29 Small Business Grants, 29 Stories: What the LHRT Funded

The Grant Program That Could Not Save the Neighborhood The Little Haiti Revitalization Trust launched its Small Business Grant Program on August 22, 2023. Funded by the first $6 million payment from the Magic City Innovation District developers, the program offers grants of up to $20,000 for commercial improvements and up to $10,000 for innovation improvements. It operates on a rolling, first-come-first-serve basis. As of July 2026, LHRT has awarded at least 29 grants to Little Haiti businesses. But there is no single public list of all 29. The Trust has not published a comprehensive master list, not on its website, not in a press release, not in any single searchable document. The grants are announced individually on LinkedIn posts, Instagram stories, and board meeting resolutions. Finding all 29 requires digging through social media, City of Miami records, and individual business announcements. The 29 grants tell 29 stories. But the absence of a master list tells a story too: that the program is not yet transparent enough to tell the full narrative of what $6 million in community benefit money has actually accomplished. Timeline: The Grants and the Gaps June 2019 — Miami City Commission approves Magic City Innovation District. $31 million LHRT commitment established. First $6 million paid up front. 2021-2022 — LHRT organizes, hires staff, develops strategic plan, publishes Community Opportunity Assessment. August 22, 2023 — Small Business Grant Program officially launched. Late 2023/Early 2024 — First grants likely awarded. 2024-2025 — Grant program continues. Placemaking Grant program also launched at $5,000 each. January 26, 2026 — LHRT spotlights Chez Le Bebe as $20,000 grant recipient on LinkedIn. February 10, 2026 — LHRT Board approves $75,000 for APEX Culinary Arts Festival. February 25, 2026 — Yo Miami spotlighted as $20,000 grant recipient. May 2026 — Men Beni Gardening receives $5,000 Placemaking Grant. June 2026 — America Scores Miami receives Placemaking Grant. SOLH Academy noted at $12,000+ cumulative. June 25, 2026 — SCOTUS ruling on TPS. The future of the program is thrown into uncertainty. The Known Grantees Chez Le Bebe ($20,000) — Haitian restaurant at 114 NE 54th Street serving traditional Haitian dishes: griot, fried fish, and comfort food. Open daily 8 AM to 11 PM. The grant went toward "strengthening operations, enhancing customer experience, continuing to bring the taste of Haiti to the neighborhood." Yo Miami ($20,000) — A creative hub and art space at 294 NE 62nd Street in the Little Haiti Arts District. Founded in 2011, it is a community-driven space hosting art exhibitions, workshops, comedy, music events, and providing studio spaces. Chef Creole (Wilkinson "Ken" Sejour) — Started in 1992 as a 10x10 shack on NE 78th Street. Now operates six locations including Miami International Airport and Hard Rock Stadium. Sejour served as an early board member of the Trust. Featured by Anthony Bourdain on "No Reservations." LHRT gave him a Black Business Month spotlight in August 2025. Men Beni Gardening ($5,000 Placemaking Grant) — "Racine Retou" (Return to Roots) program: a five-part cultural and language education series covering Haitian Creole, culture, food, spirituality, and a retreat to Haiti. Sons of Little Haiti / SOLH Academy ($12,000+ cumulative) — A year-round financial literacy program and Haitian History Bee for youth. KOTR Dance Studio — Funded the return of free Konpa dance classes at the Little Haiti Cultural Center's Mache Ayisyen. Pierre Toussaint Leadership and Learning Center — Digital literacy classes for older Haitian adults at Notre Dame d'Haiti Catholic Church. Approximately 210 students, 70% of whom are 50+ years old. HREPA (Haitian Real Estate Professionals Association) — Founder Tracy Vertus. Grant awarded May 2025 during Haitian Heritage Month. Miami Marketing Strategies Inc. ($75,000) — APEX Culinary Arts Festival grant (Resolution 2026-002). Not a small business grant but a major event grant more than triple the maximum individual grant. America Scores Miami — After-school program combining soccer, health, poetry, and community writing at Jesse J. McCrary Elementary School. PROVEN: The Trust Fund Framework Pattern: Community benefit agreements that substitute cash for housing are increasingly common nationwide. The LHRT fits a pattern of trusts that lack transparency