A new online resource aimed at growing and promoting Black-owned businesses in the Iowa City area launched this month. The site, called a Story Map, includes a directory and map of Black-owned businesses in Johnson County, and highlights the entrepreneurial journeys of 14 Black entrepreneurs and community leaders through personal stories, photos and audio clips.

The University of Iowa School of Planning and Public Affairs, Department of Theatre Arts, Obermann Center for Advanced Studies, Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities, along with the Iowa City Area Development Group partnered to create the website.