Black Economic Council of Massachusetts, Inc.

The Mass Black Expo 2024 is just five weeks away! This year we’re thrilled to announce renowned restaurateur The Pinky Cole Foundation, Inc. as one of our keynote speakers, closing out MBE Day 2 on Saturday, October 26! massblackexpo.com “Pinky" Cole Hayes is a Jamaican-American restaurateur, author, community activist, and owner of the Slutty Vegan restaurant chain and Bar Vegan in Atlanta, Georgia. Pinky is a culinary disruptor in the industry, transforming America's view of plant-based fast food and striving to make plant-based eating delicious, accessible, and enjoyable for vegans and flexitarians alike. Register now at massblackexpo.com! In addition to her work in the food industry, Pinky is also a philanthropist and head of The Pinky Cole Foundation, which is committed to uplifting marginalized and underrepresented communities and breaking the cycle of poverty by providing access to resources and education to pursue their entrepreneurial goals.

We are happy to announce one of our Mass Black Expo panel discussions, "Generational Wealth and Succession Planning" Entrepreneurs and financial advisors discuss the ways to build and protect generational wealth, from starting your investments early, developing multiple streams of income, and having an exit plan, will, or living trust in place to ensure a smooth transfer of assets. This panel will feature Cvic Innocent of Frankenbuild Ventures , Jock Payten of Nubian Square Investment Advisors and Michelle Brathwaite of Primerica, with BECMA's Christopher Sonnie, Jr. as the panel's moderator. The MBE is a two-day immersive experience featuring special events like our EV Kickstarter Luncheon, EV Test Drive, Climate and Sustainability Experience; the Black-Owned Pavilion showcasing the goods and services of Black-owned businesses across the state; a dozen speaker sessions on topics including access to capital, environmental justice, the 2024 Massachusetts ballot, supplier diversity, and homeownership; and much more. Register today by visiting www.massblackexpo.com. #MassBlackExpo #MassBlackExpo2024 #MBE24

Meet your team for Mass Black Expo 2024! The Mass Black Expo (MBE), hosted by the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts (BECMA), is just 10 days away – happening Friday and Saturday, October 25-26 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. The Commonwealth’s premier event for showcasing Black businesses, organizations, and allies committed to fostering an equitable economy, this year’s MBE has the theme “Building Black Wealth, Empowering Black Voices” and will feature keynote speakers “Pinky” Cole Hayes, US Senator Ed Markey, State Senator Liz Miranda, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President & CEO Susan Collins and The Boston Foundation President & CEO Lee Pelton. Register now by visiting massblackexpo.com

We are happy to announce one of our Mass Black Expo panel discussions, "Black Innovation in Climate and Sustainability." www.massblackexpo.com Local clean energy leaders and innovators in the climate and sustainability space discuss their business ventures, emerging industries, and procurement and other business opportunities as the state continues its transition to a more green economy. This panel will feature Brandale Randolph of The 1854 Cycling Company, Lionel Waters Semedo of Develop CHI and Tamika Jacques, Ed.D. of Avangrid, with Chiderah Okoye of Transform Power Systems as the panel's moderator. The MBE is a two-day immersive experience featuring special events like our EV Kickstarter Luncheon, EV Test Drive, Climate and Sustainability Experience; the Black-Owned Pavilion showcasing the goods and services of Black-owned businesses across the state; a dozen speaker sessions on topics including access to capital, environmental justice, the 2024 Massachusetts ballot, supplier diversity, and homeownership; and much more. Register today by visiting www.massblackexpo.com. #MassBlackExpo #MassBlackExpo2024 #MBE24

The Mass Black Expo 2024 is just four weeks away! This year we’re thrilled to announce renowned restaurateur Pinky Cole as one of our keynote speakers, closing out MBE Day 2 on Saturday, October 26! massblackexpo.com “Pinky" Cole Hayes is a Jamaican-American restaurateur, author, community activist, and owner of the Slutty Vegan restaurant chain and Bar Vegan in Atlanta, Georgia. Pinky is a culinary disruptor in the industry, transforming America's view of plant-based fast food and striving to make plant-based eating delicious, accessible, and enjoyable for vegans and flexitarians alike. Register now at massblackexpo.com! In addition to her work in the food industry, Pinky is also a philanthropist and head of The Pinky Cole Foundation, Inc., which is committed to uplifting marginalized and underrepresented communities and breaking the cycle of poverty by providing access to resources and education to pursue their entrepreneurial goals.

