April Issue of Black Busniess News by Black Business News Group

Publisher’s Message

Earl “Skip” Cooper, II

Pubisher/Chief Executive Officer

ccording to the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), Blackowned businesses experienced the largest growth in number of businesses among minorities from 2002 to 2012. Also, as reported by the Center for an Urban Future, small business suppliers (which African American businesses have established markets), reported revenue growth of 250% in the first few years of working with large corporations. Sounds like the glass is almost half-filled? On another front, the median earnings of AfricanAmerican men were 72 cents for every dollar earned of their Asian American counterparts. But there appears to be a different story with African American women. Among American women with post-secondary education, AfricanAmerican women have made the most significant advances; the median income of African-American women was more than those of their Asian-, European- and Hispanic American counterparts with at least some college education. What is in store for Black businesses? The keys are (a) information and (b) access to capital. Too many Black-owned businesses don’t know where to begin at times. Large corporations,

often without any sinister motives, have complicated the supply chains and lines of communications with no clear means of securing a deal. As many of you know, African American business owners have enough to do keeping their doors open without spending time marketing to large companies. The second issue is access to capital. African American businesses, especially small business suppliers, are struggling with access to working capital and lines of credit. Credit cards are never more profound than when bridging the gap between payables and receivables. In Los Angeles, the Black Business Association (BBA) is working the the Small Business Administration (SBA) and a consortium of banks, as well as alternative lending sources to address this issue. In addition, with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) - the most significant social legislative act enacted since the Great Deal, African American businesses around the country are not only positioning their companies to fully comply, but many are in discussions on how to further participate in the multi-trillion dollar healthcare marketplace. I acknowledge the more than 400 in attendance for the Black Business Association’s 10th Annual Salute to Black Women Business Conference, Vendor Faire & Awards Luncheon held in Los Angeles, California (see photos starting on page 12). CoChaired by Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Janice Bryant Howroyd, President and CEO of ACT-1 Group and Dr. Wanda Austin, President and CEO of the Aerospace Corporation – and sponsored by Sempra Energy, Wells Fargo, Southern California Edison, Northrop Grumman,

US Bank, Verizon, Comerica Bank and the Gas Company, this year’s program went well beyond spectacular – to life changing! All in attendance were profoundly touched, moved and inspired by the timely, spiritually moving and motivating messages shared by our honorees: • Dot Harris, Director, Office of Economic Impact and Diversity, U.S. Department of Energy (Chairperson’s Award); • Sandra J. Evers-Manley, Vice President, Corporate Responsibility, Northrop Grumman and President of the Northrop Grumman Foundation (Corporate Leadership Award); • Judge Mablean Ephriam, Founder and CEO, Mablean Ephriam Foundation (Community Service Award); • Robin Hughes, President & CEO, Abode Communities (Executive Leadership Award); • Cynthia Guidry, Director, Capital Programming and Planning, L. A. World Airports (Outstanding Achievement Award); • Dr. Gloria Zuurveen, Founder, CEO & Publisher, Pace News (Community-Based Business Award); and • Lyndsey Collins, M. Ed., School Administrator, Inner City Education Foundation (Young Achievement Award) For the high school students who participated in the Role Models for Success, facilitated by Gloria Pualani and sponsored by Northop Grumman, the future is bright with possibilities as they gained invaluable insight about educational and career opportunities in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) sectors. (For more

2  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

see Obama in Israel on page 3

Publisher’s Message

Publisher’s Message from page 2

information on STEM please refer to the March 2013 issue of Black Business News). My sincere gratitude goes out to our Business Conference speakers: • Louticia Grier, A Diva’s Hidden Hair; • Normal Hollis, America’s Leading Voice Doctor®, • Starlett Quarles, President of Urban X Marketing and host of LATALKLIVE.com’s “The Dialogue”; • Natalie Gouche, Social Media Trainer; and • Kim Anthony, Founder of the Urban Angel Network, who shared important information designed to support women in looking their best, feeling their best, building their brand, extending their reach through social media and raising funds for the ventures of their dreams. The BBA appreciates the support of the sponsors, the contributors, event attendees, workshop leaders, honorees and event leaders for their

contribution to the success of the 2013 S a l u t e to Black Women. The Black Business News and the Black Business Assocition invite all of our readers to take full advantage of the services, events and offerings of the BBA. We are here to support and propel the growth and success of African American o w n e d businesses, the African American communities and the corporations

that partner with us for our collective success. 

3  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

About

About the Black Business News… The mission of The Black Business News is to inspire and inform public and private sector industry representatives on the importance of smart small business growth. As a versatile source of socioeconomic development activity, the Black Business News imparts current local, national and international industry trends related to small businesses across the United States of America (USA), detailing greater access to financial capital, management efficiencies, business education, mentors and networks. The goals of the Black Business News include: •

•

PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Earl “Skip” Cooper, II

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sarah Harris

ENTREPRENEUR EDITOR

increasing the use of business enterprises owned by USA-based blacks, by advocating for greater access to leading finance lenders and successful business managers.

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

working to merge resources, values, profits, technology throughout the public and private sectors.

PRODUCTION MANAGER

•

balancing major public and private sector contracting methods with positive outcomes of black-owned and operated enterprises.

•

providing an affirmative influence for emerging entrepreneurs sharing innovative design and creative cultural content that exposes them to the history of black enterprises and excite them to participate in the USA’s future.

•

Black Business News

P.O. Box 43159, Los Angeles, CA 90043 323-291-7819 Fax: 323-298-5064 www.blackbusinessnews.net

advocating and promoting on behalf of black-owned businesses by promoting the need for expanding an economic foundation that supports an unfettered and self-sustained urban society with USA job creation and economic opportunity, where blacks work, live and operate viable business enterprises.

www.blackbusinessnews.net

Kim Anthony Belinda Foster

Narishima Osei

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

LaSandra Stratton • Dean Jones • Linda Ware

GRAPHIC DESIGN Sarah Harris • Phallu Morgan

STORY EDITORS Wanda Flagg ▪ Jennifer Marie Hamilton

PHOTOGRAPHY

Ian Foxx ▪ Sabir • Narishima Osei

CONTENT ADMINISTRATOR La Sandra Stratton

LAYOUT/TYPESETTING Lion Communications

Copyright © 2012 by Black Business News All Rights Reserved. The posting of stories, commentaries, reports, documents and links (embedded or otherwise) on this site does not in any way, shape or form, implied or otherwise, necessarily express or suggest endorsement or support of any of such posted material or parts therein.

Contents

April 2013

3 12

Publisher’s Message

18 20 22 25 28 32

BRAIN Initiative to Research Human Mind

36 37 40 43 48 50 52

Weddings are Big Business

2013 BBA Salute to Black Women

Government… President Obama Creating Jobs/Cutting Deficit African Leaders at the White House The Maker Movement MBDA - Minority-owned firms and U.S. Exports MBDA - American Exporters Shine

Business…

Crowdfunding Success Guide Achieve Your Business Goals Silicon Harlem AEG Leader in Environment Protection Kellogg’s Outlines Supplier Success Methods Viable Employment

Public Interest/Community… 70 72 76 78 Columns 66 - Take A Look! 111 - Books to Consider... 112 - Calendar 114 - Resources Action Alerts 39 - AEG Supplier Portal Sponsors 11 - Black Business Association Cover image - Phallu Morgan

Tougher Laws Lead to Fewer Gun Deaths Let’s Move! - Ramps up Campaign President Obama Recommends “42” Teen’s Campaing to “Stop the Violence”

International… 80 Lost Continent Found 82 4Afrika Initiative Underway 84 Kenyan Teen Invents “Lion

Lights” to Protect Livestock

86 92

Made In Africa TV Africa Global Business Forum 2013

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profits, technology and people;

Over 40 years of service Founded 1970

About the BBA…

Since 1970, the Black Business Association (BBA), a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, headquartered in Los Angeles, has been instrumental in the incubation and development of more than 15,000 African-American businesses. Nationally, we have access and influence with more than 85,000 African-American-owned and women/minority-owned firms via strategic alliances with more than 100 women/minority trade associations in more than 42 states nationwide.

___ Our Mission ___

The Black Business Association’s mission is to advocate and promote the development of African-American owned businesses with the goal of creating a firm economic base that support the self-determination and survival of the African-American and urban community by: •

Identifying and creating financial opportunities for the growth and stability of African-American owned businesses;

•

Being a community voice that advocates for the success of small businesses;

•

Being a conduit for the merging of resources, values,

•

Promoting development and support of minority business enterprises within the domestic and international economies by encouraging and generating greater access to market opportunities and capital;

•

Providing training for entrepreneurial professional development;

•

Supporting and contributing to the economic base and progress of the African-American community; and

•

Developing coalitions that support our political endeavors to effectively achieve public recognition and political influence for African-American business owners.

___ Advocacy ___

The Black Business Association maintains very effective working relationships with elected and appointed officials for the support of African-American business development. Locally, statewide and in Washington, DC, we are constantly aware of pending legislation that might affect our member’s businesses, their growth and even their ability to conduct business. When legislation is being considered that affects our mission, the BBA quickly mobilizes to work with key policy makers to support, defeat or modify the bill and pursue the BBA position. As an organization, we are constantly at the helm, securing innovative means and policies that protect our constituency and their business interests. 

Coming Events 2013

October/Novenber Procurement Summit & Awards Luncheon

Black Business Association

P.O. Box 43159, Los Angeles, CA 90043 USA Tel: 323-291-9334 Fax: 323-857-4610

• Call 323-291-9334 for information on sponsorship and participation •

mail@bbala.org www.bbala.org www.facebook.com 11  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Black Business Associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Salute to Black Women 2013

DOING RIGHT. IT’S JUST GOOD BUSINESS. If there’s one thing we’ve learned in nearly 150 years, it’s this: When you do what’s right for customers, long-lasting relationships will follow. Doing right. It’s why Union Bank® never jumped on the subprime mortgage bandwagon. It’s why we service virtually every mortgage we do make until the very last payment. And it’s why, even when our economy was at its worst, we kept lending to companies large and small. It’s a pretty good arrangement: We do right by customers. PRINT They do right by us. Everyone wins. YOUTUBE LOGO SPECS

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Loans subject to credit and collateral approval. Financing available for collateral located in CA, OR, or WA. Restrictions may apply. Terms and conditions subject to change. ©2013 Union Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Visit us at unionbank.com.

16  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43) U.S. House of Representatives Invites You to Attend the Exporter Forum In Collaboration with the Export-Import Bank of the United States Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg

EXPORTER FORUM Friday, May 3, 2013 8:30 AM to NOON

Hawthorne Memorial Center The Venus Room 3901 W. El Segundo Blvd. Hawthorne, CA 90250

Fred P. Hochberg Chairman & President Export-Import Bank

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43) U.S. House of Representatives

Learn How to Increase Your Company's Foreign Sales by: Obtaining protection against the risk of nonpayment Extending credit to your buyers Accessing vital working capital Finding new markets and customers Understanding how other companies have used government resources to export

Preliminary Agenda 8:30 AM

Registration

9:10 AM

Welcome Remarks Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43) U.S. House of Representatives Program Overview – "Global Access for Small Business" The Honorable Fred P. Hochberg, Chairman and President Export-Import Bank of the U. S. (Ex-Im Bank)

9:45 AM

Panel Discussion – "Other Companies are Exporting, Why Aren't You?" This panel discussion will describe how local companies use Ex-Im Bank and other government agencies to support the growth of their international business.

10:30 AM

Panel Discussion with Agency Officials – "Resources to Grow Your Exports" A moderator-led discussion with federal and state officials who explain how their products and services can help business owners in expanding their export opportunities.

11:30 AM - Noon

Networking Session Attendees are given the opportunity to meet one-on-one with federal, state, and local export development officials to ask questions and learn more about how to effectively use government resources.

This event is tailored to address the needs of small and medium-sized businesses with 500 or less employees.

No Cost, but space is limited. Registration is Required: http://www.exim.gov/gasb or Call: (323) 757-8900 X 19 A world of new ideas for expanding your international business is waiting for you! Congresswoman Maxine Waters – waters.house.gov

www.exim.gov/smallbusiness – www.linkedin.com/company/export-import-bank-of-the-united-states www.youtube.com/user/EximBankofU – www.twitter.com/eximbankus – 800.565.3946 Export-Import Bank of the United States | 811 Vermont Ave. | NW | Washington, D.C. | 20571

Government

BRAIN Initiative Challenges Researchers to Unlock Mysteries of Human Mind

the Administration’s “Grand (www.whitehouse. Challenges” gov/blog/2012/04/09/21st-century– ambitious grand-challenges)

but achievable goals that require advances in science and technology to accomplish. The President called on companies, research universities, foundations, and philanthropies to join with resident Obama has unveiled create a thriving middle class. him in identifying and pursuing the “BRAIN” Initiative—a The Initiative promises to additional Grand Challenges of the bold new research effort to accelerate the invention of 21st century—challenges that can revolutionize our understanding of new technologies that will help create the jobs and industries of the the human mind and uncover new researchers produce real-time future while improving lives. ways to treat, prevent, and cure pictures of complex neural In addition to fueling invaluable brain disorders like Alzheimer’s, circuits and visualize the rapid-fire advances that improve lives, the schizophrenia, autism, epilepsy, interactions of cells that occur at pursuit of Grand Challenges can create the jobs and industries of the future. That’s what happened when the Nation took on the Grand Challenge of the Human Genome Project. As a result of that daunting but focused endeavor, the cost of sequencing a single human genome has declined from $100 million to $7,000, opening the door to personalized medicine. Like sequencing the human genome, President Obama’s BRAIN Initiative President Barack Obama is introduced by Dr. Francis Collins, Director, National provides an Institutes of Health, at the BRAIN Initiative event in the East Room of the White opportunity to rally House, April 2, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy) innovative capacities in every corner of the and traumatic brain injury. the speed of thought. Such cuttingNation and leverage the diverse The BRAIN Initiative — short edge capabilities, applied to both skills, tools, and resources from for Brain Research through simple and complex systems, will a variety of sectors to have a Advancing Innovative open new doors to understanding lasting positive impact on lives, the Neurotechnologies — builds how brain function is linked to economy, and our national security. on the President’s State of the human behavior and learning, and That’s why we’re so excited that Union call for historic investments the mechanisms of brain disease. critical partners from within and in research and development to In his remarks this morning, outside government are already fuel the innovation, job creation, the President highlighted the see Obama in Israel on page 19 and economic growth that together BRAIN Initiative as one of

18  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

BRAIN Initiative from page 18

stepping up to the President’s BRAIN Initiative Grand Challenge. The BRAIN Initiative is launching with approximately $100 million in funding for research supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the President’s Fiscal Year 2014 budget. Foundations and private research institutions are also investing in the neuroscience that will advance the BRAIN Initiative. The Allen Institute for Brain Science, for example, will spend at least $60 million annually to support projects related to this initiative. The Kavli Foundation plans to support BRAIN Initiative-related activities with approximately $4 million dollars per year over the next ten years. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies will also dedicate research funding for projects that support the BRAIN Initiative. This is just the beginning. We hope many more foundations, Federal agencies, philanthropists, non-profits, companies, and others will step up to the President’s call to action. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy at challenges@ostp.gov. Learn more about the BRAIN Initiative at Fact Sheet: BRAIN Initiative (www.whitehouse.gov/ the-press-office/2013/04/02/factsheet-brain-initiative) and NIH Brain Initiative (www.nih.gov/ science/brain/index.htm).  www.whitehouse.gov/ blog/2013/04/02/brain-initiativechallenges-researchers-unlockmysteries-human-mind

Government

President Obama’s Plan to Create Jobs and Cut the Deficit

President Barack Obama tours the Daimler Detroit Diesel Facility in Redford, Mich., Dec. 10, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

ur top priority as a nation, and my top priority as President, must be doing everything we can to reignite the engine of America’s growth: a rising, thriving middle class. That’s our North Star. That must drive every decision we make. We have learned that our businesses created 95,000 new jobs in March. That’s about 500,000 new jobs this year, and nearly 6.5 million new jobs over the past three

years. But we’ve got more work to do to get the economy growing faster, so that everybody who wants a job can find one. And that means we need fewer self-inflicted wounds from Washington, like the acrossthe-board spending cuts that are already hurting many communities – cuts that economists predict will cost our economy hundreds of thousands of jobs this year. If we want to keep rebuilding this

economy on a stronger, sturdier foundation for growth – growth that creates good, middle-class jobs – we need to make smarter choices. Soon I’ll send a budget to Congress that will help do just that – a fiscally-responsible blueprint for middle-class jobs and growth. For years, an argument in Washington has raged between reducing our deficits at all costs, and making the investments we see Create Jobs/Cut Deficit on page 21

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Government

Create Jobs/Cut Deficit from page 20

need to grow the economy. My budget puts that argument to rest. Because we don’t have to choose between these goals – we can do both. After all, as we saw in the 1990s, nothing reduces deficits faster than a growing economy. My budget will reduce our deficits not with aimless, reckless spending cuts that hurt students and seniors and middle-class families – but through the balanced approach that the American people prefer, and the investments that a growing economy demands. Now, the truth is, our deficits are already shrinking. That’s a fact. I’ve already signed more than $2.5 trillion in deficit reduction into law, and my budget will reduce our deficits by nearly $2 trillion more, without harming the recovery. That surpasses the goal of $4 trillion in deficit reduction that many economists believe will stabilize our finances. We’ll make the tough reforms required to strengthen Medicare for the future, without undermining the rock-solid guarantee at its core. And we’ll enact commonsense tax reform that includes closing wasteful tax loopholes for the wealthy and well-connected – loopholes like the ones that can allow a billionaire to pay a lower tax rate than his or her secretary. This is the compromise I offered the Speaker of the House at the end of last year. While it’s not my ideal plan to further reduce the deficit, it’s a compromise I’m willing to accept in order to move beyond a cycle of short-term, crisis-driven decisionmaking, and focus on growing our economy and our middle class for the long run. It includes ideas many Republicans have said they could accept as well. It’s a way we can make progress together.

