2251FlroinRoadSacramento,CASuite125
Hours: Thurs-Sat 12:00to5pm
FlorinSquareStaffandAssociates
Tom Donaldson
Building Owner Florin Square
916-600-3029 cell 916-706-1634 office Aaron Boyce
Marketing Director
916-215-1831
ab.fscdc@yahoo.com
Samantha Donaldson
Robin Donaldson Administration - Receptionist
Keith Dent Northland Interior Maintenance
Mark Grooms
Ernest Nibblins Maintenance
Lea Boyce Square Biz Magazine/AB Workshops-Graphics
Michelle Martin Neal ConstanceArnick Community Services
DONALDSON Properties
2251 Florin Road Sacramento, CA 95822 www.florinsquare.com
Covid Regulations
COVID-19 regulations: Florin Square is open for business and adopting a Social Distancing and Mask Optional Policy!
Welcome to Florin Square
Aaron Boyce, nationally known public speaker andAuthor of “Seize the Opportunity...and other marketing tips” serves as the Marketing Director of Florin Square and the Executive Director of Florin Square Community Development Corporation (FSCDC). He is available for small business consultations, public speaking training, as well as keynotes, seminars, and workshops. ab.fscdc@yahoo.com. (916) 215-1831.
Owning Our Legacy: The Future of Florin Square
By Aaron Boyce, Executive Director, FSCDC
Florin Square has always been more than a shopping center—it’s Sacramento’s “Black Wall Street,” a living home for entrepreneurs, artists, families, and culture. Today, FSCDC is moving to purchase and transform this 74,000-square-foot landmark into the Florin Square Business Incubator—one of the largest incubators in the country - so it can serve even more people, for generations to come.
What does that future look like? It looks like small businesses becoming members of a supportive ecosystem—not just tenants. It looks like affordable space paired with real services: coaching, access to capital readiness, marketing, and mentorship.
It looks like a Podcast & Media Center to amplify our stories, a Computer Resource Room to build digital skills, a Mailbox Hub to help home-based businesses go pro, and a multipurpose room for workshops, showcases, and community gatherings.
It looks like youth pipelines to entrepreneurship and careers—alongside cultural anchors like the Sojourner TruthAfrican Heritage Museum, one of our valued tenants. This is about ownership—of our destiny, our economy, and our narrative.
But vision requires fuel. We’re inviting our community - residents, alumni of Florin Square, friends across the region, and partners who believe in inclusive prosperity - to help close the gap.Your contribution today helps secure the building, upgrade spaces, and launch programs that keep doors open for dozens of small businesses and hundreds of jobs.
If Florin Square has ever inspired you, fed you, employed you, or welcomed your family - this is your moment to pour back into the place that has poured into us all.
To learn more or to contribute, please visit www.fscdc.org. If you’d like to talk directly, call me at (916) 215-1831 or email ab.fscdc@yahoo.com.
Together, we can preserve our legacy - and build the future our community deserves.
Florin Square Community Development Corpora on is dedicated to providing assistance, informa on, and resources to our community that improves the quality of life in the areas of Business and Economic Development, Educa on, Arts and Culture, Community Development, and Health and Wellness (BEACH) while using a model of dignity, integrity, and unity.
TheVision TheBenefits
The Operational Vision for the Florin Square Business Incubator
The Florin Square Business Incubator will operate as a community-based ecosystem built on collaboration, education, and shared prosperity
Managed by the Florin Square Community Development Corporation (FSCDC), the incubator will transition current tenants into members who participate in a supportive network rather than traditional leaseholders. This model ensures affordability, stability, and a sense of ownership while creating sustainable revenue to maintain the facility and expand services.
Operations will center on three integrated pillars: BusinessAdvancement, Community Empowerment, and Cultural Preservation. Members will access technical assistance, financial-literacy and marketing support, workshops led by partners such as SMUD, JPMorgan Chase, CACapital and SBDC, and direct pipelines to capital through local banks and CDFIs.Adigital resource hub - including podcast, computer, and media labs - will keep members connected to modern tools and audiences.
Daily management will balance professional facility oversight with community accountability. FSCDC will employ a small operations team supported by advisory committees drawn from business owners, youth mentors, and civic leaders to guide programming and policy
Every decision will reflect FSCDC’s mission: to help small and minority-owned businesses thrive while uplifting the neighborhood that surrounds them.
