2020 was a year full of disappointment due to the pandemic. Diverse and women-owned businesses, along with many others, were forced to close, deal with restrictions where staying open, and watch their businesses contract as corporate clients adjusted. Some went out of business, others were able to quickly move to online sales, while others found ways to survive with skeleton crews and shifting to the sale of new products and services. And proving it is impossible to suppress the entrepreneurial spirit, many closed down with plans to start anew in the future.

Minority and women-owned businesses were hit the hardest during the pandemic, per the Federal Reserve Board of New York. T....