But deficit reduction cannot come at the cost of economic growth or middleclass security. And it doesn’t have to. My budget will make critical investments to grow the economy, create jobs, and strengthen the middle class. As I said in my State of the Union Address, every day, we should ask ourselves three questions: how do we make America a magnet for good jobs? How do we give our workers the skills they need to do those jobs? And how do we make sure that hard work leads to a decent living? To make America a magnet for good jobs, we’ll invest in high-tech manufacturing and homegrown American energy, put people to work building new roads, bridges, and schools, and cut red tape to help businesses grow. To give workers the skills they need to do those jobs, we’ll invest in education that begins in the earliest years, and job training that better equips workers to compete in a 21st century economy. To make sure hard work is rewarded, we’ll build new ladders of opportunity into the middle class, and focus on revitalizing some of our communities hardest-hit by recession and job loss. All of these investments will help grow the economy and create jobs. None of them will add to the deficit. And I will lay out these priorities in greater detail in the days ahead. It’s a budget that doesn’t spend beyond our means. And it’s a budget that doesn’t make harsh and unnecessary cuts that only serve to slow our economy. We’ll keep our promise to an aging generation by

shoring up Medicare. And we’ll keep our promise to the next generation by investing in the fundamentals that have always made America strong – manufacturing and innovation, energy and education. Because that’s what it’ll take to make sure America remains strong in the years ahead – and to leave behind something better for our kids. Thank you.  www.whitehouse.gov/the-pressoffice/2013/04/06/weekly-addresspresident-s-plan-create-jobs-andcut-deficit

21  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Government

President Obama Meets with Leaders of Sierra Leone, Senegal, Malawi, and Cape Verde

ell, it is a great pleasure to welcome four leaders from Africa, all of whom are doing extraordinary work -President Sall from Senegal,

some extraordinary challenges. Sierra Leone just 10 years ago was in the midst of as brutal a civil war as we’ve ever seen. And yet, now we’ve seen consecutive fair and

make sure that constitutional order was restored, but has also made significant progress on behalf of her people. And her personal story of overcoming a history of abuse

President Barack Obama meets with, from left, President Macky Sall of Senegal, President Joyce Banda of Malawi, President Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone, and Prime Minister José Maria Pereira Neves of Cape Verde in the Cabinet Room of the White House, March 28, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) President Banda from Malawi, President Koroma from Sierra Leone, and Prime Minister Neves from Cape Verde. The reason that I’m meeting with these four is they exemplify the progress that we’re seeing in Africa. All of them have had to deal with

free elections. And under President Koroma’s leadership, we’ve seen not only good governance, but also significant economic growth. When you talk about Malawi, there was a constitutional crisis just last year. And yet, President Banda has not only been able to be in office and

and leading women throughout her country I think indicates the kind of progress that can be made when you’ve got strong leadership. The same is true for His Excellency President Sall. There were some bumps in the road in see African Leaders on page 23

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Government

Obama Meets African Leaders from page 22

terms of transition from the previous President, and yet, the Senegalese rose up at the grassroots level and sustained their democracy. And Cape Verde is a real success story. We were hearing from Prime Minister Neves about the fact that just in a few decades they have moved from a per capita income of maybe $200 a year to now $4,000 a year, and are now moving into the middle of the pack in terms of development levels because of good governance and management. So what our discussion has focused on is, number one, how do we continue to build on strong democracies; how do we continue to build on transparency and accountability. Because what we’ve learned over the last several decades is that when you’ve got good governance -- when you have

democracies that work, sound management of public funds, transparency and accountability to the citizens that put leaders in place -- it turns out that that is not only good for the state and the functioning of government, it’s also good for economic development because it gives people confidence, it attracts business, it facilitates trade and commerce. And all of these leaders have good stories to tell on that. They recognize that there’s still more work to be done, and so I’m very pleased that all of them are looking to move forward on the Open Government Partnership (www. opengovpartnership.org) that we helped to organize through the United Nations several years ago, and that we are now seeing countries from all across the world sign up for -- setting up international norms for accountability and transparency that can lead to good governance.

We also talked about the economic situation. And all of us recognize that, although Africa has actually been growing faster than almost every other region of the world, it started from a low baseline and it still has a lot of work to do. And that means building human capacity and improving education and job skills for rapidly growing and young populations. It means improving access to energy and transportation sectors. And so we discussed how the United States can continue to partner effectively with each of these countries. And then we finally talked about young people generally and how we can mobilize the next generation of Africa leaders. And individuals like President Koroma have taken great interest in finding additional ways that we can recruit and engage young people not only to get involved in public service but also to get involved in entrepreneurship that helps build these countries. And so my main message to each of these leaders is that the United States is going to be a strong partner, not based on the old model in which we are a donor and they are simply a recipient, but a new model that’s based on partnership and recognizing that no continent has greater potential or greater upside than the continent of Africa if they in fact have the kind see African Leaders on page 24

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Government

Obama Meets African Leaders

from page 23

of strong leadership that these four individuals represent. And we intend to continue to engage with them through a range of programs -- through the Millennium Challenge, through the USAID, through the PEPFAR programs -- but we’re also looking for new models that can potentially improve our bilateral relations even more. The last point I’d make -- we all discussed some of the regional challenges involved. Obviously, economic development, prosperity

doesn’t happen if you have constant conflict. And nobody knows that more than these individuals. Some like President Koroma has seen that firsthand. Now many of the threats are transnational. You’ve seen terrorism infiltrate into the region. We’ve seen drug cartels that are using West Africa in particular as a transit point. All of this undermines some of the progress that’s been made, and so the United States will continue to cooperate with each of these countries to try to find smart solutions so that they can build additional capacity and make sure that these cancers don’t grow in their region. And the United States intends to be a strong partner for

that. So I just want to say to each of them thank you for your extraordinary work. You should know that you have a great friend in the United States, in the people of the United States, and in the President of the United States, because we believe that if you’re successful, that ultimately will help us grow our economies and contribute to a more peaceful world, as well. So thank you very much.  www.whitehouse.gov/ blog/2013/03/28/president-obamameets-leaders-sierra-leonesenegal-malawi-and-cape-verde www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yjRu BzOGaA&feature=youtu.be

24  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Government

President Barack Obama looks at the inner workings of a robot that plays soccer, as he tours science projects on display in the State Dining Room of the White House. President Obama hosted the White House Science Fair for winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions. October 18, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

White House Hangout: The Maker Movement by Kori Schulman

hite House innovation advisor Tom Kalil recently moderated a Google+ Hangout to discuss the Maker Movement the conversation

with invited innovators from around the country including: 11-year-old Super Awesome Sylvia, creator of the Super Awesome Maker Show (http://sylviashow.com); Dale

Dougherty, founder of MAKE Magazine and creator of Maker Faire (http://makezine.com/pub/ au/Dale_Dougherty); Tara Tiger Brown, co-founder and executive director at LA Makerspace (http:// lamakerspace.com); Saul Griffith, co-founder of Otherlab (www. otherlab.com); and Venkatesh Prasad, Ford technical leader (http://media.ford.com/article_ display.cfm?article_id=31396). And in a first for White House Hangouts, a robot joined too

plus.google.com/+whitehouse/ posts#+whitehouse/posts) for

During the Hangout, participants discussed the elements of an “all hands on deck” effort to elevate

www.whitehouse.gov/ blog/2013/03/28/hanging-outmakers-white-house

(https://twitter.com/MakerSylvia/ status/317062331643359232).

Making and also share their ideas on how we can get more young people interested in STEM education (science, technology, engineering and math). Watch the YouTube video to see what you missed: www.youtube.com/watch?v=v tgJILMBjFU&feature=youtu.be. We’ll continue to host hangouts with key members of the Administration. Follow the White House on Google+ (https:// opportunities to participate upcoming Hangouts. 

25  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

EMPOWERING OUR COMMUNITY

2013

The Los Angeles

Black Business Expo Friday & Saturday

May 24-25, 2013

in “The Hangar” at West Angeles Church Crenshaw & Exposition Blvd.

www.expoupdate.com A SLAM, INC PRODUCTION

2013

SAVE THE DATE!

Government

Honoring the Memory of

Ron Brown

by Rebecca Blank, U.S. Commerce Deputy Secretary and Jonathan Greenblatt, Special Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation.

his month, we honor the anniversary of the passing of former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown. Secretary Brown was a dedicated public servant whose untimely death during a trade mission to Croatia on April 3, 1996 ended his life far too soon. His vision continues to be important and today’s work at the Department of Commerce builds on his legacy. Secretary Brown served his country in Korea as a soldier in the U.S. Army and in the halls of Congress as chief counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee. He also broke down barriers – becoming the first African American chairman of the Democratic National Committee and the first African American to serve as U.S. Secretary of Commerce. In this latter role, he made perhaps his largest impact. During his tenure at Commerce, Secretary Brown pioneered a focus on exports that helped to boost the U.S. economy in the 1990s and contributed to one of the largest periods of economic expansion in our nation’s history. During a time when emerging markets in Asia and Latin America were opening up to trade, Secretary Brown led a concerted effort to support this advancement and to secure access for U.S. goods and services. He

was a proponent of free trade, seeing business as a powerful force to create good jobs at home and to accelerate prosperity around the world. He also was an advocate of fair trade, seeking to ensure that U.S. workers would be helped and not harmed by new trading arrangements that would increase flows of capital and commerce. This focus has endured long after his passing. His legacy is embedded in the sustained commitment of successive administrations from both parties to assist American companies in expanding their global reach, both small businesses and large corporations. President Barack Obama has embraced this approach, laying out a clear path to double exports and to lock in high labor and environmental standards in countries around the world, potentially generating billions

of dollars in trade, creating millions of jobs, and ensuring the healthy growth of communities around the planet. The accident that killed Secretary Brown also took the lives of 34 other individuals, including 11 Commerce employees serving with Secretary Brown on the trade mission, who dedicated their lives to serving this country. This group included Commerce staff members Duane Christian, Adam Darling, Gail Dobert, Carol Hamilton, Kathryn Hoffman, Steve Kaminski, Kathy Kellogg, Charles Meissner, William Morton, Lawrence Payne, and Naomi Warbasse. As President Obama has said, “Ron Brown embodied the values and the ideals, that sense of possibility, that is at the heart of the American story.” As we look ahead toward a more prosperous future for America and people around the world, let us take a moment to honor his achievements and the memory of all those whose sacrifice enables our work today.  www.commerce.gov/ blog/2013/04/03/honoring-memoryron-brown

27  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Government

Minority-Owned Firms: America’s Key to the Global Marketplace

he Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) did a deep dive into the 2007 Survey of Business Owner data released by the U.S. Census Bureau and found minority-owned firms are more likely to export compared to non-minorityowned businesses. Export activity of minority-owned firms spanned 41 countries, with Mexico, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic dominating the list. Across the oceans, minority-owned firms are also selling their products and services to countries that include Turkey, India, China and the Philippines according to data from the U.S. Export Import Bank. The Obama Administration has set a goal of doubling the nation’s exports in five years and minorityowned firms are playing a crucial role in meeting this goal. Further

analysis of the Census Bureau data revealed t h a t minorityowned firms were three times more likely to own firms that generate 1 0 0 % of their revenue through exports than those of non-minority-owned firms. In addition to being more likely to export, minority-owned firms were twice as likely to have operations abroad when compared to non-

competitive asset minority-owned firms are to the U.S. economy. What is the competitive advantage? Minority business owners in the United States look, act, and speak like the rest of the world. In fact, minority-owned firms are five times more likely to conduct business in languages other than English compared to non-minorityowned firms conducting business in a language other than English.[i] Multilingualism opens the door for new markets, new customers and new business partnerships. This attribute, combined with cultural knowledge and business acumen, allow minority-owned firms to go global with greater efficiency and, in turn, realize a bigger economic impact. That is why MBDA is taking a lead, in concert with the International

minority-owned firms and publicly held firms. These facts showcase the

Trade Administration (ITA) and other federal agencies, to see Global Marketplace on page 29

28  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Government

Global Marketplace

from page 28

encourage greater export activity with the Nation’s 5.8 million minorityowned and managed firms. Through

MBDA’s network of business centers and ITA’s export assistance centers, minority-owned firms have access to financing, market analysis, technical assistance and other services to help them expand

their reach. So, don’t delay. Grow your business, find new customers, and create new jobs by tapping into the global export market worth $1.8 trillion dollars. Find the nearest MBDA Business Center (www. mbda.gov/businesscenters).  www.mbda.gov/blogger/globalopportunities-and-new-markets/ minority-owned-firms-america-skey-global-marketplace

www.exim.gov

[i] Data on language use for business transactions may be overestimated. Minority-owned and non-minorityowned firms could select multiple languages, other than English, to reflect the languages used to conduct business. Source: MBDA analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data from the 2007 Survey of Business Owners.

C3 2013 Summit

Commercial Service American Business Exchange Pavilion

President Bill Clinton, Keynote Speaker Union League Club  New York, NY  October 07, 2013 SUMMIT HIGHLIGHTS: www.lssassociates.com/Files/PdfDocs/C3-Prospectus-FINAL.pdf

Registration: www.C3Summit.eventbrite.com

C3 Summit 2013 in its 2nd year to promote Commerce, Community and Collaboration will host President Bill Clinton as the Keynote and in partnership with the Commercial Service, will conduct an American Business Exchange Pavilion. U.S. companies will have an opportunity to exhibit at the Summit and have international business-tobusiness matchmaking opportunities, provided by Commercial Service, with American and Middle East companies interested in doing business in the Middle East and North Africa markets as well as FDI in the U.S. This is one of New York’s most prestigious international business-to-business networking events. Exhibition space is readily accessible to SMEs interested in doing business in the Middle East region and provides a unique opportunity to have access to this growing market in a truly business venue. Showcase your company to an expected audience of more than 465 company representatives to meet other ideally matched prospects of participating Exhibitors and Sponsors (in addition to networking with more than 400 Plenary attendees). Last year more than 400 participants attended C3 Summit 2012 in NY with more than 35 countries (including 10 Arab nations) represented. Don’t miss out—limited exhibit and sponsorships available. Meet potential partners, agents, distributors and buyers; and close business deals. For more information contact: RanselPotter@copara.com or Tanya. Cole@trade.gov 

29  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Government

2013 Book World Prague U.S. Department of Commerce The U.S. Commerce Department is pleased to offer an opportunity to exhibit titles in our second U.S. Pavilion at the Book World Prague Trade Show event, which takes place May 16-19, 2013. The U.S. Commerce will help you gain exposure in the market and match Announcement Department your titles with interested publishers. A nation of avid readers, the Czech Republic ranks among the world’s top countries in terms of the number of titles published annually per capita. Translations account to more than one third of the total Czech book production, and its share continues rising, ranking Czechs among the world’s top consumers of translated texts. Best prospects for U.S. publishers in the Czech market include: Contemporary American literature Travel & tourism Documentaries, arts and life style Social & human sciences Comic books Educational books University presses Art and design Children’s book series for ages 9-11 Family & child rearing

We are offering this opportunity to exhibit at Book World Prague for as little as $100 but space is limited. Each publisher can showcase up to five titles, and we can only accept books from publishers, not authors. The deadline to register for this event is March 16 and our office must have the catalogs in hand by May 1. Preference will be given to titles in the genres previously stated. If you wish to showcase more than five titles, we will charge additional $20/title. By exhibiting titles in the Prague Book Fair Catalog Show, you will receive: · Inclusion in the Prague Book Fair catalogue show · Targeted list of contacts · Online promotion through our U.S. Embassy website · Post-show follow-up and trade leads provided to U.S. participants

All titles are subject to prior review before acceptance to ensure that they will be the best fit for

the market. After we have accepted your participation we will provide our mailing address. You will be able to send the titles by APO mail at domestic shipping rates, which takes 2-3 weeks to get to Prague. For more information or questions on the Book World Prague please contact Suzette Nickle, Senior International Trade Specialist, at Suzette.Nickle@trade.gov or 303-844-6623x216 or Jana Ruckerova in Prague at Jana.Ruckerova@trade.gov. We look forward to helping you increase sales in the Czech market! To register: http://export.gov/czechrepublic/forms/bookworldprague/index.asp Note: When registering, please list the five titles, including the author, name of the title and year published.

