BBOP Center Invests in AI Innovation as Organization Surpasses 250 Entrepreneurs Served and 215 Jobs Created
Former San Bernardino County case manager Kalilah Hudson receives nearly $10,000 after earning first place in BBOP Pitch Competition
SAN BERNARDINO, CA — As artificial intelligence raises growing concerns about job displacement, Time for Change Foundation’s Black and Brown Opportunities for Profit Center (BBOP) is investing in Inland Empire entrepreneurs and AI leaders as a strategy to create jobs and expand economic opportunity.
That commitment was on display during the BBOP Center’s June Pitch Competition, where Kalilah Hudson, founder of Clidelity, won first place and received nearly $10,000 in cash and in-kind business support. Hudson’s AI-powered sales platform, Clidelity, helps women entrepreneurs, coaches and consultants prepare for sales calls and turn potential clients into paying customers. She emerged as the top entrepreneur among several finalists after pitching before a panel of five judges and an audience of more than 50 business leaders, entrepreneurs, and community supporters.
Hudson founded Clidelity after spending 14 years as a San Bernardino County case manager, helping more than 3,000 individuals in foster care navigate complex systems and access critical resources. Through that work, she saw firsthand how asking the right questions to understand each person's needs, creating a plan and following through leads to better outcomes.That experience inspired her to build Clidelity, bringing the same structured, relationship-centered approach to entrepreneurs looking to strengthen their sales process and grow their businesses.
Hudson’s success reflects the type of innovation BBOP is working to cultivate as artificial intelligence continues to reshape the workforce. In the Inland Empire, 33% of Latino workers and 27% of Black workers are employed in occupations considered at high risk of automation, according to the UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute. BBOP is responding to these workforce challenges by expanding access to AI training, technology, capital and entrepreneurial support.
“Today, AI will either deepen the digital divide, or we can leverage this opportunity to thrive by creating the future we want to live in. The choice is ours,” said Dr. Kim Carter-Tillman, founder of Time for Change Foundation and the BBOP Center. “At the BBOP Center, we are ensuring our communities have access to the tools, skills, and confidence they need to succeed in an AI-driven economy.”
Since its inception in 2023, the BBOP Center has served more than 250 entrepreneurs, helped launch more than 108 businesses, facilitated more than $460,000 in capital deployment and contributed to the creation of more than 215 jobs.
Hudson credits BBOP with helping her strengthen Clidelity’s business model and preparing the company for growth through market research, financial planning, business advising and access to co-working space.
“Winning the competition was incredibly validating,” Hudson said. “The funding, mentorship and support from BBOP gave me the confidence to think bigger about what Clidelity can become. More importantly, it showed me that innovation can thrive right here in San Bernardino.”
“For too long, economic mobility has been determined by who has access to capital, networks and opportunity,” said Carma Lacy, CEO of the BBOP Center. “BBOP Center is changing that equation. We are helping entrepreneurs move from ideas to ownership, from ownership to job creation and from job creation to generational wealth. Hudson’s success is not just a win for one entrepreneur, it's evidence of what is possible when communities invest in talent, innovation and economic mobility.”
Hudson will join Dr. Kim Carter-Tillman at BBOP’s upcoming The Free AI Mini Summit, where she will share how she used AI to turn her experience into a growing business. Hosted by the BBOP Center, the summit will help entrepreneurs explore practical ways to use AI to improve productivity, strengthen operations and pursue new opportunities.
Event Details
What: The Free AI Mini Summit
When: July 22, 2026 at 6 p.m.
Where: Online
Register: https://ai.kimschamp.com/offer-420800
To learn more about BBOP Center programs and resources for entrepreneurs and small business owners, visit BBOPCenter.com.
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About the BBOP Center: The Black and Brown Opportunities for Profit (BBOP) Center advances entrepreneurship, workforce development and economic empowerment in the age of AI by equipping entrepreneurs, workers and communities with the tools, training, technology, capital readiness and networks needed to compete and thrive in the future economy. Through business advising, mentorship, capital access, workforce training and innovation programs, BBOP Center helps individuals transform ideas into businesses, skills into income and opportunity into long-term economic mobility. The BBOP Center is a project of Time for Change Foundation and serves entrepreneurs throughout the Inland Empire and beyond. To learn more visit BBOPCenter.com.