about where the money actually goes. Reach: The 29+ grants touch dozens of businesses, hundreds of students, and thousands of community members. The programs have real reach, even if the full list is not public. Observability: The grants are observable through social media and board resolutions, but the absence of a single compiled list makes systematic evaluation impossible. The $75,000 APEX grant, which is more than triple the maximum individual grant, was found only through board meeting resolutions. Vulnerability: Every grantee depends on a customer base that is predominantly TPS-holding. If TPS ends, the businesses the Trust funded will lose their customers. Economic Impact: The $6 million disbursed through LHRT represents a real but limited intervention. The maximum grant of $20,000 is less than a single year's rent increase for some displaced businesses. Neglected: The Trust has not published a master list of all 29 grant recipients. The public cannot fully evaluate what $6 million in community benefit money has achieved. The APEX Question The $75,000 APEX Culinary Arts Festival grant stands out. It is more than triple the maximum individual small business grant. One event received more funding than three to seven individual businesses combined. The grant went to Miami Marketing Strategies Inc., not to a small business in Little Haiti. Supporters say the festival brings tourism and attention to the neighborhood. Critics ask why a single event received more than any business could. The contrast is sharp: businesses can receive up to $20,000 for improvements that might keep them open another year. A culinary festival received $75,000 for a single event. Fun Facts The Missing List There is no single public list of all 29 LHRT grant recipients. The only way to compile this list is by combing LinkedIn posts, Instagram stories, board meeting minutes, and individual business announcements. The $20,000 Grant and the $6,000 Rent The maximum grant ($20,000) is less than a single month's rent increase for some displaced Little Haiti businesses. Marie Jefferson's botanica rent went from $2,000 to $6,000 per month. A single quarter of that increase would exceed the maximum grant. The 10x10 Shack Chef Creole started in a 10x10 shack. Six months later it was grossing $4,000 per day. The $20,000 maximum grant would be five days of revenue at that pace in 1992 dollars. Zero Applicants, Active Grants The LHRT homebuyer program received zero applications in its first eight months. Meanwhile, the small business grant program is active and oversubscribed. Businesses are more ready to invest than homeowners are to buy. Konpa at the Cultural Center KOTR Dance Studio's grant brought back Konpa, a Haitian dance style that originated in the 1950s, now being preserved by LHRT funding as the neighborhood changes around it. Key Statistics $20K Maximum commercial improvement grant $10K Maximum innovation grant 29+ Total grants awarded $6M Total LHRT funds received from developer $75K Largest single grant (APEX festival) 210 Students at Pierre Toussaint Center 6 Chef Creole locations 33+ Chef Creole years in business Sources [1] LHRT Grant Program Launch [2] LHRT Official Page [3] LHRT Funding Policy [4] Chez Le Bebe spotlight [5] Yo Miami spotlight [6] Men Beni Gardening [7] America Scores Miami [8] SOLH Academy funding [9] Resolution 2026-002 ($75K APEX) [10] Chef Creole Black Business Month [11] Black Business Month Chef Creole [12] KOTR Konpa Saturdays [13] Men Beni Gardening [14] Haitian Times (Jan 2023): LHRT revive delayed plans [15] Haitian Times (Jun 2021): LHRT CEO search [16] Le Floridien: LHRT ready to start [17] Miami Herald (Mar 2025): Strategic plan [18] Miami Herald: Magic City origins [19] Miami Herald (Oct 2024): Digital literacy at Pierre Toussaint [20] Miami Herald (Jun 2025): Chef Creole Flag Day [21] Miami Herald (Sep 2019): Little Haiti gentrification [22] Miami Herald (Dec 2022): Kauderer foreclosure [23] Miami Herald (Apr 2020): COVID relief [24] Miami Herald (Jul 2025): Little Haiti homeowners [25] Miami New Times: Chef Creole profile [26] WLRN (Jul 2019): Businesses priced out [27] WLRN (Mar 2019): Magic City initial approval [28] Miami Times: Ashley Toussaint [29] Caplin News/FIU: Ashley Toussaint profile [30] CBS Miami (Jun 2026): Chef Creole Miami Proud [31] Miami Times: COVID relief fund [32] Metro 1: Little Haiti Strong relief [33] Chez Le Bebe [34] Yo Miami