We are happy to announce one of our Mass Black Expo panel discussions, Environmental Justice for Every Community. Beyond economic opportunities, the burgeoning clean energy industry presents an opportunity to right environmental injustices, particularly for communities of color that have borne the brunt of “environmental bads” like pollution and related diseases like asthma. Learn how residents and communities can participate in and benefit from the transition to clean energy. This panel will feature Hessann Farooqi of the Boston Climate Action Network (BCAN), Mary Wambui the Planning Office for Urban Affairs (POUA), Thea James, MD, MPH, MBA of Boston Medical Center (BMC) , and Crystal A. Johnson of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs as the panel's moderator. The MBE is a two-day immersive experience featuring special events like our EV Kickstarter Luncheon, EV Test Drive, Climate and Sustainability Experience; the Black-Owned Pavilion showcasing the goods and services of Black-owned businesses across the state; a dozen speaker sessions on topics including access to capital, environmental justice, the 2024 Massachusetts ballot, supplier diversity, and homeownership; and much more. Register today by visiting www.massblackexpo.com. #MassBlackExpo #MassBlackExpo2024 #MBE24

Are you or someone you know interested in obtaining a liquor license for your Boston establishment? The City of Boston Licensing Board is hosting virtual office hours addressing the liquor license application process. These office hours take place bi-weekly on Wednesdays from 3:00-5:00 pm. Register for the next session here: https://bit.ly/3YeDvuy

We are happy to announce one of our Mass Black Expo panel discussions, Reclaiming the Narrative: Attacks on DEI. Following multiple controversial US Supreme Court decisions, there has been a quiet but continuous retreat from diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and positions of leadership in organizations, locally and across the country. This discussion will peel back the curtain on this alarming shift, talk about legal implications and the impacts on nonprofits, and detail strategies underway to defend DEI initiatives. This panel will feature Sophia Hall, Esq. of Lawyers for Civil Rights, Eneida Roman of Amplify LatinX, and Lori Nelson of the City of Boston's Resilience & Racial Equity Office, with BECMA's Tristan Thomas as the panel's moderator. The MBE is a two-day immersive experience featuring special events like our EV Kickstarter Luncheon, EV Test Drive, Climate and Sustainability Experience; the Black-Owned Pavilion showcasing the goods and services of Black-owned businesses across the state; a dozen speaker sessions on topics including access to capital, environmental justice, the 2024 Massachusetts ballot, supplier diversity, and homeownership; and much more. Register today by visiting www.massblackexpo.com. #MassBlackExpo #MassBlackExpo2024 #MBE24

We are happy to announce one of our Mass Black Expo panel discussions, Access To Capital. The most common challenge we hear from small and diverse businesses is that they are awarded a contract or land a new location but lack access to the working capital they need to gain or sustain momentum for their business. A panel discussion featuring small business owners and banking professionals with tips and tricks for landing the funds needed to help your business thrive. This panel will feature Seth Pitts of Bay State Savings Bank, Rick Fredkin of Eduporium and Yasmin Cruz Ferrine of Visible Hands, with BECMA Community Investment's Kofi Callender as the panel's moderator. The MBE is a two-day immersive experience featuring special events like our EV Kickstarter Luncheon, EV Test Drive, Climate and Sustainability Experience; the Black-Owned Pavilion showcasing the goods and services of Black-owned businesses across the state; a dozen speaker sessions on topics including access to capital, environmental justice, the 2024 Massachusetts ballot, supplier diversity, and homeownership; and much more. Register today by visiting www.massblackexpo.com. #MassBlackExpo #MassBlackExpo2024 #MBE24

Sign up to Volunteer for the Mass Black Expo! https://lnkd.in/exKheQKe This year’s event has the theme “Building Black Wealth, Empowering Black Voices,” and will take place Friday, October 25 and Saturday, October 26, 2024 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. As a volunteer, you will receive a two-day weekend pass to the 2024 MBE, unlimited access to the staff and volunteer lounge for light snacks and beverages, event training, and shift assignments. Volunteers will attend a 1-hour virtual onboarding session; work one day in person on either October 23, 25, or 26; and must be available for one in-person training or shift on Thursday, October 24. Registration volunteers will be required to train virtually. To sign up, visit https://lnkd.in/exKheQKe