Food has always been a storytelling medium. It doesn't have to be restaurants; it could be your aunt's cooking, and she's saying something, showing appreciation.
— BIPLAW RAI

Introduction

July 21, 2026 — Boston, MA

As of Spring 2026, the Ujima Fund has officially surpassed fifty percent deployment, marking another major milestone in our commitment to building a democratic, community-controlled economy. The Fund has now deployed more than $2.5 million in community capital. This milestone positions us to continue proving that communities can govern and direct capital toward shared prosperity.

Over the past year, the Fund has advanced several important priorities: deepening our support for existing portfolio businesses, strengthening our investment processes, refining our underwriting and member engagement practices, and expanding the ways we provide technical assistance alongside capital. We have continued to learn from the businesses, workers, entrepreneurs, and community members who shape the Ujima ecosystem, and those lessons are helping us build a stronger, more responsive, and more durable investment ecosystem. We have continued to develop expertise in restaurants, community institutions that our participatory process has unearthed as valuable in neighborhoods across the city of Boston.

The progress reflected in this report is not only about individual investments. It is about the continued development of an alternative capital model — one that centers community priorities, supports local wealth-building, and moves resources toward the people and places most valued by fellow community members as illustrated in our participatory processes. From follow-on investment opportunities to new pathways for supporting Black-owned and community-rooted businesses, the Ujima Fund continues to evolve as both a financial tool and a democratic institution.

This report also comes at an exciting moment of transition and possibility. As we look ahead, we are beginning to lay the groundwork for two new offerings — the next phase of our investment work. The next offering will build on the lessons, relationships, and infrastructure developed through the Ujima Fund while creating new opportunities to expand our impact, deepen our community governance practices, and explore investment strategies that respond to the needs of this current economic and political moment.

This next offering represents more than a continuation of our work. It is an opportunity to imagine what comes next for community-controlled capital: how we maintain our roots and connect with new communities, how we move more capital into democratic and solidarity economy infrastructure, and how we continue to prove that investment can be accountable to community rather than extractive from it.

Our updated Ujima Fund Pipeline Status and Financial Dashboard pages are available now.

We are grateful to our investors, members, partners, portfolio businesses, and broader community for helping us reach this stage. The work ahead is ambitious, and the foundation is strong.

— Julia Parker
Managing Director, Ujima Fund
Boston Ujima Project, Inc.

Interview
Ujima endeavors to support entrepreneurs and worker-owners in our Portfolio and Good Business Alliance with technical assistance, encompassing a wide range of offerings (from book-keeping, to legal services, and funding). These business owners have a lot to offer one another, too; they procure each other’s services, refer contractors, and help each other in serving our communities.
In our summer Investor Report in 2025, we introduced Biplaw Rai, co-founder and co-owner of three businesses in our Portfolio, as our inaugural Restaurant Fellow, to support restaurant businesses specifically – and Rai got right to work with fellow UGBA member and Portfolio business Jazz Urbane Cafe.
Founder Bill Banfield, and new CEO Charles Hunter, were able to lean on Rai in the final stretch before Jazz Urbane offered a sneak peak to supporters at a pre-opening event on June 13th to fanfare — and much anticipation. We interviewed all three men to understand their working relationships, what it took to open the doors at Jazz Urbane, and how Ujima Good Business Alliance members support one another in building a small business ecosystem.

Image by Marcia with Fred Moten & Brandon Lopez at Jazz Urbane Cafe.

Restaurants are like running an obstacle course
that you run over and over again.

— CHARLES HUNTER

Portfolio Company Updates

News and updates from companies in the Ujima Fund portfolio

Ama at the Atlas, one of our three latest investees owned by Pearl & Law Hospitality, is racking up press! Opening its doors only five months ago, Ama has already received glowing reviews in the Boston Globe, Conde Nast Traveler, and Boston Magazine.

Book your reservation today!

The Bay State Banner continues to produce their monthly live, televised series with GBH at the Boston Public Library, Central Branch: State of Black America. Their most recent edition, on May 14th, “Black-Owned Businesses: Building Wealth & Strengthening Economies,” invited business owners and advocates in a roundtable discussion on ownership at Hynes Convention Center.

Watch the series on their YouTube Channel!

The Boston Neighborhood Community Land Trust (BNCLT), and DSNI, recently received a glowing feature on Mass Live! Read the story here to learn more about how each organization supports community affordability and aging-in-place.

BNCLT also hosted its annual gathering for members and donors on July 10th.

Participate in BNCLT’s Community Investment Tax Credit program, and get 50% of your donation back as a tax credit on donations of $1000 or more! Donate or become a member today.

BNCLT is seeking follow-on investment from the Ujima Fund.