31  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Entrepreneurs

One Shining Moment for American Exports

By Francisco Sanchez, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade

may not be the biggest basketball fan. Still I, like so many Americans, spent some time recently predicting the outcomes of one of our country’s great traditions – the NCAA Basketball Tournament. You may well have been doing the same thing; the

NCAA Tournament bracket is a ubiquitous image, appearing on countless office walls and bedroom doors all over the country. Now I may not regularly cheer for basketball, but I’m a huge fan of exports. And what you may not have realized when you filled out your bracket is that you were, in fact, supporting American exports. It’s true: The television licensing for the tournament, the apparel licensing for universities, and the education industry itself are all American export industries,

supporting thousands of American jobs. As the NCAA Basketball Tournament is a great American tradition, exports are also a great tradition for us at the International Trade Administration. So over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be

sharing some information with you that shows how this celebrated American custom ties into American exports, thereby supporting the American economy. Before we kick that off, we have our own fun office competition to share with all of you: As you may know, we have Export Assistance Centers (EACs) all over the country to help U.S. businesses compete globally. Well, we asked the four offices closest to the four #1 seeds in the tournament to fill out a bracket on Selection

Sunday to post on our blog. I’m submitting mine for competition as well. So here are the participating offices representing the top seeds and their brackets: • Representing Louisville: the Louisville EAC (Final Four: Louisville, New Mexico, Georgetown, Indiana) • Representing Gonzaga: the Spokane EAC (Final Four: Louisville, Gonzaga, Georgetown, Indiana) • Representing Indiana: the Indianapolis EAC (Final Four: Louisville, Ohio State, Florida, Indiana) • Representing Kansas: the Kansas City EAC (Final Four: Albany, Arizona, Akron, Bucknell) • Under Secretary Sanchez Bracket (Final Four: Louisville, Ohio State, Kansas, Indiana) How does your bracket stack up to each of ours? How are you going to be supporting exports during this year’s tournament? Let us know here or get involved in the conversation on Twitter and Facebook. Make sure to support your team and American exports as we crown national champions in men’s and women’s college basketball this year. Be sure to check back on the blog as we highlight just how much of an impact American pastimes like March Madness contribute to American exports. No matter who wins, the U.S. is always the champ when we support exports.  http://blog.trade.gov/2013/03/18/ one-shining-moment-for-americanexports

32  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

U.S. Department of Commerce Secretarial Infrastructure

Business Development Mission Brazil, Colombia and Panama May 12-18, 2013

http://export.gov/brazilcolombiapanama2013/index.asp Grow your Infrastructure Sales in Latin America The U.S. Secretary of Commerce will lead an Infrastructure Business Development Mission to Brazil, Colombia and Panama that will highlight export opportunities for U.S. businesses in a broad range of infrastructure related sectors: project management and engineering services (including construction, architecture and design); transportation (including road/highways, railways, airports, ports and intelligent transportation systems); energy (including distribution, transmission and smart grid); and safety and security. This mission advances the 2010 launch of President Obama’s National Export Initiative, which aims to double U.S. exports by the end of 2014, supporting economic and job growth. An Incredible Business Opportunity While a number of U.S. companies have been successful in Latin America, the U.S. Department of Commerce recognizes that some companies need assistance negotiating the foreign markets to take advantage of the great opportunities that exist. The mission will assist U.S. businesses in initiating or expanding exports to region by making business-to-business introductions, providing market access information, and facilitating access to government decision makers. Why is Trade Important The Administration’s efforts to promote U.S. exports are paying off, with export levels reaching a record $2.2 trillion in 2012. The U.S. is continuing to make historic progress toward the President’s goal of doubling exports. As part of this effort, the National Export Initiative has helped U.S. companies by leveling the playing field and providing access to new markets. Not only did exports outpace the growth in imports for the first time since 2007, but exports have helped support the creation of over 6 million private sector jobs over the past 35 months. 2012 HIGHLIGHTS

• Record level of exports: U.S. exports set another record in 2012, growing $92.6 billion and reaching $2.2 trillion despite significant economic headwinds from abroad. • Exports outpaced imports: Growth in exports of goods and services outpaced the growth of imports of goods and services both in dollar value and percent change for the first time since 2007, with exports growing by $92.6 billion or 4.4 percent. • America’s trade deficit declined: The U.S. trade deficit improved by $19.5 billion in 2012, from the $560 billion recorded in 2011, and is well below the pre-recession high of $753 billion recorded in 2006. In fact, it is at the lowest level since January 2010 • Exports were steady as a share of GDP: Exports as a share of U.S. GDP were 13.9 percent in 2012, tying the record set in 2011 • Country and Region Spotlights: The United States reached record levels of exports for 2012 with more than 70 trading partners, including major emerging markets and 11 free trade agreement (FTA) partners. Don’t miss out on this tremendous business opportunity. Request an application here - http://export.gov/brazilcolombiapanama2013/eg_main_057839.asp.

33  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Expand Your Exports in Colombia

Trade Mission & Business Development Opportunities July 14-19, 2013

The Mission The Los Angeles County Business Federation (BizFed) and Los Angeles Metropolitan Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, in conjunction with U.S. Commercial Service, are leading this trade and business development mission capitalizing on the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement signed last year. The mission is open to small- and medium-sized businesses from a cross section of industries with potential for growth in Colombia, but focusing particularly on best prospects in agricultural, commercial/food packaging and infrastructure sectors. Opportunities  Access to Colombia’s AgroExpo 2013, the most important specialized event in the agriculture and livestock sector of Colombia, Central America and the Caribbean, and one of the most representative events in Latin America. The expo is an ideal venue for business connections, business deals, information exchange knowledge and updates on new technological developments.  Presentation of products, services, and expertise to the business communities of Colombia in the agricultural industry through round tables, conferences and business receptions.  New contacts and business established through personalized matchmaking  Promotion of Southern California business, trade and tourism opportunities  Personalized technical and experience visits to production and distribution centers Why Colombia  Colombia is a key export market for Southern California. Exports to Colombia through the LA Customs District totaled $193M in 2011.  The Colombian economy has performed well over the past decade and has enjoyed unprecedented political stability over the past few years. GDP per capita has doubled since 2004. It is the fourth-largest economy in Latin America and the third-largest in South America.  Colombia is expected to grow 4.5% annually over the next five years.  FTA with the U.S. means immediate duty-free access to Colombia, including almost all products in these sectors: agriculture and construction equipment, aircraft and parts, auto parts, fertilizers and agro-chemicals, information technology equipment, medical and scientific equipment, and wood.  More than half of current U.S. farm exports to Colombia now duty-free, and virtually all remaining tariffs will be eliminated within 15 years.  Dollar is accepted and English is widely spoken in business environment.  U.S. Commercial Service presence to provide international business development assistance to meet the most critical needs of export-ready U.S. companies.

APPLY NOW Space is Limited

TO APPLY: californiastep.org

(and attached matchmaking intel form)

Registration Deadline: May 17, 2013

Cost*:

BizFed/LAMHCC members $2690.00 Non-members $2990.00

*For California-based participants. Includes roundtrip coach airfare from Los Angeles, double occupancy hotel accommodations, ground transport, AgroExpo admission, roundtables, conferences, airport fees and some meals. (Single occupancy hotel will be an additional $50.00 per day. Business class airfare available upon request) (50% deposit due upon notification by BizFed of your acceptance on this trade mission; balance due by June 25, 2013)

Eligibility Criteria:    



Comply with SBA size standards (www.sba.gov/size) In business for not less than the 1year period ending on date of trade mission Operating profitably, based on operations in U.S. Demonstrated understanding of costs associated with exporting and doing business with foreign purchasers, including costs of freight forwarding, customs brokers, packing and shipping Has in effect a strategic plan for exporting.

Questions? Please contact Judi Erickson at 818.984.5080 or email: Judi.Erickson@bizfed.org

Business Development

Building Your Business for Success: The Importance of Ownership

ne of the keys to economic independence for African American business owners is the acquisition and ownership of commercial real estate. By controlling the buildings and land that house the means of generating revenue, an entrepreneur can better attain the goal that underpins what being in business is all about: maximum self-determination.

With interest rates now at historically low levels and the economy growing at a slow pace, now is a prime time for many business owners to consider the purchase of commercial real estate. The benefits and drawbacks to commercial real estate ownership vary from business owner to business owner, but potential buyers should educate themselves about the obvious and sometimes hidden benefits to the ownership of a commercial property. Below are some of the major benefits to real estate ownership, versus leasing a commercial space.

Tax Deductions

For many Black business owners, a primary benefit of commercial real estate ownership is the tax deductibility of property that can be taken on the interest portion of the monthly commercial loan payment. These deductions can be substantial and each business owner should consult a qualified tax specialist about his or her unique situation.

Equity Appreciation

On average, commercial real estate properties will appreciate about two to three percent above inflation over the long term. Paying rent provides no appreciation or equity. Quite candidly, the BBA has members who have been paying rent for a decade or more, with no equity accrued and never having positioned themselves to benefit from any hope of equity appreciation. Using some of the most conservative estimates, potential equity appreciation can result in significant financial gains over a period of decades.

A Retirement Fund

Through various circumstances, many minority and small business owners will not receive a pension when they decide to retire. In such cases, the equity appreciation on commercial property can be significant. An owner can decide either to sell the property upon retirement to cash in on equity appreciation, or lease the property to another business for a continuous retirement income stream. In fact, in some situations, a business owner may be able to lease out an unused portion of the property, such as a spare office, before retirement for additional income.

Added Value To Business

Unlike some residential loans, many commercial loans are assumable. This makes the business and its real estate much easier for a buyer to acquire, and enhances the value of the business tremendously.

No Taxes To Pay On Your Rent

When a business leases its real estate, sales tax is paid on the rent paid to the landlord. When you own the real estate there is no tax to pay on the rent. The savings can be significant.

Easy Access To Financing

Historically-low, thirty-year fixed interest mortgage rates are now available for owner-occupied commercial properties. Furthermore, there are flexible interest-only options from which entrepreneurs can benefit. In fact, in some instances, with strong financials a business owner may qualify for loan financing up to 100% of the purchase price for commercial real estate. A business owner should consult an experienced commercial mortgage adviser before making an offer on a commercial property, so that in addition to the tangible benefits outlined above, the business owner will have the satisfaction that only comes with property ownership. Truer words have never been spoken: â&#x20AC;&#x153;God bless the child thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got his ownâ&#x20AC;?. The Black Business Association will soon launch a program to assist African American business owners in acquiring commercial and industrial real estate.

Business

offerings to include wedding planning and floral arrangements,” says IBISWorld’s Lauren Setar. In an attempt to become one-stop shops for every client’s event-planning needs, this trend is helping industry revenue rise an estimated 2.9% in 2013 alone, and an annualized 2.3% to $8.9 billion over the next five years. Florists: The Florists industry is expected to bloom as the economy recovers, rising an average annual 2.1% to $9.0 billion over the next five years. Following the tradition of ladies carrying bouquets and gentlemen sporting boutonnieres, about 10.0% of florists’ revenue is derived from weddings, which makes up about 5.1% of the overall Wedding Services industry. Limousines: Transportation services generate about 7.1% of the Wedding Services industry’s revenue. With more money in consumers’ pockets to spend on stylish transportation, the Taxi and Limousine Services industry is expected to grow an annualized 3.2% in the five years to 2018, reaching $12.7 billion. Photography: Spending on photography services makes up about 13.5% of the Wedding Services industry’s revenue. Demand for commercial photography is expected to increase as people that delayed their weddings or reduced their spending during the recession zoom in on professionals to commemorate their special day, pushing revenue up an annualized 1.8% to $10.5 billion over the next five years. Other industries associated with weddings, including Party Supply Rental, Party and Event Planners, and Independent Performers and Creative Artists, are poised for growth as well as the season of celebration gets into full swing.

5 Industries Benefiting from the Wedding Season R ecovering disposable incomes are encouraging consumers to boost their spending on wedding festivities, which they held back on during the recession. With average spending on weddings on the rise, the massive $50.6 billion Wedding Services Industry is expected to grow 2.3% in the next five years. As consumers are expected to spend more on special items for their big day, industry research firm IBISWorld has identified six subindustries set to benefit. Clothing: Estimates are that spending on attire makes up about 9.1% of Wedding Services industry revenue. The Formal Wear and Costume Rental industry, which includes men’s clothing items, such as tuxedos and accessories, is expected to fall over the next five years as purchasing becomes a better buy for consumers than renting. However, the men’s formal rentals segment is expected rise from 58.0% of the industry’s revenue in 2007 to 60.0% in 2013. On the contrary, because purchasing formal clothing is becoming a better option than renting, the Lingerie, Swimwear and Bridal Stores industry is primped to grow. Improving incomes will rouse consumers to purchase these discretionary products, leading to annualized revenue growth of 4.4% to $17.9 billion dollars for the industry over the five years to 2018. Caterers: Spending on food and drink services make up an estimated 25.6% of the Wedding Services industry. Engagements and weddings are expected to account for about 30.0% of the Catering industry’s revenue. “To boost growth, some catering companies have begun to increase their in-house

Industry Lingerie, Swimwear & Bridal Stores Caterers Florists Photography Taxi and Limousine Services Formal Wear and Costume Rental

2013-2018 Growth* 4.4%

2018 Revenue $17.9 billion

2.3% 2.1% 1.8% 3.2%

$8.9 billion $9.0 billion $10.5 billion $12.7 billion

-0.6%

$957.8 million *IBISWorld Forecast

For more information, visit www.ibisworld.com or call 1-800-330-3772.  Image from www.theknot.com

Business

a project will succeed or not: 1. The greater the size of the founder’s social network, the greater the chance for success (particularly Facebook in this case; this is also known as the ‘be popular’ strategy).

