New businesses improve OTR

“We live in the community, and while we were incredibly excited about what was happening in the neighborhood, we noticed that entrepreneurship seemed to have only one face around here," Thomas said in an interview with the Enquirer. "And, as black males, we didn't like that and thought we could do more to add to the diversity of the entrepreneurship." MORTAR isn’t an entrepreneurship program for only black business owners, though. The non-profit’s door is open to anyone with an idea or aspiration for success. The courses, available to selected applicants, run over the duration of either nine or 12 weeks. They offer insight into building business models, understanding clientele and refining industry ideas and strategies to create self-sustaining companies.