Comfort Kitchen is off to a blazing start to their summer: CK was once again named to The Boston Globe’s Best of the Best 2026 list as a neighborhood restaurant we can’t live without! And Executive Chef Sāsha Coleman is featured in Edible Boston’s Summer 2026 issue.

Founder Biplaw Rai was named to the inaugural Open Table 2026 Ambassador Council, and is continuing on as a Restaurant Fellow with the Boston Ujima Project!

In just the past few weeks, Comfort Kitchen hosted a Juneteenth Dinner at Powisset Farm in Dover, MA; a collaboration dinner with Portuguese restaurant Baleia on June 24th; and their own Nepali Thali series on June 30th.

Make your reservation to CK here.

Cupcake Therapy opened their first storefront location in Brookline on April 3, 2026!

Be sure to visit them in-person at 288 Washington Street, or make an order online today.

Cupcake Therapyt is seeking follow-on investment from the Ujima Fund.

Dorchester Food Co-Op began working with the Mayor’s Office of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion this May, building new pathways for growth, accessibility, and community impact.

They also just hosted their annual meeting on June 15th. They recently launched a new Carpool to the Co-op program (sign-up here for a free ride to DFC!), an online ordering system for their catering, and they’re now on Instacart!

Dorchester Food Co-Op’s 2026 CSA starts on July 17th; sign-up here to support local agriculture and enjoy fresh seasonal produce.

Foxglove Terrace, the second of our three most recent investees, opened in April to its own mentions in the Globe.

They recently hosted At My Mother’s Table, an AAPI Heritage Dinner, on Tuesday, May 19th, featuring Boston based chefs cooking the dishes inspired by the flavors, traditions, and moments that made them.

This June, they launched foxtracks: late night curated groves, with Afro House and global sounds (curated by DJ Real P and a slate of great DJs).

Make your reservation at their stellar rooftop bar today.

Jazz Urbane hosted a preview on Friday, June 12th, with a forum on the future of Black journalism, co-hosted by Tavis Smiley and Ronald Mitchell, and hosted a brilliant Take 6 concert the following evening on June 13th.

Read coverage in fellow Ujima Portfolio company, the Bay State Banner; visit their new About page to get to know their full staff; and make an inquiry for hosting your private event today.

Kidogo’s been very active across their social media pages this spring, bringing edutainment to all screens near you and making literacy, math, and African symbology accessible to younger members of our communities.

In June, they produced a series of posts for Internet Safety month, with screen time and safety tips for keeping our young people safe online.

They hosted Healthy Kids Day on April 19th at the Roxbury YMCA, and just hosted their annual activation at BAMSFest on June 27th!

Shop their products here to support them, and to educate young ones in your life.

We need to think about service industry workers as
people who care, and who deserve living wages for this very real and professional job that is also care work.

— BIPLAW RAI

Boston Community Solar Cooperative Joins UGBA

The Boston Ujima Project Inc. is excited to welcome the Boston Community Solar Cooperative (BCSC) to the Ujima Good Business Alliance (UGBA).

Boston Community Solar Cooperative believes in a future powered by the sun and owned by the community. Their community solar program builds cooperatively-owned solar arrays that are controlled by local communities, resulting in both financial benefits and clean electricity kept close to home.

Business Alliance Updates
News and updates from Ujima’s Good Business Alliance

2 Birds No Stones won an Opportunity Fund Grant from the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture in March! And just hosted an Arts Opening activation at the Fields Corner Business Lab on April 24th.

On June 19th, they participated in Ujima’s Small Business Marketplace at the Museum of African American History, Boston. They’re also hosting a sand art workshop at the Business Lab on August 6th.

Purchase art from 2 Birds No Stones here to support their work, or book them for sensory services and professional development workshops here.

Boston While Black (BWB) built a momentous summer this year, as co-hosts and Brand Activation Partners for the World Cup watch parties at the Boston Fan Zone.

They also recently launched new merch, live online! Pick up a t-shirt, fan, and other items to show love and rep BWB.

Boston While Black is currently hiring! Check out their career center for more opportunities, as well.

Boston While Black is seeking investment from the Ujima Fund.

The Birthingheirs Project continues to provide access to knowledge in support of community health, holding healthy mothers and families at the heart of their work alongside doula support. Visit their resources page to connect with support groups, mental health resources, and more.

Reach out if you need (free!) care supplies, or if you’d like to make a purchase to help sustain The BirthingHeirs Project.

Commonwealth Kitchen recently spotlighted Gebeta Catering, one of our food vending partners for this year’s We Create The World Juneteenth Festival at the ICA location! And they’re now popping up at SoWa’s Open Markets every Sunday from 11am–5pm, at 450 Harrison Avenue.