Lessons for Entrepreneurs from Crowdfunding by Ethan Mollick

here is a lot of buzz out there these days about crowdfunding. As Kauffman Dissertation Fellow Ethan Mollick at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School puts it, “Crowdfunding has been drawing substantial attention from policy makers, managers, and entrepreneurs, but relatively little notice from academics, even though it touches on many topics of importance to scholars of

2. The underlying quality of the projects – those with highquality, polished pitches are more likely to be funded (e.g., use a video; as Kickstarter’s website states, “Projects with videos succeed at a much higher rate than those without.”). 3. A strong geographic component

5. Being highlighted on the Kickstarter website is hugely beneficial (89% chance of success vs. 30% for unfeatured projects). 6. A large number of creative individuals in the city where the project is based is associated with greater success (target these kinds of people). The circles on this map represent counts of Kickstarter projects by city; the larger the circle, the more projects based in that area. The shading within the circle reflects the portion that were successful— dark green represents successfully funded projects while light green indicates the project was not funded. Based on Mollick’s research, odds

Geographic Distribution of Projects by Success entrepreneurship.” His paper from July 2013, “The Dynamics of Crowdfunding: Determinants of Success and Failure” (http://papers.ssrn. com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_ id=2088298), examined almost 47,000 projects on Kickstarter that raised a combined revenue of $198 million. Mollick concluded that several factors influence whether

tie-in seems to increase success (pitching country music in Nashville, film in Los Angeles, etc.). 4. A shorter Kickstarter duration is better (35% chance of success for 30-day pitches, 29% for 60day pitches). Mollick noted that a longer duration implies a lack of confidence in the project’s success.

are that the successfully funded projects in given cities were a good fit culture-wise for that city. The Kauffman Foundation will be presenting additional papers on crowdfunding in the near future – stay tuned!  www.growthology.org/ growthology/2013/03/lessons-forentrepreneurs-from-crowdfunding. html

37  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

adli

AEG Invites Current and Interested Supplier Partners to our

Supplier Portal,

an online communication tool designed to enhance the relationship between AEG and our partners. The portal is an online and paperless tool that will provide you with: Increased visibility for AEG business opportunities Extended Company Profile in online directory Direct email updates from AEG clients and buyers Easy accounts payable information sharing Increased exposure for MBEs, WBEs, and DBEs It is important that you register your business so that we have the ability to contact you for participation in future opportunities. Suppliers seeking to initiate business with AEG are encouraged to register as well. Registration is simple and we invite you to visit our Supplier Portal at your earliest convenience:

https://supplier.aegworldwide.com

Business

How Do You Make 100% Sure You Achieve Your Goals?

his was the question posed to nine business experts. The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (http://theyec.org), an invite-only nonprofit organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.

never ambiguity about success. -Adam Lieb, Duxter

3. Establish Clear, Shared Objectives

You need to have objectives defined very clearly WITH the people that are going to have to deliver on those goals. Empowerment in the earliest stage of the goals

fact, the most powerful (and often hardest to reach) goals are the ones that we have people set for themselves and share. -- Michael Mothner, Wpromote

5. Be Flexible -- and Execute

In reality, I don’t think it’s possible to achieve 100% of your goals. But, if you set aggressive goals,

1. Set Smaller Goals!

It’s critical that you set reasonable goals/ expectations for your business in order to achieve them. Many entrepreneurs have visions of grandeur and set unrealistic goals based on these delusions. Set reasonable goals based on existing data that can be achieved over a short period of time. It’s far more satisfying consistently hitting smaller goals, than missing badly on unrealistic ones. -- Anthony Saladino, Kitchen Cabinet Kings

2. Put It On the Wall

If you don’t measure it, it doesn’t matter. We try to put our goals up on the wall and make sure all the instruments are in place to track our progress. At the end of the day we know if we are succeeding or if we need to pick up our effort. There is

definition allows your team to own the goals and to achieve them more often. Also, regular milestone and meeting dates to follow progress are essential. -- Guillaume Gauthereau, TOTSY

4. Stay Accountable, All the Way to the Top

Years ago when we were in startup mode, we didn’t even set goals because they felt arbitrary and silly if we were all hustling 110%. Now, we realize the power of setting goals, writing them down, and making yourself accountable to them by sharing with your team. In

have a strong plan for achieving those goals, and concentrate on execution, you’ll be well-positioned to achieve most of them. Most important to goal execution? Flexibility. Track your goals and progress and be open to changing your plans and modifying your goals to hit moving targets. -- David Ehrenberg, Early Growth Financial Services

6. Delegate, Delegate, Delegate

Divide the goals and assign each part to the person most capable see Achieve Your Goals on page 41

40  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

Achieve Your Goals from page 40

of making it happen. Check in regularly, but do not micromanage. Set reasonable deadlines, ask questions and confirm that everyone is on board with their task. The key to successful delegation is equal parts trust and distributing responsibilities smartly. -- Justin Beck, PerBlue

7. Keep Your Eye on the Prize

Once you set your goals and begin on your path to achieving those goals it is easy to lose sight of them. During your day-to-day operations, your priorities may change and you’ll often find yourself

on a different path. It’s imperative that you set a clear road map to achieving the overall goal with smaller, micro-goals along the way. By accomplishing each micro-goal you’ll capture the prize. -- Kevin Tighe II, Techertainment, Inc

8. Write a Punishment Check

For the most important goals that I want to make sure I accomplish, instead of rewarding myself if I accomplish them, I work better when I am punished. Sometimes, I do it where it hurts the most: my wallet. I will write a check for a certain amount and give it to someone who can keep me accountable -- and will actually cash it if I don’t accomplish it by the post-dated check. -- Peter

Nguyen, Literati Institute

9. Do Not Sleep

Metaphorically speaking, of course! But seriously, do not go to sleep on your competitors. Do not go to sleep on the needs of your employees. Do not go to sleep on showing value to your clients, your users, or the Street. Do not go to sleep on marketing yourself. And yeah, it also helps to barely sleep because someone, somewhere, sometime is always trying to work harder than you. -- Anson Sowby, Rocket XL.  http://www.startupnation.com/ business-articles/9861/1/achieve-yourgoals-make-one-hundred-percentsure.htm#arBHDgce0SsEI36C.99

41  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

3D Printing Industry is Growing - Find a Print Service Near You by Tyler Falk

he demand for 3D printers is for quick turnaround on printing on the rise. But, if you don’t jobs. Makexyz.com (www.makexyz. have access to one, 3D printing can seem expensive and com) is a simple website that allows inefficient, holding back your design. anyone with a 3D printer to rent Fortunately, out of this need is out their services to anyone with growing new innovation for making printing needs. The site shows all Evernote 3D printers available for anyone with the 3D printing options nearby, with a design. There’s the 3D-printing the cheapest showing up first with vending machine model (www. all the details of the printer. Need to smartplanet.com/blog/bulletin/ print with full color sandstone? This dreambox-a-3d-printing-vending- is your place. The closest printer to me, for machine/14473?tag=content;siucontainer), the DIY 3D printer (www. example, is a Prusa Mendel I2 smartplanet.com/blog/bulletin/how- that uses ABS Plastic in numerous milk-jugs-can-make-3d-printing- colors. The price: 50 cents per cheaper/14223?tag=content;siu- cubic centimeter. If this worked container), and now there’s a for my design, I would upload the website to find nearby 3D printers design to the website where it gives

me a price that I pay right there (no money is exchanged between printer owner and designer). Then, once the printing is c o m p l e t e I can pick it up or have it shipped to me. Zak Stone reports for Fast Company that people with 3D printers have been eager to sign up: Already, more than 500 printers around the United States have signed up– with everything from homemade printers, to Makerbots, to $30,000 professional machines. Makexyz.com is a fantastic resource. Stone calls it “a Kinko’s for 3D printing.” And he could be on to something. Could FedEx Kinko’s (or other printing service chains) become the “Kinko’s of 3D printing?” With widespread stores already in place, a forward-thinking chain could make 3D printers available and more accessible. It probably wouldn’t make sense to put them in every store, but 3D printers in big cities and college towns, at least to start, could really help evolve their printing chain’s brand. But maybe makexyz, and other services, have beaten chains to the 3D printing demand, at least in these early stages of the technology.  www.smartplanet.com/blog/ bulletin/where-to-find-a-3d-printernearby/15066?tag=nl.e660&s_ cid=e660&ttag=e660

42  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

Around the Way Launch Party, Silicon Harlem

Silicon Harlem

great many citizens of the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone (UMEZ) have been unable to take advantage of the digital economy because they did not have access to new broadband technologies and services. That has been changed with the advent of Silicon Harlem, a project that is bringing affordable broadband to the area. The Silicon Harlem project of Columbia University provides education, awareness, training, access, equipment, and support to community anchor institutions, supports job creation and addresses the needs of vulnerable populations. Silicon Harlem deploys an advanced, community-based wireless broadband internetwork that blankets the UMEZ. The Silicon Harlem Network will develop and run ten telework centers strategically located in community anchor institutions. Each telework center will use the Silicon Harlem portal to give local residents and small business owners a place where, for no charge, they will be

able to do the following: • Learn how to use the computer and the Internet • Gain online job training • Engage in tele-employment • Access digital services and products Silicon Harlem is under the direction of Columbia University’s Center for Technology, Innovation and Community Engagement (CTICE). Additional support is provided by Abyssinian Development Corporation (ADC) and the UMEZ. Silicon Harlem has five (5) goals: • Creating Jobs

Quote of Note... “…And that any one of us, our job is not to do it by ourselves or get it all done in one year or one term or even necessarily in our lifetimes, but our job is to make sure that we’re pressing and pushing so that the whole country, over time, is moving in the right direction.”

• C l o s i n g t h e broadband gap • Encouraging demand for broadband • S p r e a d i n g high-speed access to schools, universities, libraries, community centers, job training centers and public safety personnel • Jumpstarting the Green Economy in Harlem Initiated in 2010 the five-stage $18.79 million program that culminates in January 2015 is estimated to create 5,000 or more new jobs.  https://twitter.com/SiliconHarlem http://siliconharlem.net

President Barack H. Obama

43  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Save the Date

Connecting Women to Power Business Conference Friday, June 28, 2013 Business Building Tools

“When you get a lemon, don’t just make lemonade, grow an orchard!”

Discover Free Business Resources from the BOE

Presented by

Jerome E. Horton

Chairman, State Board of Equalization

Bridges Community Economic Development Corporation California State University, Dominguez Hills Southern California Minority Supplier Development Council Co-sponsors ■ Armenian American Chamber of Commerce ■ California Black Chamber of Commerce ■ California Commission on the Status of Women ■ California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce ■ California Legislative Women’s Caucus ■ Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles ■ Korean American Federation of Los Angeles ■ League of Women Voters of Los Angeles ■ Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce ■ National Latina Business Women Association–Los Angeles

Connect with 1,800 Professional Women

Transforming Ideas into Profits

Exciting Topics, Dynamic and Motivational Speakers, and Much More! No cost to attend REGISTER NOW! (Space is Limited)

www.boe.ca.gov/sutax/wsched.htm • 1-888-847-9652 California State University, Dominguez Hills–Loker Student Union 1000 E. Victoria Street, Carson, CA 90747

Domestic and International Trade

Business

The SCORE Small Business Success Podcast is Now Available

CORE (www.score.org), mentors to America’s small businesses, is excited to announce its newest free resource for small business owners and

entrepreneurs; The SCORE Small Business Success Podcast. According to Pew Research Center’s State of the News Media 2012 report, as many as 40% of Americans now listen to audio on digital devices, and that number is projected to double by 2015. American small business owners and entrepreneurs have many questions in regard to owning and operating successful businesses. SCORE continues to answer these questions by being adequately available to individuals through the outlets they use most. The new podcast can be heard and downloaded at www.SCORE.org/ podcast. The first SCORE Small Business Success Podcast – How to Obtain

Financing – features SCORE mentor, Lou Davenport from the Lancaster, PA chapter. Davenport has extensive business and financial planning expertise with both startup and established businesses. Upcoming guests include additional SCORE mentors from a variety of business backgrounds, SCORE small business clients, and industry experts. “SCORE’s commitment to American small businesses is stronger than ever,” says SCORE Communications Manager and host of the SCORE Small Business Success Podcast series, Shalini Karnani Bonjour . “We are confident that the advice and tips shared through these podcasts will help a new audience of those considering starting a business and those wanting to grow their existing small business.” Some topics that the SCORE Small Business Success Podcast will cover are: • How Can I Convert Leads Into Buyers? (Sales) • Understanding Finance/ Accounting - Value of Inventories, Critical Numbers & Reports, Metrics • Leading People/ HR • How Can I Get Found on the

Internet? (Websites/SEO) • Getting the Most Out of Social Media For more information or to suggest a topic or podcast guest, please contact media@score.org.

About SCORE

Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 9 million aspiring entrepreneurs. Each year, SCORE provides small business mentoring and workshops to more than 375,000 new and growing small businesses. More than 12,000 business experts volunteer as mentors in over 340 chapters serving local communities with entrepreneur education to help grow 1 million small businesses. For information about starting or operating a small business, call 1-800/634-0245 for the SCORE chapter nearest you. Visit SCORE at www.score.org. Connect with SCORE at www.facebook.com/ SCOREFans and www.twitter.com/ SCOREMentors. 

45  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

California Black Chamber of Commerce Foundation 2951 Sunrise Blvd Ste 175 Rancho Cordova, California 95742 916-463-0177 cbcc@calbcc.org www.calbcc.org 47  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

AEG Continues to be an Environmental Leader Through AEG 1EARTH By Matt Villano

n 2012 the Black Business Association recognized AEG as a leader in sustainability for its AEG 1EARTH program, which continues to set new environmental standards for the live sports and entertainment industry. Every week, AEG welcomes thousands of guests to its venues and events around the world and works with countless athletes, entertainers and major corporations to create memorable experiences. From STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and Barclays Center in Brooklyn to the MasterCard Arena in Beijing to the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, AEG hosts events ranging from NBA games to major rock concerts and performances of all sizes inbetween. At each location, AEG seeks to provide a memorable guest experience while reducing the

environmental impact of these events. On numerous occasions AEG has been recognized for its commitment, most recently by the Natural Resources Defense Council for having the most comprehensive environmental program in the live entertainment and sports industry, AEG 1EARTH. Through the AEG 1EARTH program, AEG addresses the company’s impact on energy and climate, water, waste, purchasing and it emphasizes their ability to inspire fans and guests to embrace environmental stewardship. AEG is the first sports facility management company to measure the environmental impact of a majority of its owned and managed venues and just released its 2nd “environmental sustainability report” featuring both successes and challenges from 58 venues. LA Kings

Jennifer Regan, who has led the AEG 1EARTH Program as AEG’s Global Sustainability Director for the past six years, indicates that AEG is committed to: more • Implementing projects towards meeting AEG’s 2020 Environmental Goals. • Continuing data collection on consumption of natural resources and waste generation through AEG Ecometrics tracking system measuring environmental performance documenting and implementing best practices • Increasing environmental stewardship education for employees and guests “We’ve set ambitious goals to reduce waste and improve energy efficiency by 2020,” Regan said. “In order to reach our goals, it will be critical that we collaborate with people and organizations that are on the cutting edge of bringing sustainability solutions mainstream.” Regan said that’s why AEG has been a proud founding partner of both the Green Sports Alliance and the Green Music Group - two organizations that are dedicated to improving the environmental impact of their respective industries. AEG also partners with many other national non-profits such as the U.S. Green Building Council, see Successful Podcasts on page 49

48  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

AEG 1Earth from page 48

World Wildlife Fund, and Natural Resource Defense Council and regionally with groups such as Julie’s Bicycle in the UK or Heal the Bay and the Los Angeles Conservation Corps in Southern California. In just a short period of time, AEG 1EARTH has delivered impressive results. Highlights from the past few years include: • AEG has reduced solid waste sent to landfills by 45% through composting organic waste, recycling, and increasing recycling awareness through signage in our venues. • Eight AEG venues currently recycle and divert 75% of waste from landfill. Due to this success, AEG expanded their waste goal to have half of our venues achieve a 75% recycling rate by 2020. • AEG is close to achieving its goal to reduce water consumption 20% by 2020 and has already reduced water consumption by 16%. • AEG has installed more than 826,000 kilowatt hours of on-site solar panels at Acer Arena in

Sydney, Australia, Ericsson Globe Arenas (Hovet building) in Stockholm, Sweden and STAPLES Center and Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles. • Since 2008, an average of 60 AEG venues a year host environmental outreach events for the public like America Recycles Day, Earth Day and World Wildlife Fund’s Earth Hour. Locally in Southern California, AEG continues to be a clear leader. In addition to 516 kWh of Solar Panels on the roof of STAPLES Center and Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE they have also: • STAPLES Center and Home Depot Center are the first arena and stadium in the U.S. to achieve ISO-14001 Certification. • Installed 496 water free urinals at all AEG venues in Southern California, saving 20 million gallons of water a year. • Been recognized by the LADWP as a Sustainability Partner for its leadership in energy and water efficiency at STAPLES Center • Raised awareness during the 2012 hockey season for water scarcity and showed appreciation Nokia Theater L.A. Live Solar Panels

Stockholm Solar for the ice on which the Stanley Cup Champion LA Kings played by participating in the NHL’s pledge to restored 6.7 million gallons of waters to a critically low river. The L.A. Kings matched contributed funds to restore an additional 50,000 gallons. Regan said it is still just the beginning, “We have documented best practices and successes in a way that can be shared with all business units. Now we are starting to spread best practices from our work with facilities to our work with sports teams and live events.” She added, “what started with a focus on AEG’s biggest direct impact, facilities management has developed into an environmental program to overcome the challenges of coordinating measurement, reporting and initiatives across different venues and regions. Now, with the adoption of the AEG 1EARTH program to be used at sports and live music events, success will be determined by our ability to engage partners and stakeholders on the mutual pursuit of our environmental goals.”  To register as a supplier please visit: https://supplier.aegworldwide. com<https://supplier.aegworldwide. com/>

49  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

Kellogg’s Recipe for Supplier Success

By Cathy Kutch, Director, Supplier Relations and Diversity for Kellogg Co.

hen consumers go to a supermarket, they have a lot of choices. In addition to choosing products because of their unique flavors, design or price points, consumers vote — consciously or unconsciously — for a product based on what they know about the company that makes it. Often, it comes down to a company’s approach to diversity. Many consumers want to purchase products from companies that represent themselves, and they are increasingly sophisticated. Some even ask if the company invites and encourages diverse companies into its supplier base, if there is a visibly diverse workforce, if the company is visible at events diverse consumers attend and supports organizations they belong to, and if members of minority groups are represented in its advertising. More than 30 years ago, in large part to be compliant, transparent and to satisfy customer requests, Kellogg Co. decided to focus on diversity and inclusion in all of its operations. Now it markets its food, snacks and beverages to people in more than 180 countries. Kellogg executives decided that going forward they would have to listen to and understand the opinions, expectations and needs of diverse customers and consumers, and respond with products and brands. Executives realized fostering diversity and inclusion within the workforce and supplier base was critical. Kellogg approaches diversity and inclusion the same as any other business-critical initiative.