The incubator will be operated with transparency, efficiency, and deep respect for Florin Square’s legacy - ensuring that Sacramento’s “Black Wall Street” continues to inspire growth, unity, and economic independence.
How the Florin Square Business Incubator Benefits Our Members
For our current tenants - and for the new members who will join us - the Florin Square Business Incubator represents more than a new name; it’s a new way of doing business together
Members will gain access to a suite of shared resources that reduce costs and open doors: conference and training rooms, highspeed internet, digital media tools, and professional marketing support. Our incubator model replaces isolation with collaboration - businesses can learn from one another, share referrals, and build strategic partnerships within a trusted network.
Through partnerships with organizations such as SMUD, CACapital, the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), and JPMorgan Chase, members will receive onsite coaching, workshops, and access to financing programs that help them grow. Youth apprenticeships and entrepreneurship pipelines will connect our next generation to real business opportunities under the mentorship of established owners.
The incubator will also include event and retail opportunities that increase foot traffic and sales for participating businesses. In short, membership means stability, growth, visibility, and community.
The Florin Square Business Incubator is designed so that every entrepreneurwhether artist, retailer, or service provider—has the tools and support to thrive.
The Community TheAsk
How the Florin Square Business Incubator Will Strengthen Our Community
The transformation of Florin Square into the Florin Square Business Incubator is not just about supporting businesses - it’s about empowering the entire community This project preserves one of Sacramento’s most important cultural and economic landmarks, ensuring that our city’s “Black Wall Street” continues to serve as a hub for opportunity, innovation, and pride.
By creating jobs, training youth, and expanding access to entrepreneurship, the incubator will help close long-standing equity gaps in South Sacramento. Community members will have access to free or low-cost workshops in financial literacy, technology, and business development. Families will benefit from educational programs, internships, and mentorship pipelines that prepare young people for successful futures.
FSCDC will also continue hosting its five signature annual events - including the Small Business Success Summit, Homebuyers Assistance Expo, Job, Information, and Resource Fair, Holistic Health & Wellness Festival, and Youth Entrepreneurial Summit - to keep the community informed, inspired, and connected to new opportunities.
The incubator’s multipurpose event spaces will host cultural gatherings, art showcases, and workshops that strengthen neighborhood bonds and celebrate our shared heritage.Together, these efforts ensure that Florin Square remains more than a building—it remains a living example of community ownership, cultural pride, and collective progress.
Through collaboration, shared responsibility, and sustained community investment, the Florin Square Small Business Incubator will stand as a symbol of resilience, unity, and economic empowerment for generations to come.
InvestinginOurCommunityLegacy
FSCDCinvitesthecommunitytohelpsecure itsfuturebycontributingtotheFlorinSquare BusinessIncubatorFund.Yourtax-deductible donationfuelsrenovations,youthtraining programs,andaffordablebusinessspacefor over80smallenterprises.Everydollarhelps preserveoursharedlegacywhilecreatingnew opportunitiesforownership,innovation,and economicpride.Together,wecanensure FlorinSquarecontinuestothriveasasymbol ofunityandprogress.
Visitwww.fscdc.orgorcall(916)215-1831to makeyourcontributiontoday—becausewhen wegivecollectively,ourcommunitygrows collectively.
ThePRLProgram: FSCDCoffersitsProject- RelatedLoan(PRL)Program -acommunity- basedcontributionopportunitythatgeneratesa modestfinancialreturnwhileadvancinga powerfulmission.
Underthisprogram,contributorslendfunds directlytotheFlorinSquareBusinessIncubator atcompetitive,fixedratesover5-,7-,or10-year terms.Quarterlypaymentsprovidepredictable incomewhileensuringyourcapitalstrengthens smallbusinesses,supportsjobcreation,and preservesSacramento’shistoric“BlackWall Street.”
Eachloanisfullydocumented,transparent,and alignedwithFSCDC’snonprofitmission.Your investmentfuelsempowerment,notspeculation -arealreturnmeasuredinbothdollarsand communitygrowth.
Tolearnmore,contactAaronBoyceat ab.fscdc@yahoo.comor(916)215-1831.