Our Good Business Alliance Team dropped by in June to present Commonwealth Kitchen with our Good Business Alliance sticker, for their work in supporting local food vendors and Boston’s small business ecosystem.

They recently joined the Seat the Table coalition, a national coalition advocating for work permits for long-term immigrants across the food system

Commonwealth Kitchen is also launching the CommonTable Fund pipeline, connecting local farmers, CWK entrepreneurs, and YMCA programs to ensure that young people are fed. Donate today to support this initiative!

District 7 Tavern’s event schedule is packed this summer! This June, they hosted jams and incredible live musicians as always; stop by on a Tuesday for a jam with Toussaint Tuesdays, and swing by Fridays for great performances.

District 7 is committed to staying involved with their community, too; in May, they hosted a Roxbury Clean-up day to Love Their Block.

Check out District 7 Tavern on Toast, and make sure to stop by their cafe during the day, too.

The Dorchester Art Project just threw a watch party for the 2026 World Cup! They co-hosted Dorchester Watchfest with Fields Corner Main Streets, to celebrate Cabo Verde's first-ever World Cup appearance.

Keep up with Dorchester Art Project via their website and Instagram.

DVM Housing Partners recently teamed up with a group of developers to complete construction on Brookley Flats, a new multifamily residential development in Jamaica Plain that delivers 45 affordable homeownership opportunities, including dedicated artist live/work units. The new housing development is an all-electric, solar-ready building, with a plethora of energy efficiency strategies built in to ensure long-term resilience.

Founder Dariela Villón-Maga was honored by the Celtics this past winter, receiving their Heroes Among Us Award in January!

Visit DVM’s website to learn more and read press on their latest work.

The Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative has been hard at work this spring. From organizing a community clean-up, activation, and plan for new community space at Plaza Borinquen in North Dorchester, to organizing legislators at the State House as part of May 12th’s Community Land Trust Lobby Day (in partnership with the Greater Boston Community Land Trust Network), and taking part in People’s Budget organizing since the start of the year, DSNI works to ensure that community members retain a say and a stake in what goes on in their city.

Save the date for their annual Multicultural Festival, happening this year on August 15th from noon to 5pm at Mary Hannon Park; and, if you’re an artist or organizer, visit DSNI’s Plaza Borinquen website to participate in their community planning process (or to propose an event you’d like to see/host!)

Consider donating to DSNI to support their mission.

Eastie Farm’s spring and summer schedule was packed! On April 28th, they took the stage at the 2026 Social Innovation Forum to share their mission, vision, and impact; they hosted a seedling sale in May to help get folks’ home gardens going this year; and on June 1st, they hosted a plant pruning workshop.

They just rang in their 10th anniversary of operations on June 21st with a Summer Solstice Celebration, offering free food, music, and tours of their greenhouse and facilities.

Schedule an educational visit with them; attend an event or volunteer; and fill out an interest form if you’d be interested in working with Eastie Farm on their educational program.

Fresh Food Generation recently celebrated Earth Day, in partnership with Turtle Island Community Capital, the North American Indian Center of Boston, and Assets for Artists, co-hosting a Native Impact Night on April 23rd.

Fresh Food Generation also hosted an Ujima Café with us on June 25th. Additionally, they partnered with SparkFM to give away tickets to the KES show on July 2nd, and the Buju Banton and Stephen Marley concert on July 9th.

Order catering with FFG, or make an inquiry about renting their food truck for your next event this summer.

Fresh Food Generation is seeking investment from the Ujima Fund.

Hillside Harvest and founder Kaamal Jarrett have been busy this spring: Running down to New York to bump shoulders with potential investors, joining Babson College as an alumni business partner, and hosting a pop-up at the Norwood Space Center, Jarrett has stayed on his toes.

And, congratulations to Hillside Harvest for winning the People’s Choice Award at Naturally New England this May!

Make an order today, and check out their delicious recipes here.

Hillside Harvest is seeking investment from the Ujima Fund.

Live Like a Local Tours had an active kick-off to summer this June. They hosted their annual D’Lux Martha’s Vineyard Black Business Tour on June 27th! And collaborated with 1 Hour Party on June 20th to host a neighborhood walk through Roxbury, surfacing the neighborhood’s rich Black history.

On June 13th, Live Like a Local Tours founder Collin Knight was honored by Haus of Glitter and the Museum of African American History’s This is Our House! event, honoring community leaders and innovators from across New England, including Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Brenda Tindal, journalist Paris Alston, Dr. Karen T. Craddock, April Celeste English, Esq., Rosalyn D. Elder, and more.

Book your tour today!