Senior executives serve on the Executive Diversity and Inclusion Council, chaired by President and CEO John Bryant. Diversity and inclusion is also tied to compensation programs, and the council has established metrics that track progress. Employees are held accountable for these metrics during performance reviews because of a belief that they can’t change what isn’t measured. “Kellogg was an early adopter of diversity in the workplace,” said Ann Drake, chief executive officer for DSC Logistics and Supply Chain Management, a longtime Kellogg supplier. “They were on the leading edge of this trend, back in the early 1990s. Since then, they have created a real culture of diversity, where people are rewarded for their inclusion efforts.” In August, Kellogg published its annual diversity and inclusion report detailing the company’s ongoing commitment to building a diverse workforce and a supplier base that is reflective of consumers and the communities where it conducts business. In the report Bryant wrote: “Fostering diversity within our workforce and our supplier base is not just the right thing to do; it’s critical for helping us achieve our strategic vision.”

Trickle-Down Theory

In 1999, Kellogg spent $49 million with diverse suppliers. Today, the Kellogg Supplier Diversity Program benefits more than 200 U.S. businesses owned by members of diverse groups and is on track to surpass its goal of $370 million.

Kellogg also collaborated with suppliers on everything from business ideas to resources to procurement dollars. For example, Kellogg sent suppliers to training, sponsored executive networking events and hosted a recognition event, all with the purpose of investing back in the suppliers. “Kellogg has been very supportive in sponsoring members of our senior management team to attend executive training programs at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University,” said Angela Cauley, chief executive officer of Coalescence, a custom blending and packaging company, one of the black- and female-owned businesses that have partnered with Kellogg. “Kellogg helped put Coalescence on the map by awarding us a lucrative contract with their Morningstar Farms brand of meat substitutes,” she said. “We saw a significant increase in revenue, we were able to hire 16 additional associates and our company has had a considerable positive economic impact on our local community.” When it comes to embracing diversity within a company and its supplier base, the trickle-down theory is alive and well at Kellogg. Consider Jami Hennrich. Her company, Hesco Inc., based in Watertown, S.D., supplies organic wheat for use in Kellogg products. Hennrich said since signing a supplier agreement with Kellogg in 2004, her company has secured contracts with at least eight other companies. “We’re a small, woman-owned business, so purchasing agents often don’t believe we’re capable of supplying product in the kind of volume big companies need,” she said. “But because of our performance with Kellogg, and see Supplier Success on page 51

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Business

suppliers, giving insight into the company’s second-tier spending. from page 50 “They encourage us to use diversity in our supplier content, because we delivered on our promises year after year, we even down to second- and third-tier can prove to other companies suppliers,” said John Banks, CEO of that Hesco lives up to, and even Motor Shop Electrical Construction, a longtime supplier to Kellogg. exceeds, expectations.” “Their customers are pushing them, and they’re pushing us.” In every business setting, female- and minority-owned businesses are there, with their foot in the door ready to be considered Angela Cauley, chief executive officer at Coalescence, along with everyone displays her award with her husband Ian Blount else. at the April Supplier Diversity Recognition Event “All we’re looking hosted by Kellogg for is a chance,” Hennrich said Kellogg contracts Banks said. “It’s one thing to have have given her access to more a chance and fail. It’s another to not working capital for her company even have a chance.” According to Banks, once a which, in turn, allowed her to upgrade equipment and hire five minority-owned company such as his is selected for a contract — from additional workers. “As a direct result of the business Kellogg or any other company — we were doing for Kellogg, we built it’s then incumbent to deliver. “You our plant in Nebraska,” Hennrich want every customer to feel as if said. “The added capacity and they can’t survive without you,” he logistical advantage of this plant’s said. For DSC Logistics’ Drake, that location enabled us to serve other part is relatively easy. “To be able customers as well.” Cauley’s company has seen to work with somebody on the other similar success. “Our contract with side of the table, to form one team Kellogg has afforded us enough with them — that’s our competitive manufacturing through-put that advantage,” she said. “It’s a critical we’ve been able to secure other component of our value proposition customers,” she said. “And being to our customers.” Hennrich agreed. “As a small a supplier to Kellogg has made us company, we’re nimble enough to attractive to other major Fortune push through production changes, 1000 companies.” For Kellogg, the goal of inclusion on a daily basis if needed,” she and diversity goes beyond its said. “That kind of flexibility own operations. The company makes us extremely valuable to challenges suppliers to look for a manufacturer like Kellogg, and diversity within their businesses. other companies as well.” Suppliers are asked to complete Not Just About Awards evaluations on a quarterly basis External parties have taken notice that provide details about their of Kellogg’s investment in supplier

Supplier Success

diversity. In April, Kellogg was named among the Top 50 Companies for Diversity 2012 from DiversityInc. The company also received recognition in the summer from HispanicBusiness magazine as one of its Top 60 Companies for Hispanics, and Black Enterprise identified the company among its 40 Best Companies for Diversity. Kellogg’s Bryant was recognized in 2011 with the CEO Leadership Circle of Excellence Award from the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), a branch of the U.S. Department of Commerce. In announcing the award, Eric Dobyne, Chicago regional director of the MBDA, said, “Kellogg goes above and beyond the status quo to fully incorporate innovation and diversity into its global supply chain.” Kellogg suppliers are also winning accolades. In October, Kellogg supplier Drake became the first woman ever chosen by the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCM) to receive the 2012 Distinguished Service Award. As an example of her company’s growth, from 2003 to 2012 DSC’s contract with Kellogg increased from $18 million to $43 million. But the drive toward diversity has never been about winning awards. “This is an imperative that helps us collectively achieve the Kellogg vision. We simply use the external recognition to keep pushing us forward,” said Mark King, global head of diversity and inclusion for Kellogg. “We must embrace diversity as an ongoing journey,” Bryant said. “That, we believe, is the recipe for success.”  www.thrivingbusiness.com http://diversity-executive.com/articles/ view/kellogg-s-recipe-for-suppliersuccess

51  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

Viable Employment By Dean L. Jones, CPM

oo many of us have family members and friends that have not sustained fulltime employment for more than a year. Even though these folks are constantly seeking positive employment, the number of people unable to secure decent jobs is vastly offensive. Across the country, the public outcry is unpredictably low, while the statistics are screaming “Help!” The extended unemployment insurance undoubtedly helps to ease most financial burdens, nevertheless here in Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Santa Ana, the U.S. metropolitan area rankings reveal an unemployment rate of 11.4%. These cities rank among the worst metropolitan areas at number 326 out of 372. More appallingly, there are 16 additional major California cities enduring higher unemployment rates on this national list with El Centro, California having unemployment at 29.7%, which is the highest rate of all major metropolitan areas in the United States. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported March’s payroll employment increased by 88,000 new jobs, a number that changed the unemployment rate slightly from 7.7% to 7.6%. When you break down this seemingly downward trend of unemployment, there is a glaringly strange unbalanced job engagement for blacks, whose unemployment rate is 13.3% nationally, while comparably the Asian unemployment rate is 5.0% and whites 6.7%. It is an even greater disparity in the California black unemployment rates, ranging

between 18%–22%, depending blind society and blacks will do fine on the major metropolitan area in being included into supplementary California, with unemployment rates expansive socioeconomic for black men and women averaging development efforts. On the face of it, this apparent 21% and 18% respectively. Black teenagers across America socioeconomic development are grappling with an unemployment strategy brings to mind how rate over 43%. This is an extremely disconcerting disparity in job opportunities a f f o r d e d b l a c k s than other ethnic group m e m b e r s when coupled with the fact that the overall t e e n a g e unemployment rate is hovering far www.bls.gov/ooh below at 24%. A significant reason why the unemployment rate is ridiculously the U.S. Department of Labor high for teenagers, as they are an (DOL) has simply thrown a large invisible viable contributor to the job assistance net around the unemployment gaps to place out of U.S. labor pool. The national Hispanic work people in government funded unemployment rate is 9.2%, even education and training programs. still relatively much lower than There are adult services workforce 18% – 22% for blacks seeking investment initiatives that provide jobs in southern California. Which millions of adult workers with makes one wonder why so many workforce preparation and career This is governmental programs are not development services. intended for the lagging black coupled with dislocated worker populace? It is very disheartening assistance for those who have to see this especially following been laid off or have been notified the swift and brutal abolishment that they will be terminated or laid of affirmative action, where the off. Likewise, the government is nation is supposedly adhering to constantly encouraging employers an instantaneous belief of a color to offer work opportunities for

52  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

Viable Employment from page 52

unemployed older Americans as a valuable resource for the 21st century workforce. Furthermore, federal and state governments are trying to help gain long-term employment. There are thousands of agencies working public and private grants

to develop and administer quality employment and training services to Native American, people with disabilities, veterans and eligible spouses, migrant and seasonal farm workers and their families to attain greater economic stability, at-risk youth―ages 16 through 24, young offenders, youth living in high-poverty areas, foster youth, unemployed individuals in areas of substantial unemployment, homeless veterans reintegration, as well as preparing adult inmates to re-enter the workforce with industry-recognized credentials. One could assume blacks are proportionately rolled into such efforts like the Dream Act, guest worker plans, Immigration

Reform and Control Act, business immigration system reforms, H-1B non-immigrant visa arrangement, Executive Order 13171 Report on Hispanic Employment in the Federal Government, President’s Executive Order 13583 on Establishing a Coordinated Government-Wide Initiative to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in the Federal Workforce, or how about the SBA’s annual multi-billion dollar loans to Hispanic-owned businesses. Putting aside training, education and outreach programs, blacks are dutifully adhering to the newly expanding business hiring paradigm of applying for jobs online, all the same the general feedback from black job seekers is that this application process results in a poor level of interest for obtaining work engagement procedures. While this takes place we stand idly by playing water cooler witnesses to the growing number of corporate executives, nonprofit heads, and athletic coaches who lose their jobs through poor performance and/ or unethical acts, but whose job transition differs considerably in their outcome receiving lucrative contract buyouts that usually set them up in a considerably long and comfortable economic heaven. The bulk of people, just do not have it like that and are attempting to satisfy their expenses on virtually a daily basis. The California hourly minimum wage begins at $8.00 per hour, or $16,704 annually, which is roughly $6,000 below the federal $23,050 total yearly income poverty level for a family of four. Minimal wage positions are the extent of what a high school graduate can expect, but yet even without a high school degree minimal wage is still the going offer. Consequently, it is without question to not have family with only a high school diploma in

America. The public education system and captains of industry have already parted ways from the closing of the 20th Century, giving little meaning to high school diplomas by those for encouraging, recruiting and placing human resources into sustainable jobs. In 1940, my parents (black) and their generation graduated from a geographically segregated Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Thomas Jefferson high school. There was ample prejudice to go around, nonetheless, most black men and women were able to secure real work that got the nation through World War II, the Korean War, and sixteen years of the Vietnam War. Thirty years later after my parents’ public education, I graduated from George Washington, also a LAUSD high school with a diploma in Industrial Arts concentrating in Architectural Drafting, except the job market for high school graduates had already dwindled in Los Angeles, giving way for more college degreed job candidates. Fortunately, my era of seeking real employment occurred right around the time when affirmative action was being embraced and opportunities in employment and education were active (unknowingly, that was affirmative action’s U.S. apex), where today entire business sectors have affirmatively closed their job ‘opportunity door’ and unless you have access to an effective mentor and/or an influential support group you will be hard pressed to secure a good quality job. Even the best workers can easily find themselves in a serious state of financial struggle while seeking viable employment.  Dean Jones, CEO, Southland Partnership Corporation (a public benefit organization), contributes his view on labor engagement and supply chain management. www.BestViablePractices.com

55  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

NEW BUSINESS LAUNCHED JANUARY, 2013

Rosalind Pennington has been a successful business owner for the past 10 years. She recently launched a Management Consulting firm in January, 2013, as Managing Member of Business Strategy and Tactical Consulting Services, LLC (BST Consulting). BST Consulting is a business consulting firm that provides solutions and services for the success of business startup and operations. As a business‐owner and community activist, she has been involved with and mentors youth and small business owners. While operating her own business, Ms. Pennington has worked in technical management and IT engineering for a number of major corporations for over 30 years. She has worked with many organizations, believing that partnership, collaboration and sharing resources are the ‘keys’ to the success of small business and non‐profit organizations.

BST Consulting offers the expertise that a proactive‐oriented and market‐opportunity seeking company needs to develop and grow in existing and new markets. The company provides a number of necessary services to the business community and to the public. These can be summed up in two main divisions ‐ Business Startup Services and Business Growth Services. Business Startup Services includes business setup, company registration, company certification, marketing research, market research reports, project‐based consulting, business and marketing plans, general consulting and documentation. Business Growth Services include project‐ based consulting, management consulting, technical management, project and process management, workshops, presentations and seminars. BST Consulting services are positioned to address important needs of most businesses. The services are extremely high quality, relevant, timely and accurate, tailored to the clients' needs so as to enable them to make the right decisions and implement solutions, in turn leading towards growth of their companies, benefiting the overall economy.

