By Ayesha Hana Shaji
Texas Metro News Team
Comerica Bank’s new venture, Business HQ, held its grand opening on Tuesday, May 9, in the Business HQ building located in South Dallas, marking a major milestone for the local small business ecosystem.
The 8,000-square-foot space was transformed from idle real estate at the East R.L. Thornton location, and will offer a collaborative community space for small businesses to connect, cultivate and access capital, said Brandon Jones, Regional External Affairs Manager at Comerica Bank and Project Manager of Business HQ.
“We fully intend to answer the call of our community, leveraging all that we have and know to uplift those that need the most,” Jones said. “And it is our promise that if there is a need in our community, that we will answer within our bandwidth.”
The spaces, which are named after different South Dallas neighborhoods, include incubator offices, conference rooms, administrative offices, co-working spaces, private rooms and a content creation room with sound-defining paint, insulated doors, teleprompters, ring lights, and green screens available.
Memberships for the space are need-based and last for one year, following a vetting process done by the Business HQ team. Members can book the room spaces through an online reservation system, said Kayla Nimer, Business HQ success manager.
The Comerica Business HQ has already secured partnerships with organizations like the Veteran Women’s Enterprise Center, which holds one-third of the room spaces.
Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce has also worked closely on this project and Harrison Blair, President of Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce, said he believes that the Business HQ will be a game-changer for small businesses in the community.