Navigator Notes / September 2026
August was a busy month. Here is what happened.
Library sessions, a legislative reception, a board retreat, a packed night at the Civil Rights Institute, two news features, and a new home coming in September.
Start with your business needAugust across the ecosystem
6
Rooms we showed up in
2
News features
1
New home announced
Thank you for a full August.
Dear Network Navigator community,
Before anything else, thank you. You showed up. You brought a friend. You asked the hard question in a room full of people. August was busy because you made it busy, and I am grateful for every conversation.
We started the month at the library with owners who came in with one question, sat with policymakers, funders and board members, and closed out at the Civil Rights Institute with a full room talking honestly about the state of Black business in Birmingham.
Every one of those rooms teaches us something about what you are stuck on, and that shortens the distance between the person with the need and the person who can help. Here is the recap, the coverage, and what is coming next.
With gratitude,
Naila Jackson
Executive Director, Network Navigator
What Birmingham clicked in August
This is not our list. It is yours. These are the three listings founders opened most on the platform last month, which tells us what people are actually looking for right now.
Sabre Finance
Birmingham CDFI lending to small businesses that banks turn down. Capital readiness stayed the number one search all month.
See the listingRenasant Roots Elevate, 8-week growth program
Growth structure for owners past the startup stage. Virtual sessions with a Birmingham graduation.
See the listingThe Big 3 AI Workshop: ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity
Practical AI drew the most calendar clicks in August. Auburn Harbert runs a deeper version on October 15.
See the listingPulled from platform views and calendar clicks, August 1 to 31.
August, in the rooms
Six places we were this month, and why each one mattered for Birmingham small business owners.
August 5Kicked off at the libraryMore infoClose
We opened the month with Meet Network Navigator at the library. Entrepreneurs walked in with a question and walked out with a next step. The library series continues in September.
PolicyH2O legislative receptionMore infoClose
Time with elected officials and community partners at the Help 2 Others Foundation legislative reception. Small business policy gets made in rooms like this one.
FacilitationFacilitated the GAP board retreatMore infoClose
We led the Girls Aspiring with a Purpose board through a planning retreat. Strong nonprofits need the same operating discipline we ask of small businesses.
August 18A Night With LegacyMore infoClose
A full house at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute for a conversation on the state of Black business: growth, barriers, and what it will take to close the gap.
Read more
ResearchReleased the State of Black Business reportMore infoClose
We published the State of Black Business report: the data behind the gap, what owners told us, and where the ecosystem has to move next. It is free to read and download.
Read moreCommunityFifth Third Bank Birmingham ribbon cuttingMore infoClose
We joined Fifth Third Bank for the opening of its new Birmingham branch. More local banking presence means more local lending relationships for owners who need them.
On siteAt the Fifth Third community activationMore infoClose
Neighborhood partners, resource tables, and real conversations with residents about banking, credit, and starting a business.
Birmingham press covered the conversation
Two outlets carried the State of Black Business discussion beyond the room.
The Birmingham Times
A Night With Legacy: Birmingham's Black Business Community Discusses Growth, Barriers and Potential
Coverage of the August 18 panel at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, including what owners named as the biggest barriers to growth.
Read the coverageFOX 6 / WBRC
State of Black Business event in Birmingham
Broadcast segment from the event.
Read the coverage
Naila Jackson Selected for Leadership Birmingham Class of 2027
Network Navigator Founder and Executive Director Naila Jackson has been selected for the Leadership Birmingham Class of 2027.
This opportunity expands the relationships, perspective, and visibility we can bring back to our work, while ensuring entrepreneurs and small businesses have a voice in conversations shaping Birmingham's future.
Network Navigator has a new home
Junction 1910 is a new entrepreneurial resource hub in Ensley, and it is the official home of Network Navigator.
New space. More impact. Same mission. If you have been looking for a place to work, meet a Navigator in person, or find your way to the right resource, this is it. Come cut the ribbon with us.
- Date
- Monday, September 14, 2026
- Time
- 10:30 AM
- Where
- 1801 19th Street, Ensley, Birmingham, AL 35218
- Contact
- info@junction1910.com
Registration opens soon. Details will be posted on the events calendar.
Next week in Birmingham
A few rooms worth being in this week. The full list is on the calendar.
- Sep2
CARA and PNC Financial Literacy Workshop: Debt Management
Bessemer Incubator, 8:30 AM CT
- Sep8
QuickBooks Online Training Series, Session 1
Alabama SBDC, virtual, 11:30 AM CT. Free
- Sep8
Pathways to Entrepreneurship: The CEO Mindset
Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 5:00 PM CT
- Sep24
Black Small Business and Nonprofit Community Clinic
Bradley and Legal Services Alabama, 12:00 PM CT. Free legal help
- Oct15
Practical AI for Business Leaders
Auburn Harbert, Auburn in Birmingham, 9:00 AM CT
The Navigator Note
A busy month only counts if it moves somebody forward.
If one of these rooms, stories or partners sounds like what you need right now, you do not have to figure out the door on your own. Tell us the business need and we will point you to the right one.
- One business need
- The people who can help
- The path forward