The current trend towards an increase in the number of entrepreneurs and competition amongst existing companies presents an opportunity for an increased demand for solutions and services that will enable companies to stay ahead of the pack. One of the goals of BST Consulting is to build the business one client at a time, and to serve each client as if it were the last. Customer service is what BST Consulting will do best, and is a large part of the company's overall mission. Visit the website: www.bstconsulting.biz or email: info@bstconsulting.biz Ms. Pennington serves on the board of directors of the National Black Business Council (NBBC). Since year 2000, she has served as the NBBC President, promoting and managing the operation of the various youth and small business programs to achieve the objectives and visions of the NBBC, promoting entrepreneurship and business development and growth. She is an active member of the Black Business Association‐LA. Ms. Pennington earned a bachelor degree from the University of Missouri‐Columbia. She has had professional training and has earned numerous technical and management certifications over the past 30 years. She is a graduate from UCLA School of Management, receiving a Management of Development for Entrepreneurs certificate. Ms. Pennington is a Notary Public in the state of California, Los Angeles County since 2003. She is ITIL (technical operational processes) and ISO 900l (business processes and documentation) certified. 56  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Grants.gov listings The following grant opportunity postings may be found on the Grants.gov Find Opportunities service: DOS Department of State Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs U.S. Embassy Islamabad PAS Grants Program, Modification 8 www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=114273 USAID Agency for International Development Afghanistan USAID-Kabul Public Private Innovative Development Initiative, Modification 3 www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=129593 USAID Agency for International Development Kazakhstan USAID-Almaty Development Through Regional Cooperation, Modification 5 www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=172393 DOT Department of Transportation DOT/Office of Small & Disadvantaged Utilization Notice of Funding Availability for the Small Business Transportation Resource Center Program, Modification 3 www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=177273 HHS Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Immunization and Vaccines for Children Program, Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178334 DOI Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service

Assessing Management Needs to Enhance Recovery for the Eastern Massasauga, year four Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178353 HHS Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health Population Architecture Using Genomics and Epidemiology (PAGE), Phase II Study Investigators (U01), Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178354 HHS Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health Population Architecture Using Genomics and Epidemiology (PAGE), Phase II, Coordinating Center (U01), Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178355 HHS Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Cooperative Agreement for the Development, Operation, and Evaluation of an Entertainment Education Program, Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178356 DOI Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management BLM CA Lassen Land and Trails Trust LLTT Modoc Line, Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178357 ED Department of Education Upward Bound Math and Science Program - CFDA 84.047M, Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178373

ED Department of Education National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)-Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program-RERCs--Recreational Technologies Exercise Physiology Benefiting Individuals Disabilities, Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178393 NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA Headquarters E.2 Leading Edge Aeronautics Research for NASA (LEARN), Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178394 ED Department of Education National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)-Disability Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program-Disability, Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178413 USDOT Department of the Treasury Community Development Financial Institutions FY 2012 Bank Enterprise Award Program, Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178433 DOI Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service University of California, Davis Species Project, Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178453 NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA Headquarters COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT ON ASTROPHYSICS EXPLORER MISSIONS OF OPPORTUNITY, Grant

58  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Grants.gov listings from page 58

www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178473 DOI Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management BLM NV Nevada Ecological Site Descriptions State and Transition Models Development, Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178474 DOI Department of the Interior National Park Service Estimating grizzly bear use of large ungulate carcasses with GPS telemetry data, Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178493 DOD Department of Defense Air Force Academy STEM Outreach to K-12 Schools in Southern Colorado, Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178494 DOI Department of the Interior National Park Service Developing Chesapeake Youth Corps Network, Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178496 DOI Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management BLM WY 2012 Challenge Cost Share Program, Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178497 DOI Department of the Interior National Park Service Signage and Related Interpretive Media Along the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail in Metro DC, Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178513

DOI Department of the Interior National Park Service Heritage Partnerships Program 3D Digital Documentation, Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178514 DOI Department of the Interior National Park Service War of 1812 in Southern Maryland: Traveling Exhibit and Traveling Trunks, Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178515 DOI Department of the Interior National Park Service Assisting in Development of Potomac River Segment of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake and Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trails, Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178516 DOI Department of the Interior National Park Service Interns CLI/LCS, Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178517 DOI Department of the Interior National Park Service Development of LandScope Chesapeake, Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178533 DOI Department of the Interior National Park Service Cooperative Agreement for the identification of sites and structures significant in Hispanic heritage, Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178553

Irrigation Water Delivery Metering Project, Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178573 DOI Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Mark Processing, Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178574 DOI Department of the Interior National Park Service Technology Enhanced Interpretation Development, Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178593 DOS Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Middle East Partnership Initiative Tomorrow’s Leaders Scholarship, Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178594 DOI Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service DURHAM DAM, Modification 1 www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178613 DOI Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Chumstick Barrier Removal Phase 4, Grant www07.grants.gov/search/search. do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=178633 

DOI Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation Bureau of Reclamation - Pacific Northwest Region

59  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

For

Mother’sDay

OR ANY SPECIAL OCCASION

Diana Price and Associates is a consulting firm that works with companies to transform relationships with their customers by developing customized programs that deliver exceptional, sustainable and referable customer service experiences.

Who We Are

• We teach companies how to treat and serve others • We make customer service relevant at every level of the organization • We show companies and their employees how to learn to love the next customer interaction • We elevate service, making it mission critical to the functioning of the business

Our Focus

• Exceptional service experiences have the power to transform not only the relationship between you and your customers, but also the strategic relationship between customer service and the success of your business.

Our Approach

• We work with companies to bring a sustainable customer service promise to life by making it relevant at every level of their organizations. • We make sure customer service is treated as a corporate mandate, a business imperative and, ultimately, a profit strategy that is a reference point in everything the company does. • People at every customer touch point – direct and indirect - are empowered and trained to deliver on that customer promise.

The Result

• We teach companies how to make serving their customers central to their corporate cultures, and

in turn have that central focus also serve them as a successful and profitable business strategy. Diana Price & Associates provides a refreshing approach to creating exceptional customer experiences, operational assessments, human resources training, communication strategy, team retreats, culture and vision planning and customized consulting. Explore how we can help you get your customer interactions and employee engagement right and keep you moving forward.

Converting Business Pressure Points into Sustainable Customer Solutions

• Service Leadership and Communication Strategy (coaching, training) • Customer Service Culture Sculpting and Vision Planning • Human Resources Training & Consulting • Career Development • Community Relations • Certifications • Keynote Speaking

www.dianapriceassociates.com 1507 7th Street Suite 686, Santa Monica CA 90401 T: 866.631.7500 • F: 888.920.2110

62  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

You are invited to the U.S. Export-Import Opportunities for African Consumable Products 2013 Trade Show, June 12-15, 2013 in Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America, for a four day international trade event designed to promote business between Africa and the Americas through AGOA and to attract Foreign Direct Investors through Bureau of African Affairs. 4-Day Buyers-Sellers Meeting U.S. Export-Import Opportunities for African Consumable Products 2013 Trade Show will provide you with up-to-day market intelligence and assist you to develop international trading practice strategies for exporting your products and services into new markets around the globe. You will also have the opportunity to meeting directly with buyers and sellers from Central America, Canada, South America, Europe and the Middle East. www. useximafricaevents.com/buyers-sellers-registration-form. 3-Day Conference & 4-Day Exhibition The event will feature international business leaders from the private sectors, African countries commercial service diplomats posted at their embassies in the United States and high ranking government officials from both continents. Professional and well-experienced Trade Finance, Banks, African Union member countries, Trade Promotion organizations, buyers and sellers, equipment manufacturers, customs, agricultural and food products processors, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, agricultural and food products Quality Assurance organizations will keep you informed on latest and future developments that will impact where-and how-to develop new business opportunities and export strategies abroad. This event will also provide unlimited opportunities to network with industry experts in international business, government officials and other international buyers and sellers. Exhibiting at the U.S. Export-Import Opportunities for African Consumable Products 2013 event will help your company earn Priority and profitable Investment that determine the order in which booth and hotel reservations are made for the U.S. Export-Import Opportunities for African Consumable Products expo marketplace. www.useximafricaevents.com/exhibitorregistration. Exhibitor Registration Save time and money by registering in advance! Exhibit attendance is FREE for U.S residents through June12, 2013. Beginning June 13, 2013 the cost to attend the exhibits is $20 per day if you register online. On-site registration will be $50 per day. 3 WAYS TO REGISTER: 1.ONLINE: Select the appropriate link below to access your online registration form. 2.FAX: Download registration form and fax to: +1.410.383.9978. 3.MAIL: Download registration form and mail to: ATTENTION: NIKKI ROBAK, Navigroup, Inc., U.S. Export – Import Opportunities for African Consumable Products 2013, 1721 Pennsylvania Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21217 For all details or assistance please contact us through our Contact Us page or through the “Live Chat” window on start menu task on the bottom right corner of your screen while you are on our website - www.useximafricaevents.com. 63  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

Technology:

Take a Look! by LaSandra Stratton Check out what these firms and organizations have to offer for your personal interests, personal wealth building, and business expansion opportunities. www.udacity.com The mission of Udacity is to bring

How to Build a Startup - ep245 accessible, affordable, engaging, and highly effective higher education to the world. We believe that higher education is a basic human right, and we seek to empower our students to advance their education and careers. Higher education is broken with increasingly higher costs for both students and our society at large. Education is no longer a one-time event but a lifelong experience. Education should be less passive listening (no long lectures) and more active doing. Education should empower students to succeed not just in

school but in life. We are reinventing education for the 21st century by bridging the gap between real-world skills, relevant education, and employment. Our students will be fluent in new technology, modern mathematics, science, and critical thinking. They will marry skills with creativity and humanity to learn, think, and do. Udacians are curious and engaged world citizens. Try the “How To Build A Startup” course (www.udacity.com/ course/ep245) or visit the Course Catalog to find the subjects most relevent for you (www.udacity. com/courses). http://teachertube.com Our goal is to provide an online community for sharing instructional videos. We seek to fill a need for a more educationally focused, safe venue for teachers, schools, and home learners. It is a site to provide anytime, anywhere professional development with teachers teaching teachers. As well, it is a site where teachers can post videos designed for students to view in order to learn a concept or skill. TeacherTube community members are a major part of the evolution of the site. Members are encouraged to not only upload educationally relevant videos, but also to make constructive com-

ments and use the rating system to show appreciation for videos of value to one as an educator or learner. Users also have the ability

to preserve the integrity of the site by flagging inappropriate videos. TeacherTube staff review flagged sites and will remove any inappropriate posts. With more collegial commentary and discussion through messaging and responses, the quality of this resource will only increase. The service is free for everyone. We always encourage our users to Contact Us with thoughts, suggestions, or other feedback. We do have a vision for TeacherTube to truly be a better alternative to other video storage sites. With the community’s help, it can become more interactive and engaging for all teachers and learners. http://getpocket.com Pocket (formerly Read It Later) was founded in 2007 by Nate

Weiner to help people who discover an interesting article, video or web page, but don’t have time to view it. Once saved to Pocket, the list of content is visible on any device -- phone, tablet or computer. It can be viewed while waiting in line, on the couch or during commutes or travel -- even offline. Pocket currently has over 4.5 million registered users and is integrated into over 300 apps including Flipboard, Twitter and Zite. It is available for major devices and platforms including iPad, iPhone, Kindle Fire, Android, Google Chrome, and Firefox. http://imobie.com/phoneclean/

66  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

Take a Look! from page 66

PhoneClean is uniquely designed to reclaim more free space on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and make all iOS devices running faster. Working on both PC and Mac,

this free-yet-magic tool will safely remove all kinds of useless files on iOS system in order to clean up and speed up your iDevices. When processing complex calculations and data exchanges, iOS Apps will produce temporary

files, which will be rarely used again once they fulfilled the statistical purposes. These one-off data are supposed to get removed as soon as you quit the Apps. But in fact, some Apps will leave them behind even risking swallowing free space on your devices. Now with PhoneClean, you can quickly find and remove them to reclaim more space on your iPhone. It means you are going to take more music, movies and Apps along with you. As we attach great importance to the safety of your personal info, it is recommended to let PhoneClean clean up the cookie and

script files on your iPhone and iPad before backing them up to iTunes or iCloud. To prevent the leak or abuse use of these personal information, PhoneClean ensures the safety of your property and privacy. www.aroundthewayapp.com Around the Way is a free and easy to use application that locates the nearest Black-owned businesses. The application uses the builtin GPS to find your location and lists the Black-owned businesses around you. More complete and robust than a typical online Black business directory, Around The Way has thousands of Black business listings. Features include: creating a customizabale favorites list. Find a place you like and LOCK IT IN for future visits; share info via Facebook, Twitter or email on each individual Black owned business. Most discoveries are worth sharing; search for Black businesses via one of the 9 categories; get step-by-step directions to the Black owned businesses near you with a little help from the phone’s mapping function. Add your Black-Owned business to the directory (free) by submitting the description and agreement form on the website.  Submitted by LaSandra Stratton, Chief Content Administrator of the Black Business News.

67  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

9TH

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68  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest

Study: States with Tougher Gun Laws Report Fewer Gun Deaths By Tuan C. Nguyen

ere’s a real paradox to consider. Gun-rights advocates often argue that more restrictions lead to more murders, not less. They’ll cite anecdotal examples (www. nrapublications.org/index. php/14155/whats-behind-chicagosmurder-boom) that, on the surface, seem to make sense — such as Chicago being a crime-ridden city despite being in a state already heavy on firearm regulations. But a recent study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, actually found that states which impose tighter controls, on average, suffer fewer gun-related deaths on average. In fact, an analysis of recent firearm-related fatalities revealed that the mortality rate was highest in the more gun-accessible states such as Alabama, Tennessee and Montana. Meanwhile, some of the strictest states like California and Illinois had the lowest rate of gun fatalities.

To investigate the impact of tougher gun laws, researchers from Harvard University and the Boston Children’s Hospital drew from data provided by the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, both gun-control advocacy groups. They focused specifically on the number of armsrelated deaths between 2007 and 2010, which totaled 121,084 — 60% of which were suicides and 40% homicides. During that period, the overall fatality rate was 9.9 per 100,000 individuals per year. As of 1999, there have been 300 state firearm laws in effect. Controlling for factors such as poverty, unemployment, population density and household firearm ownership, the investigators then assigned each state “legislative strength scores” based on a scale of 0 to 28, a number denoting the most prohibitive. After analyzing the data, they reached their

conclusions by comparing each state’s rate of firearm fatalities per 100,000 people. Based on the study results, it’s natural to surmise that there appears to be a strong correlation between looser regulations and higher incidents of deaths. However, the researchers stopped short of declaring that gun-control actually reduces violent crime since the study was “ecological and crosssectional and could not determine cause-and-effect relationship.” In short, the correlation, however strong, doesn’t necessarily mean causation. And in a critique of the study, Garen Wintemute, director of the UC Davis Violence Prevention Research Program, cited a number of flaws, such as the potential bias problem in using numbers gathered by pro gun-restriction groups. Wintemute, the director of the see Gun Deaths on page 71

70  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest

Gun Deaths UC Davis Violence Prevention Research Program, points out that this particular study has a few limitations. The legislative scores were based on information from two

their gun laws or how guns flow between states. The score system hasn’t been validated. “It is as if the scientists have both hands tied behind their backs,” Wintemute writes. “In fact, that is precisely what has happened—not just to these investigators, who did

the limitations of gun ownership. But if anything, it shows the need for more scientific studies into the matter. And as the matter is currently on trial, policy decision makers need more than what’s been mostly rhetoric. 

advocacy groups, The Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, and did not measure how effectively states might enforce

well with the data available to them, but to firearm violence researchers generally.” A study like this obviously won’t settle the contentious debate over

www.smartplanet.com/blog/ bulletin/study-states-with-toughergun-laws-report-fewer-gundeaths/14642?tag=nl.e660&s_ cid=e660&ttag=e660

from page 70

www.usps.com/ship/express-mail.htm

Community/Public Interest

Let’s Move! First Lady Calls on School Leadership and School Champions to Get America’s Kids Moving

First Lady Michelle Obama participates in a tug of war competition during a First Lady Michelle Obama exercises with kids “Let’s Move! London” event at Winfield House in London, England, July 27, during a “Let’s Move! Active Schools” eventWhite at 2012. (Official House Photo by Sonya N. Hebert) McCormick Place in Chicago, Il.

irst Lady Michelle Obama hosted two calls to ask school leadership and prospective school champions – including teachers, staff, parents, and community members – to join the new Let’s Move! Active Schools initiative. An unprecedented collaboration of organizations across sectors, the new program will bring physical activity back to America’s schools through a simple, six-step process that helps all students get moving before,

during, and after the school day. The First Lady acknowledged that schools today face tight resources and difficult decisions, emphasizing that making time for physical activity can actually help schools advance their other priorities. She explained how the new program is designed to make it easier for schools to create active environments and she urged everyone – from school administrators and boards, to P.E. teachers and parents – to go to LetsMoveSchools.org to join.

