In honor of Black Business Month, the Recorder reports on how local black business owners are growing their businesses with the Build Fund.
Intend Indiana’s Build Fund is a loan fund designed to help entrepreneurs grow and create jobs, the official website states. When these loans are repaid, those funds are used for new loans to support other entrepreneurs in central Indiana.
Sharika Webb is the founder of Mamba Investments and Mamba Realty. In a Q&A with the Recorder, Webb shared how the Build Fund helped her company grow.
Recorder: What was the inspiration for your company?
Sharika Webb: I have been in the real estate business since 2018. As a new agent, you have to work for an established company for at least two years before starting your own real estate brokerage. However, I knew the goal was always to work for myself. In 2021, I parted ways with Remax and started Mamba Realty and Mamba Investments. Mamba Investments, in particular, is designed to support efforts to revitalize underserved communities. The inspiration came from my mother, who ran the Watkins Family Center for over 20 years, where she served as a mentor and made a positive impact on the community. In my own way, I believe that rehabilitating run-down homes and creating affordable housing in the same neighborhood is my way of giving back to the community that helped raise me.
Recorder: What services do you offer?
Webb: We offer all real estate services and support private individuals in buying, selling, building, acquiring and investing.
Recorder: As a recipient of a Build Fund loan, how will the funds help your company grow?
Currently, the funds have been used to build a new single-family home in Crown Hill. Because the property was purchased through Indy’s land bank, the home falls under affordable housing guidelines. We also plan to continue our partnership to build additional homes and multi-family housing that fall into the same category.
Recorder: Entrepreneurs face many challenges. What motivates you to overcome them to achieve your goals?
Webb: The goal is to expand our portfolio and continue to revitalize neighborhoods that have been overlooked in the past. Obstacles along the way are part of running a successful business, so I look forward to the challenges each day brings.
Recorder: How can people contact you?
Webb: Visitors can visit our website at www.mambarealtyindy.com or follow us on Instagram at @specialagentwebb and @mambarealtyindy. On TikTok, find us at @sneakeragentwebbie.
More information For information about the Build Fund, visit www.buildfund.org.
