About Us

Founded in 2016 as Archwood Exchange, ACRES (Archwood Community Resource Empowerment Strategy) was created to bridge the gap for black entrepreneurs in Arizona, particularly in the Phoenix area. Recognizing the lack of accessible resources and support, our founders—Henry Dickerson, Ali Nervis, Havana Dickerson, and Stacy Best-Nervis—established ACRES with a shared passion for seeing the Black community thrive in business. As successful entrepreneurs themselves, they understood the challenges firsthand and have been committed to providing practical, real-life insights and solutions to aspiring business owners.

Our mission is to elevate historically underserved communities by empowering community-minded entrepreneurs with the tools, resources, and support they need to achieve ownership and long-term stability. Over the years, we’ve evolved alongside the 400+ businesses we’ve helped, offering a marketplace for business to gain exposure and fund their projects, we launched a retail incubator, and created a monthly networking event, Coffee & Connect to ensure a strong network is present. As we grow, our vision remains rooted in accessibility and inclusiveness, making it i