Nubian Markets is one step closer to opening their second location, Nuba Cafe, on Columbus Avenue in Roxbury! They just put their sign up in the window, and will be soft launching in the very near future.

This May, Nubian Markets hosted Ujima’s Coalitions, Policy and Grassroots Organizing member team as they launched Penny University, a new program for us to come together and build our collective understanding of political, social, and community issues.

Apply for a job with Nubian Markets here, or place a catering order with them to hearten your next event.

Nubian Markets is seeking investment from the Ujima Fund.

Nos Casa Cafe went viral this spring, with a highly favorable review from Wanna Be Stay At Home Dad! They were also recently highlighted by Black Owned Bos. ahead of Cape Verde’s incredible draw against Spain in the World Cup.

Visit their location at 475 Dudley Street, and order delivery from them via Grubhub.

Park 54 invited their Hyde Park and Greater Boston communities to join them for their four-year-anniversary this Juneteenth! And they were recently featured in The Proof’s Hyde Park Guide this May.

Book your reservation here for your next date night.

Pixworx founder Jaypix recently shot fellow UGBA member 2 Birds No Stones’s April exhibition at the Fields Corner Business Lab! And was celebrated at the Photography Resource Center’s 50th Anniversary Mentorship Program dinner.

Connect with Jaypix here for any and all photography needs!

Shanti is winning awards left and right this spring: Named a Small Business Champion by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, and voted the #1 spot for takeout in Roslindale Village Main Streets’ latest poll, Shanti is suffering from success!

Shanti was also named to the Boston Globe’s best of the best list for cheap eats in 2026!

Additionally, Shanti participated as a vendor in Boston Harbor Bites and Dorchester WatchFest for the 2026 World Cup.

Join them in-person to get a taste of the talk of the town.

SIDE Presents has recently been hosting an incredibly fun community drawing series at the Superette Courtyard in Seaport, including live performances and guest models.

For Juneteenth, SIDE hosted Born In The Purple, a collaborative event featuring live music and arts activations, at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

On July 19, SIDE hosted Chay Pa Lou a wellness fundraiser in partnership with The Haitian Croissant Foundation and Lululemon Newbury St, which aims to send 30 kids in Ferrier, Haiti to school for free for the 2026–27 year. In August, they are inviting community members to Constitution Beach in East Boston for an all-ages gathering with watercolor and live music, presented in partnership with Save the Harbor, Better Beaches, DCR, and led by artist Lee Beard (Squaredotcom).

Reach out and book a collaboration with them today to spice up your next event; and subscribe to their newsletter to stay up-to-date on where they’ll be next!

SIDE Presents is seeking investment from the Ujima Fund.

SparkFM celebrated their incredible 6th anniversary celebration on April 18th, inviting local artists Milkshaw Benedict, Miranda Rae, 1ndy, DJ Dirt and many more to perform, alongside a speech from State Representative Chris Worrell.

SparkFM is also a 2026 Boston Cultural Council grant recipient!

In addition, the station co-hosted an After Work Mixer with DSNI, the Boston Society of Caribbean Culture and Heritage, and the Mayor’s Office of Equity & Inclusion on June 17th. They have also hosted watch parties for the World Cup this summer.

Currently, SparkFM is raising funds to acquire its building through its new "Own the Block. Power the Culture,” campaign. In the face of ongoing displacement pressures, the station has until July 27, 2026, to raise the capital needed to purchase the property.

Listen in to the show here; apply to be an intern; and inquire about space rental for your next event!

SparkFM is seeking investment from the Ujima Fund.

The Urban Gardener Landscape Service’s Michael Thomas is busy this spring, moving from garden to garden and backyard to yard pruning, sprucing, and reviving green spaces across the city.

Take a look at the many services Thomas offers, and reach out for a consultation and quote today!

Yamacu founder Salimata Bangoura has shut down the juice company and is founding a new beverages venture, Juice Rebel, exploring a different model for revenue.

Juice Rebel recently supported Cupcake Therapy on the launch of their brick and mortar location with a mocktail menu, circulating knowledge across the Good Business Alliance.

Co-Invest?

Readers may remember from our Town Halls that Ujima has a formal co-investment process with our peers in the lending space.
In this new section, we will share opportunities for members, investors and supporters to explore co-investment alongside us.
Note: This does not constitute investment advice. All Ujima Fund investment decisions are still made by our voting members.

The Spark FM Online crew (from left) Antoinette Johnson, Segun Idowu, Former City of Boston’s chief of economic opportunity and inclusion; Danielle Johnson, Trystin Johnson. Courtesy of Spark FM.

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Boston While Black’s 2025 Family Reunion.

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INVESTOR REPORT

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