Code 4 Hood EDU
, doingbusinessaseSTEAMEDAcademy &MakerSpace,isaSacramento-based nonpro itdedicatedtoempowering youththroughhands-onScience, Technology,Engineering,Arts,and Mathematics(STEAM)learning.Our missionissimpleyetpowerful—to bridgeopportunitygapsbycreating equitableaccesstohigh-qualitySTEAM education,workforcetraining,and mentorshipforunderrepresentedyouth acrosstheregion.
Throughourafter-schoolenrichment programs,Code4Hoodservesover sevenschoolsitesacrossWashington Uni ied,SacramentoCityUni ied,andElk GroveUni iedSchoolDistricts,delivering creative,project-basedlearning experiencesthatsparkcuriosity, con idence,andcareerreadiness.From roboticsandengineeringto entrepreneurshipandcoding,students learntosolvereal-worldproblemswhile exploringpathwaystocareersinclean energy,technology,anddesign. OurmainhubislocatedattheFruitridge CommunityCollaborative,462544th Street,Suite#9,wherewehostSPARK After-SchoolProgrammingandSTEM& Roboticsclassesforyouthingrades 4–12.TheFruitridgesitealsoservesasa communityinnovationspace,offering workshops,youthleadership opportunities,andparentengagement programs.BeginningJanuary2026,Code
4Hoodwilllaunchmentalhealthandlife coachingclassesatFruitridgethrough theMind16Curriculum,supportedby theSacramentoChildren'sFund.
Beyondtheclassroom,ourPop-Up STEAMEventsbringlearningtothe community—blendingfun,creativity, anddiscoverythroughhands-on activitiesandschoolsupplygiveaways. Theseeventsaremadepossiblethanks tocollaborationswithpartnerssuchas SMUD,SHRA,WoodRogers,theCityof Sacramento,ValleyVision,andSNAG.
Code4Hoodthrivesoncollaboration andcommunity.Wewelcome individuals,professionals,and organizationstojoinusinshapingthe nextgenerationofinnovators. Threewaystogetinvolved:
1.Volunteer—Shareyourexpertiseor mentorstudentsinaSTEAM-related career
2.DonateorSponsor—Helpsustainand expandaccesstotransformative programs.
3.Collaborate—Partnerwithusto providewraparoundservicesthat removebarriersforyouthandfamilies.
Together,wearebuildingabrighter, moreinclusivefuture—onestudent,one innovation,andonecommunityata time.
Learnmoreorgetinvolved: www.code4hood.org
Founded in 1996, CCHAT (Children's Choice for Hearing and Talking)
embarked on a vital mission: to empower children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) with listening and spoken language (LSL) skills. Now in its 29th year, CCHAThas become a cornerstone of the community, adapting its comprehensive programming to meet a broad spectrum of hearing health needs.
CCHAToffers a dedicated center-based program in Rancho Cordova for children from birth through third grade.This transformational environment provides highly specialized services, including rigorous academic instruction, individualized speech therapy, daily music experiences, and crucial audiological support. Beyond the classroom, CCHAT's reach extends with newborn hearing screenings and diagnostic evaluations for babies across the region, mainstream support services for DHH students in local school districts, and essential parent education and resources. What began as a single class of 12 students now annually helps more than 400 children and their families through its expansive services.
CCHATstudents are equipped with state-of-the-art hearing assistive technology, such as hearing aids and cochlear implants.The program's dedicated team of DHH teachers, speech therapists, and audiologists then focus on cultivating listening, spoken language, and literacy skills. Recognizing the critical, time-sensitive nature of a hearing loss diagnosis and the limited window for spoken language acquisition, CCHAToperates with a profound commitment to access: it maintains no waiting list and never turns away a family in need.
The center ensures uninterrupted support through its traditional school schedule, an extended school year summer program, and year-round availability for its newborn hearing program and audiological appointments. CCHAT takes pride in its ability to immediately begin delivering audiological or on-campus support to families, no matter when they find the program. Ultimately, CCHATis dedicated to ensuring that hearing loss will not be a roadblock, with its graduates going on to enjoy educational, social, and vocational success.
Winter Calls!
Never seek to be the most influential or to gain the greatest riches and wealth ~ Life is short ~ be honorable and humble ~ pray for a measure of good health.