“I want to thank all of you for the outstanding leadership that you provide every single day in schools across this country. And I know that you all know better than just about anyone else how important physical activity is for our children’s health and for their well-being. You all know the statistics about the impact that it has on their behavior and their success in see Let’s Move! on page 73

72  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

Let’s Move school and in life. But the fact is that more than ever before I know that many of you are stretched very thin. You’re facing budget cuts. You are juggling all kinds of competing demands. And I know that as the years pass, it can feel

your energy, we need your effort. More importantly, we need your imagination to make this initiative work.” The First Lady was joined by an impressive and diverse lineup of guest speakers, each of whom has been a pioneer in creating active school environments. The guests included: • Alberto Carvalho,

like it’s getting harder to find the time and the money to help your students be active. And that is precisely why a few weeks ago we launched Let’s Move! Active Schools, because we wanted to give all of you the tools and the support you need to bring physical activity back to your schools. At the end of the day, whether or not this new initiative is successful will really be up to folks like all of you. And that’s why I thought it was so important for me to be on this call today. Because we need you, and I want to make sure you understand how much you play a key role in bringing this effort to life, because we need

Superintendent, Miami-Dade County Public Schools • Deb Delisle, Assistant Secretary for Elementary & Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education • Dr. John Skretta, Superintendent, Norris School District 160 in Firth, NE • Jill Wynns, Board Member, San Francisco County and Unified School District & Immediate Past President, California School Boards Association • Mike Humphreys, P.E. Teacher & U.S. Department of Education Classroom Fellow in Arlington, VA • Apryl Krakovsky, Parent & Founder of “My School in

from page 72

Motion” in Overland, CA • Shellie Pfohl, Executive Director, President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition • Sam Kass, Executive Director of Let’s Move! These leaders shared accounts of the how regular physical activity is benefiting their students’ health, happiness, and performance in school. They suggested innovative, cost effective solutions for making physical activity a part of every school day, and they emphasized the importance of leadership and recognition at every level. So, what are you waiting for? No matter who you are, you have a role to play in activating the schools in your area. Here are a few ideas to get you started: Get informed. Learn about the many benefits of regular physical activity. Talk to your kids. Find out how much they’re moving throughout the day. Talk to your school. Tout the benefits of physical activity and ask how you can help create an active environment. Build a network of support. Engage other parents and community members to raise awareness and help your school become a Let’s Move! Active School. Spread the word with this fact sheet. Get started! Sign your school up at www.LetsMoveSchools.org.  www.letsmove.gov/blog/2013/03/22/ first-lady-calls-school-leadership-andschool-champions-get-america-kidsmoving

73  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

The Economic Turn Around in the USA is in Our Hands •Buy Products Made or Assembled in the USA •Hire One New Employee •Eat an Extra Meal Out Each Week •Start/Grow a Business to Generate Wealth & Jobs

Buy Black  Save Black  Invest Black 74  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest

Experts: Sitting All Day Worse Than Smoking By David Worthington

he latest research from an obesity researcher at the Mayo Clinic has found that sedentary work days create massive health risks even worse than smoking and that daily exercise cannot negate the damage caused by excessive sitting. Dr. James Levin, an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic recently told NBC News that sitting for nine hours a day in an office environment is as equally bad for your health whether you go home and plop down in front of your TV or hit the gym for an afterwork workout. Damage is still being done Locus Seat and Desk

whether you are skinny or obese, he said. An AARP report from earlier this month also cautioned that sitting too much may harm health. The report cites “mounting evidence” of chronic disease being associated with sitting - from cancer and diabetes to obesity. It also found that people who exercise daily are at risk. Elderly people are among the worst offenders.

Sir Winston Churchill Worked Standing Up The Stand-Up Desk Company (http://users.erols.com/standup/why.htm) The solution? Get up and be active during the work day. My office doesn’t use instant messaging, so we all get up and speak to one another if we are not in opening seating where it’s easier to communicate. It may seem anachronistic to physically walk across the office, but it’s good for your health and a way to learn brevity. British researchers suggest working standing up. Former U.S. Secretary of Defense famously worked while standing up. He may have been onto something - the Brits found that people who stand more are fitter and burn more calories per day. You can lose as much as 8 pounds per year standing three more hours per day.  www.smartplanet.com/blog/bulletin/ experts-sitting-all-day-worse-thansmoking/11032?tag=content;siucontainer

75  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest

President Obama Recommends “42” Excerpt from: Remarks by the President at a DCCC Event -San Francisco, CA …But let me close by saying this, go back to where I started this notion of citizenship. People ask me, does it feel different now in your second term than it did in your first? It does. Look, I would hope I’m better at my job now than I was when I first came in. I’ve got some nicks, bruises to prove that President Barack Obama talks with Rachel Robinson before the “42” movie I’ve been to this rodeo screening with Robinson family members and cast and crew in the Family Theater before. Hopefully, at the White House, April 2, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) I’m making better decisions and our team is better moving in the right direction. 70 years. On the other hand, that’s organized, and we know what We did a screening of the Jackie a blink of an eye in terms of human works and what doesn’t, what some -- there’s a new movie about history. And that required Branch of the pitfalls are. Jackie Robinson called “42,” Rickey, it required Jackie Robinson, But the main difference really which I usually don’t plug movies, and then it required -is a sense of perspective and but I strongly recommend people AUDIENCE MEMBER: Chandler. realization that nothing worthwhile take their kids and their grandkids The commissioner, Happy happens in six months or a year. It to see this. A lot of people don’t Chandler. happens over decades. It happens necessarily remember the story THE PRESIDENT: -- and it just over generations, that the story of Jackie Robinson or if they it’s -- it required a succession of people of America has been us steadily, sort of vague. His widow, Rachel making tough choices, but the right through fits and starts, expanding Robinson was there. She’s 90 choice. And then slowly things opportunity, creating a more perfect years old and gorgeous. And in changed. A culture transformed union, seizing the promise of the the theater at the White House, I itself.  future, fighting off some of our own thanked her. I thanked the people www.whitehouse.gov/the-pressworst impulses. And that any one of who made the film, just for reminding office/2013/04/04/remarksus, our job is not to do it by ourselves me in very visceral terms that in her president-dccc-event-sanor get it all done in one year or one lifetime, she saw her husband being francisco-ca-0 term or even necessarily in our the first African American to play in lifetimes, but our job is to make sure Major League Baseball, and now Support the Jackie Robinson that we’re pressing and pushing so she’s sitting there with me, in the Foundation. that the whole country, over time, is White House. That’s a long time -www.jackierobinson.org 76  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest

In Remembrance of the Life, Work and Legacy of

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.â&#x20AC;? January 15, 1929 - April 4, 1968

Community/Public Interest

Project Orange: Stop The Violence What is Project Orange Tree?

roject Orange Tree is an awareness campaign that focuses on educating youth about violence and its roots (structural violence). It is completely run by teens of Chicago and is in close affiliation with the Lupe Fiasco Foundation (www. lupefiascofoundation.org). The color orange is used because hunters wear the color to warn other hunters not to shoot. We took that same concept and applied it to the violence in Chicago. We used the tree because it represents both life and prosperity. Incorporating both the color orange and the tree we created: Project Orange Tree. Most of the victims that died in the year 2012 were innocent bystanders. By wearing orange on April 1st we are showing others that we are human and wish not be gunned down, because bullets do not discriminate against race, age, or sexual orientation. Gun Violence has become an epidemic, and will soon result in genocide, especially in the African American community. “Structural violence refers to systematic ways in which social structures harm or otherwise disadvantage individuals. Structural violence is subtle, often invisible, and often has no one specific

person who can (or will) be held responsible.” By raising awareness about how structural violence directly affects deviant behavior we can slow down gun violence in Chicago. The people have to realize that gun violence is a result of how the government has manipulated variables that put us in cramped homes, land us in food deserts, and gives us poor educational opportunities, all resulting in deviant behavior. In order to make a difference, the citizens of the world have to

correctly identify the root problem of violence, and find ways fix them, or build a bridge over it. Project Orange Tree is doing this. Wearing orange on April 1st will create unity amongst all races, ages, genders, and economic statuses, while providing awareness about structural violence, ultimately creating a central mindset: Peace on earth.

Call for Worldwide Solidarity

There are many ways to show see Project Orange on page 79

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Community/Public Interest

Project Orange from page 78

solidarity with the youth of Chicago to raise awareness about Chicago (and worldwide) violence - wear orange and/or fast starting April 1st; create and display orange graphic works; and spread the Project Orange concept all around the world to show solidarity to stop unnecessary violence and the loss of life. When asked why you are fasting sun-up to sun-down say,“ I am fasting for those who cannot eat, because they are dead”. April 1st is not simply an event to wear Orange, it is not necessarily a gathering, so do it wherever in the world you may be. Spread this to friends if you can. If you go to another campus or are somewhere other than Chicago make people aware of it in any way possible. If you are healthy, join the 4 day fast from April 1st to 4th not eating during sunlight. If you have further questions or to show your support visit the Project Orange Facebook page.

Facebook Outreach

The Project Orange Facebook pages (www.facebook.com/ events/142819045889950) functions include: • To discuss Chicago (and worldwide) violence if it has directly affected you • To have something to send your friends to describe the movement. Feel free to invite your friends as well. I know it feels weird inviting people to something like this, but hey makes facebook productive towards a larger purpose. • To post pictures of you wearing orange and or your empty plate if you choose to fast. • To discuss ideas for future events. • To add your name to the growing list of Project Orange supporters

Note for the cynical:

It is important that I make clear that this is a catalyst event to start a true discussion and fight the cancer of violence in Chicago and around the world. This is only the beginning. There will be more events and actions. Send your ‘Shout Out’ to the students who started this crusade:

@LupeFiascoFoundation @LupeFiasco @Pro_OrangeTree #ProjectOrangeTree #EndChiViolence

Remember, we are the change we are looking for. 

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International

The Long Lost Continent Found Hidden Beneath the Paradise Beaches of Mauritius

By Damien Gayle

eneath t h e waters of the Indian Ocean, by the idyllic islands of Reunion and Mauritius, there lies traces of an ancient, h i d d e n continent, new research claims. T h e continent fragment known as Mauritia detached about 60 million years ago while Madagascar and India drifted apart, researchers say, and had lain concealed beneath huge masses of lava. And it appears such microcontinents hidden beneath the oceans occur more frequently than previously thought, says a study in the latest issue of Nature Geoscience (www.nature.com/ ngeo/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ ngeo1736.html). Mauritia was a strip of land which was once tucked between India and Madagascar - two landmasses now separated by thousands of miles of deep ocean, but which were then next door to each other. An international team of

Paradise beach: An international team of researchers deduced the existence of a lost continent beneath the waters of the Indian Ocean through a study of grains of sand taken from the beaches of Mauritius

researchers deduced its existence through a study of grains of sand taken from the beaches of Mauritius. The grains were dated back to a volcanic eruption which took place about nine million years ago, but analysis showed they contained minerals that were much older. Professor Trond Torsvik, from the University of Oslo, Norway, told the BBC: “We found zircons that we extracted from the beach sands, and these are something you typically find in a continental crust. They are very old in age.”

The break-up of continents is often associated with geological phenomena known as mantle plumes. These are giant bubbles of hot rock which rise from deep within our planet and soften tectonic plates from below, until the plates break apart at the hotspots. This is how Eastern Gondwana broke apart about 170 million years ago. At first, one part was separated, which in turn fragmented into see Lost Continent on page 81

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International

Lost Continent from page 80

Madagascar, India, Australia and Antarctica, which then migrated to their present position. Plumes currently sitting beneath the islands Maritius and Reunion appear to have played a role in the emergence of the Indian Ocean. If the zone of the rupture lies at the edge of a land mass (in this case Madagascar and India), fragments of this land mass may be separated off. The Seychelles are a well-known example of such a continental fragment. A group of geoscientists from Norway, South Africa, Britain and Germany have now published research that suggests, based on the study of lava sand grains from the beach of Mauritius, the existence of further fragments. The sand grains contain semiprecious zircons aged between 660 and 1,970 million years, which is explained by the fact that the zircons were carried by the lava as it pushed through subjacent continental crust of this age. This dating method was supplemented by a recalculation of plate tectonics, which explains exactly how and where the fragments ended up in the Indian Ocean. Dr. Bernhard Steinberger of the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences and Dr. Pavel Doubrovine of Oslo University calculated the hotspot trail. ‘On the one hand, it shows the position of the plates relative to the two hotspots at the time of the rupture, which points towards a causal relation,’ said Dr. Steinberger. ‘On the other hand, we were able to show that the continent fragments continued to wander almost exactly over the Reunion plume, which explains how they were covered by

The coloured track (left colour scale) west of Reunion is the calculated movement of the Reunion hotspot. The black lines with yellow circles and the red circle indicate the corresponding calculated track on the African plate and the Indian plate, respectively. The numbers in the circles are ages in millions of years. The areas with topography just below the sea surface are now regarded as continental fragments

volcanic rock.’ So what was previously interpreted only as the trail of the Reunion hotspot, are continental fragments which were previously not recognised as such because they were covered by the volcanic rocks of the Reunion plume. It therefore appears that such

micro-continents in the ocean occur more frequently than previously thought.  www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ article-2284103/How-sandsparadise-beaches-Mauritiusrevealed-traces-long-lostcontinent-beneath-Indian-Ocean. html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_ campaign=1490

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International

icrosoft Corp., the world’s biggest software maker, said it started a $75 million program that will put as many as a million small African businesses online in the next three years. The company’s 4Afrika Initiative (www.microsoft.com/africa/4afrika/ default.aspx) will also offer business training for as many as 200,000 people and create an online hub for application development and business networking, said Louis Otieno, the project’s legal and corporate affairs director. “The purpose of this is to find ways of engaging the continent on economic development and making it a globally competitive place,” he said yesterday by phone from the capital, Nairobi. Microsoft also plans to sell “tens of millions” of smartphones, computers and other devices at a discount under the program, Otieno said. Africa has fewer than five mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 people, compared with more than 10% for the rest of the world, according to the Geneva-based International

Microsoft Starts $75M Program to Spur African Businesses

Telecommunications Union. The continent is expected to have the fastest mobile-phone connection growth over the next five years, according to Chicago-based consultancy A.T. Kearney. About 10% of Africa’s more than 1 billion people have access to the Internet, and that number may rise

to as many as 400 million by 2015, according to web-search provider Google Inc., which expects to make a profit in Africa by 2017.  http://newyork.newsday.com/ business/technology/microsoftstarts-75m-program-to-spurafrican-businesses-1.4564693

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International

larger screens of broadcast television. The production company Made in Africa TV is taking AfriGadget to the East African airwaves to inspire millions of viewers to become active creators of new and ingenious products, themselves. Each episode of AfriGadget TV will consist of five thoughtful stories from around the region, highlighting remarkable and unexpected hardware innovations by East Africans. These stories are inspiring mini-documentaries, portraying young and old, men and women, as well as high and lowtech innovators and their products. Made in Africa TV plans to produce AfriGadget as separate programs in each of the Kenyan, Tanzanian and Ugandan television markets. A local presenter will host the program and introduce the correspondents and their stories.

AfriGadget TV

AfriGadget is a website dedicated to showcasing African ingenuity. A team of bloggers and readers contribute their pictures, videos and stories from around the continent. The stories of innovation are inspiring. It is a testament to Africans bending the little they have to their will, using creativity to overcome life’s challenges.

friGadget is graduating from the small screens of laptops and smart phones to the

African Stock Exchanges • Bolsa de Valores of Cape Verde - www.bvc.cv (in Portuguese) • Bond Exchange of South Africa - www.bondexchange. co.za • Botswana Stock Exchange www.bse.co.bw • Bourse Regionale des Valeurs Mobilieres - UEMOA (Abidjan, Ivory Coast) - www.brvm.org • Casablanca Stock Exchange (Morocco) - www.casablancabourse.com/bourseweb/index. aspx • Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (Tanzania) - www. dse.co.tz • Douala Stock Exchange (Cameroon) - www.douala-stockexchange.com/index_us.php • The Egyptian Exchange - www.

egx.com.eg/English/homepage. aspx • Ethiopia Commodity Exchange - www.ecx.com.et • Ghana Stock Exchange - www. gse.com.gh • Johannesburg Stock Exchange (South Africa) - www. jse.co.za/Home.aspx • Khartoum Stock Exchange (Sudan, in Arabic) - www.kse. com.sd • Libyan Stock Market - www. lsm.ly/_layouts/membership/ login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fEnglis h%2fPages%2fdefault.aspx • Lusaka Stock Exchange (Zambia) - www.luse.co.zm • Nairobi Stock Exchange (Kenya) - www.luse.co.zm • Malawi Stock Exchange - www. mse.co.mw

Combined, these stories offer a unique opportunity to discover a wide range of innovations, new products and different approaches to the same goal. The program will be broadcast on a weekly basis. Made in Africa TV is an East African social enterprise producing mass media with a social impact. We are in the process of setting up a network of video journalists from across Africa to produce the stories, which will be made available on the website as well. As an AfriGadget TV-correspondent you explore your local surroundings to find and capture the innovators and their AfriGadgets. If you are a videographer willing to become a correspondent for this program, or if you know of great AfriGadgets that should be considered for inclusion, please send an email to afrigadget@gmail.com.  www.afrigadget.com

