entrepreneurs, the BackTo.Biz program was developed to support, inform and inspire small business owners as they navigate the seismic shifts to the economy and consumer behavior caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

About emes project llc
Created by Sheri and Howard Schultz, the emes project incubates and supports innovative initiatives in service of the Schultz family's mission to create greater opportunity, accessible to all.

ABOUT CREATIVELIVE
CreativeLive is the world's leading creative and entrepreneurial learning platform where more than 10 million students learn design, photography, video, business, and more from the world's top experts, including Pulitzer-, Grammy-, Oscar-winners, New York Times bestselling authors, thought leaders and legendary entrepreneurs. Launched in 2010, CreativeLive offers more than 2000 classes and reaches students in every country on the planet.

SOURCE emes project llc