The Spring and Summer of your life shall eventually fade into the past ~ Fall and Winter move in, take over, arriving oh so very fast.
Keep grounded when faced with storms, your Anchor will never fail ~ Clouds will be cleared, winds will be calmed - your safety net, the Rock, shall prevail.
So, as we bid farewell to the Spring and Summer and very soon to the Fall ~ Boldly embrace and welcome your future ~ even though it’the Winter that surely calls!
Winter Calls!
October 2025
Copyright 2025 Maria L. Hall Morton
In 1998, the California Black Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Inc.
was created as a public charity dedicated to education, training, community growth, and youth entrepreneurial development.The Foundation has formed unique and viable partnerships with many private corporations, which has allowed the Foundation's "Renaissance 21st Century Project" to flourish across the state and beyond its borders. Since its inception, the Foundation has granted in excess of $200,000 to local chambers and community based organizations across the state.The Renaissance projects include database design for private and public sector needs, entrepreneur training, cultural appreciation, statewide leadership forums and its state renowned Leadership Congress, of which written reports assist state and community leaders, shape program, and policies for economic growth and elevation.
The California Black Chamber of Commerce Foundation is pleased with the growth and alliances created by its organization, while realizing there is still much work to be done. We continue to address the issues that affect small business survivability, growth and the multiple effects of community development.
Today, the California Black Chamber of Commerce is committed to being a resource for local and state-wide communities. Our mission starts with educating local and state wide communities of the importance of financial literacy Through financial literacy we can build small businesses with strategic coalitions and plug into the mainframe of theAmerican capitalistic system to create a new paradigm for Sole Proprietorship.
FlorinSquareReopens—Brighter,Stronger,andBetterThanEver!
After months of restoration following the fire, Florin Square has reopened its doors with renewed pride and purpose. Visitors are welcomed by beautiful new marble floors, vivid murals, and completely remodeled restrooms, symbolizing resilience and progress.
The grand re-opening celebration captured the spirit of the Florin Square community - with a tenant fashion show, moving poetry readings, and a vibrant drum and dance performance by the Melanin Day SchoolAcademy. We even had a vaudeville style vocalist showcase.
Guests enjoyed delicious cultural cuisine from local vendors and experienced the energy that makes Florin Square Sacramento’s “Black Wall Street.”
We are open and better than ever—inviting everyone to visit, shop, and support our diverse network of small businesses this holiday season.
Holiday Hours:Tuesday – Saturday, 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.Address: 2251 Florin Road, Suite 120, Sacramento CA95822 .florinsquare.com Phone: (916) 706-1635 Now Leasing!
FSCDC Small Business Incubator –
Comprehensive Services Overview Core Business Support
·One-on-one advising on marketing, operations, budgeting, and staffing.
·Access to lenders, CDFIs, and the FSCDC Project-Related Loan (PRL) program.
Training & Professional Development
·Monthly workshops on sales, customer service, e-commerce, and leadership.
·Certification and contracting assistance (MBE, WBE, DBE, SLBE).
·Workforce training and business mentorship programs with local partners (SMUD, Chase, etc).
Technology & Media Labs
·Podcast studio, computer lab, and digital content creation tools.
·Marketing clinics on web design, social media, and online advertising.
Member Support Services
·Volunteer assistance programs to help retailers during peak hours and events.
·Collaborative mentorship pairings between established and emerging entrepreneurs.
Facilities & Amenities
·Affordable offices, retail spaces, cubicles, and virtual memberships.
·Multipurpose room for events, workshops, and pop-up markets.
Community & Cultural Engagement
·Partnership with the Sojourner TruthAfrican Heritage Museum to preserve/promote local heritage. ·Five annual FSCDC community events to educate, connect, and celebrate local businesses.
FlorinSquare SmallBusiness Incubator
·Youth entrepreneurship and internship pipelines through UCAN, SBDC, and other partners. It is the goal of FSCDC to purchase Florin Square and transition to the largest Small Business Incubator in Sacramento, Northern CA, and California. Once operational, it will be one of the largest in the USA! To find out how you can be a part of this epic movement, contact FSCDC at or call www.fscdc.org
“BuildingOwnership. BuildingOpportunity.Together.”