• Mozambique Stock Exchange (in Portuguese) - www. bolsadevalores.co.mz • Namibian Stock Exchange www.nsx.com.na • Nigerian Stock Exchange www.nse.com.ng/Pages/default. aspx • Stock Exchange of Mauritius www.stockexchangeofmauritius. com • Swaziland Stock Exchange www.ssx.org.sz • Tunisia Stock Exchange - www. bvmt.com.tn • Uganda Securities Exchange www.use.or.ug Read the last issue of The Exchange Magazine www.nse.co.ke/media-center/ecommunique/exchange-magazine/ category/50-free-version.html)

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International

Young African Outsmarts Hungry Lions By: Pete Thomas, GrindTV.com

Richard Turere with his family’s livestock

ichard Turere, 13, had reason to despise lions while growing up with his family on a ranch in Kenya: The beasts routinely killed their livestock, which he was largely responsible for. Rather than fret, however, the clever boy put his mind to work and devised an invention that not only deters lions, but does so without killing or injuring them. (Lions, whose numbers have shrunk to an alarming level, are vital to the ecosystem and valuable as a tourist attraction in nearby Nairobi National Park. The park boasts the world’s largest concentration

of lions, which often perceive livestock on nearby ranches as easy pickings.) The invention, one what has proved remarkably successful after a series of other experiments had failed, stemmed from Turere’s discovery, when he was 11, that lions became skittish at night when people walked around with flashlights. “I discovered that the lions were scared of the moving light,” he told CNN (www.cnn.com/2013/02/26/ tech/richard-turere-lion-lights/ index.html?hpt=hp_c1). He gathered dozens of LED lights

and rigged them to a battery and solar panel that powered the family television. He devised a way to make the lights flash and placed the bulbs on poles surrounding the livestock enclosure. The nighttime livestock raids ended, and Turere’s “Lion Lights” system is now widely used in the region, helping ranchers deal with the predators in a manner that no longer has to involve shooting them. “I did it myself, no one taught me, I just came up with it,” Turere said. “I had to look after my dad’s cows see Hungry Lions on page 85

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International

Hungry Lions

from page 84

fire but that backfired, he said, because “it was helping the lions see through the cowshed.” Another was a scarecrow. “I was trying to trick the lions. But lions are clever,” he said, explaining that on the first day the lions saw

an event blog post, Turere told the crowd: “A year ago I was a boy in a savannah grassland. I saw planes fly over and I said I’d be inside one day. I had a chance to come by plane for the first time for TED. My dream is to become an aircraft

the scarecrow and fled, but on the second they realized the scarecrow wasn’t moving and killed several cows. Of being invited to the TED Conference ( h t t p : / / conferences. t e d . c o m / TED2013), according to

engineer and pilot when I grow up.” To be sure, for this bright kid, the sky seems to be the limit. 

and make sure that they were safe.” Because of his ingenuity, and his adeptness at engineering without training and with limited resources, Turere was invited to S o u t h e r n California for the 2013 TED Conference, where he has shared a platform with other top innovators. He also received a scholarship to Brookhouse International School (www. brookhouse. ac.ke) in Nairobi, where he now studies. T u r e r e shared two of his previous lion-deterring ideas at the conference. Turere speaking at the 2013 TED Conference, One involved a gathering of top innovators

African Lion: Friends of Nairobi National Park, www.kws.org/parks/parks_reserves/NANP.html

Note: To learn more about Richard Turere and the lion issue please see story and video posted by Afrigadget (www.afrigadget. com/2012/04/18/13-year-oldkenyan-innovator-saves-cattlefrom-lions-with-lights) www.grindtv.com/outdoor/ blog/51172/kenya+boy+13+gains+ fame+for+protecting+livestock+fro m+lio

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International

Made in Africa TV

t isn’t easy doing business in Sub-Saharan Africa, with its 52 countries, mishmash of cultures and population of nearly one billion,

to Sub-Saharan broadcasters. And Bierens, for one, is intending to make the most of this gathering momentum. “We aim to produce programmes with social impact,” he says. “The

leave; from corruption to street beggars. “It’s really rock ‘n’ roll TV — a moving minibus packed with people passionately discussing their issues,” Bierens says. “It’s fun, informal and full of energy.”

MINIBUZZ commuters the majority of whom do not even have electricity, yet alone television sets. “You have to be ‘Africa-proof’ to succeed,” admits Frank Bierens, executive producer of Tanzaniabased Made In Africa TV, which develops and produces massmarketing programming with “a genuine African essence” for the Sub-Saharan region. The central challenge is how to produce industrial quantities of quality local content on relatively small budgets. Basically, there is a lack of funds and abundance of airtime. But things are changing. With the region’s economies growing at warp speed and TV penetration booming thanks to cheap imported sets from China, the multinationals are allocating ever larger budgets

countries in which we launch — Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, Zambia — are often young and struggling democracies. Television allows people to get better information more quickly, cheaply and reliably. In this respect, TV plays a pivotal role in the development process of these countries.” Minibuzz, a daily 30-minute current-affairs format, epitomises Made In Africa TV’s determination to make programming that reflects the views and voices of ordinary Africans. Recorded every morning on a minibus that has been transformed into a mobile TV studio, the show’s participants are random passengers who discuss and debate the issues that inform their lives, from soccer to maternity

And it’s also proving to be a primetime hit. Launched in June 2010 on Tanzanian Broadcasting Corporation (it now airs on ITV), Minibuzz quickly became the mostviewed programme in Tanzania, pulling in a viewership of more than 2.7 million people a day. Recently, it launched in Kenya and is set to debut in Uganda, followed by West Africa. Minibuzz’s success can be measured in more than ratings. “Research shows that the programme is having a significant impact on the political, economic and social issues that affect the ordinary Tanzanian’s life and wellbeing.”  www.frapa.org/2011/05/05/newmember-profile-made-in-africa-tv

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International

Novelist Chinua Achebe Dies at 82

rof. Chinua Achebe, the grandfather of modern African literature, is dead. He was 82. A source close to the family said the professor had been ill for a while and was hospitalised in an undisclosed hospital in Boston. The source declined to provide further details, saying the family will issue a statement on the development. More than 50 years ago, Achebe wrote “Things Fall Apart,” a novel about an African tribe’s fatal brush with British colonialism in the 1800s that told the story of colonialism for the first time from an African perspective. Written in English, “Things Fall Apart” told a world audience

about the upheaval that Africa had endured. It was translated into 50 languages and sold more than 8 million copies worldwide. Until his death, according to premiumtimesng.com, Prof. Achebe was the David and Marianna Fisher University Professor and Professor of Africana Studies at Brown. Achebe’s global significance lies not only in his talent and recognition as a writer, but also as a critical thinker and essayist who has written extensively on questions of the role of culture in Africa and the social and political significance of aesthetics and analysis of the postcolonial state in Africa. Achebe is distinguished in his

substantial and weighty investment in the building of literary arts institutions. His work as the founding editor of the Heinemann African Writers Series led to his editing over one hundred titles in it. He also edited the University of Nsukka journal Nsukkascope, founded Okike: A Nigerian Journal of New Writing and assisted in the founding of a publishing house, Nwamife Books–an organization responsible for publishing other groundbreaking work by awardwinning writers. He continued his long-standing work on the development of institutional spaces where writers can be published and develop creative and intellectual community. 

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see On The Rise on page 88 88  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

ACCESS: Africa, Middle East & South Asia 2013 International Trade Conference

San Diego, CA | May 1 – 2, 2013 | San Diego Marriott La Jolla ACCESS 2013 is a unique opportunity to hear directly from U.S. Commercial Service Officers serving in some of the world’s fastest growing economies. ACCESS 2013 can help your company identify new export markets and opportunities in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, obtain the resources necessary to succeed in these markets, and develop market entry strategies. U.S. State Department Foreign Service Officers stationed in these world regions have been invited to actively participate in ACCESS 2013. Senior Commercial Officers from the following countries will attend ACCESS 2013: Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, India, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates and more. Register and schedule your one-on-one meetings with the Commercial Service Officers and Specialists so that they may help you identify new export markets, and develop market entry strategies. .

REGISTRATION INFORMATION:

Early Bird Rate (through March 31): $495 Rate after April 1: $595 Government Rate: $295 On Site Fee: $700 Conference Hotel Venue: San Diego Marriott La Jolla, 4240 La Jolla Village Drive, La Jolla, California USA Registration Link: www.regonline.com/access2013internationaltradeforum

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: www.regonline.com/builder/site/tab3.aspx?EventID=1167401

About the U.S. Commercial Service

The U.S. Commercial Service is the trade arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration. U.S. Commercial Service trade professionals in over 100 U.S. cities and in more than 75 countries help U.S. companies get started in exporting or increase sales to new global markets. With offices in 108 U.S. cities and U.S. Embassies and Consulates in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service connects U.S. companies with international partners. For more information on the U.S. Commercial Service visit, www.export.gov

Bobby Hines (bobby.hines@trade.gov) 213-894-4231, FAX: 213-894-8789 444 S. Flower Street, 37th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071 www.export.gov

Other Trade Information:

Service: California StateTradeExport Promotion-STEP- facilitates exports using “offsets” http://californiastep.org Event: Collection Premiere Moscow (CPM) International Fashion Trade Show www.cpm.moscow.com February 26 - March 1, 2013, Expocentre Moscow, Russia Contact: kim-bang.nguyen@trade.gov Event: ACCESS 2013 International Trade Forum – Africa, Middle East, South Asia San Diego Marriott La Jolla - San Diego, CA May 1-2, 2013 http://export.gov/california/ca/events/access2013/sandiegoaccess2013055759.asp

RESOURCES FOR GOING GLOBAL Dear International Executive,

f you have any questions about these initiatives, please contact your local U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist. To find the trade specialist nearest you please visit http://export.gov/usoffices/ index.asp. And, remember to use these outreach tools to grow your international business: Sell Worldwide in the USA Product Showcase; Commercial News USA: Buy 2, Get 1 Free; and Read the Digital Edition of America’s Export Promotion Magazine. Happy Exporting! *************************

Event: Africa Growth Conference: Africa Open for Business Location: UCLA – Anderson School of Business Date/Time: April 17, 201 Cost: FREE Registration: Onsite UCLA Anderson’s African Growth Conference aims to bring together business leaders, professionals, academics, and students to discuss business trends, challenges and the increasing importance of the role of African countries in the global economy. It also provides a collaborative forum for participants to build networks, exchange ideas, and share knowledge and best practices. The 2013 conference will provide an opportunity for its audience, composed of industry professionals, government leaders, academics and other stakeholders who are interested in learning more about the region, to learn from influential and impactful leaders and hear their insights on the trends, challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in investing in and doing business with the region.

Event: Irvine Chamber Global Markets Webinar Series Topic: Increase Export Sales by Safely Extending Payment Terms Location: Your Computer Date/Time: April 17, 2013, 10am11am Cost: FREE Register: www.irvineglobalmarkets. com Featured Speaker: Gary Mendell, President of Meridian Finance Group

approach to help manufacturers with their export initiatives. ExporTech will connect you with the best international business experts in the region, assist you in developing an export growth plan, generate measureable results, and more. The program is designed for senior level management and requires a commitment to attend all three sessions. For more information contact: Elizabeth Glynn at (310) 9840728 or email: eglynn@cmtc.com

Event: Access the Western Hemisphere Location: Minneapolis, MN Radisson Plaza Hotel Date/Time: April 23-24, 2013 Cost: $299 Learn More / Register: http://www. exportassistance.com/wh-agenda This annual conference will bring 10 Senior Commercial Diplomats covering over 15 markets across the Western Hemisphere. Participants will discover how to identify new export opportunities, increase market share and competitive edge, and develop strategic relationships with those that are on the forefront of business and exporting in these key markets.

Event: ACCESS 2013 Trade Forum on Africa, Middle East, and South Asia Venue: San Diego, CA Date/Time: May 1 & 2, 8am-5pm Cost: $595 Link to Register: www.export.gov/ sandiego ACCESS 2013 International Trade Forum is a unique opportunity to hear directly from U.S. Commercial Service Officers and U.S. State Department Officers who serve in some of the world’s fastest growing economies (one-on-one meetings can be scheduled). Regional experts from Africa, the Middle East and South Asia will convene on May 1-2, 2013 in San Diego for ACCESS 2013, the first time that this event is being held in California. In addition to 25 government speakers, over 50 private sector leaders will speak and participate in the ACCESS two-day program focused on trade opportunities by industry sector and world region.

Event: ExporTech Corporate Management Program Location: Norwalk, CA Date/Time: April 24, May 22, and June 19, 2013 Cost: Early Bird Registration $3,500 per company for 2 executives Learn more/register at: http://www. cmtc.com/Portals/103829/docs/ exportech_sfs_04.24.13.pdf Learn how to improve your export initiatives or get started on the exporting path! CMTC, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Commerce Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and U.S. Commercial Service in collaboration with regional partners are presenting an in-depth and accelerated

Event: 2013 Export Workshop Series Location: ITT Technical Institute – Sylmar Date/Time: May 1-August 7, 201 Cost: FREE of charge Register: Jean Coronel at jcoronel@ portla.org or register at: http://tinyurl. com/ExportUSFValley see Going Global on page 91

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Going Global

exporting in these key markets. from page 90

Eight International Trade Workshops will be presented every two weeks from May 1, 2013 through August 7, 2013. Export counseling will be offered by appointment in Session 8. Session topics include the following:

• May 1: International Business Culture • May 15: Is Exporting for Me? • May 29: Finding & Entering New Export Markets/International Matchmaking • June 5: Internet Export Marketing • June 19: Export Sales Techniques and Documentation • July 10: Export Trade Finance & Insurance - Getting Paid • July 24: Legal Do’s and Don’ts for Exporters • August 7: Freight & Logistics / Export Planning and Counseling

Event: Gateway to Europe Conference Location: Minneapolis, MN Radisson Plaza Hotel Date/Time: June 4-5, 2013 Cost: $299 Early bird rate, $349 regular rate Learn More: http://www. exportassistance.com/eu-about-theconferences Cost: Early Bird Rate $70 until December 14 (after: $90) The MN District Export Council, in cooperation with the U.S. Commercial Service, is pleased to present the Gateway to Europe conference, the second of two regional International Trade Administration conferences to be held in Minneapolis in 2013! This annual conference will bring more than 25 Senior Commercial Diplomats and U.S. international trade officials covering the European, Russian and Turkish markets. Participants will discover how to identify new export opportunities, increase market share and competitive edge, and develop strategic relationships with those that are on the forefront of business and

Sell Worldwide in the USA Product Showcase for Just $499 Commercial News USA, the official export promotion magazine of the U.S. Department of Commerce, offers exporters an affordable way to promote their products and services in 178 countries worldwide. Now, you can advertise in the USA Product Showcase section of the magazine for just $499. Commercial News USA reaches more than a quarter-million buyers worldwide in print and 23,000 per month online. Reserve your space in the next issue today. For more information, call 1-800-581-8533 x 822, go online to http://www.thinkglobal.us, or send e-mail to export@thinkglobal.us. Follow Commercial News USA on LinkedIn and Twitter @comnewsusa Commercial News USA: Buy 2, Get 1 Free Commercial News USA, the official export promotion magazine of the U.S. Department of Commerce, offers exporters an affordable way to promote their products and services in 178 countries worldwide. Commercial News USA, the official export promotion magazine of the U.S. Department of Commerce, offers exporters an inexpensive way to promote their products and services in 178 countries worldwide. In addition to free Portuguese translation, you can take advantage of a special offer: Buy two ads and get the third ad for free (Based on one-time rates. Does not include Showcase section). Commercial News USA reaches more than a quarter million buyers worldwide. Reserve your space in the next issue today. For more information, call 1-800-581-8533 x 822, go online to http://www.thinkglobal. us, or send e-mail to advertise@ thinkglobal.us. Follow Commercial News USA on LinkedIn and Twitter @ comnewsusa. Read the Digital Edition of Commercial News USA Commercial News USA, the official export promotion magazine of the U.S. Department of Commerce, has launched a new interactive PDF

Trade Winds Asia May 12-15, 2013 Seoul, Korea

Extend your reach with optional Mission Stops, May 9-10 (Hong Kong or Manila) or May 16-17 (Taipei or Tokyo). For more information: www.export. gov/pennsylvania/tradewinds or e-mail: tradewindsasia@trade.gov with any questions. edition. The new edition is available for free at http://cnusa.thinkglobal. us Commercial News USA offers exporters an affordable way to promote their products and services in 178 countries worldwide. Now, you can take advantage of a special offer: Buy two ads and get the third ad for free (Based on one-time rates. Does not include Showcase section). Moreover, you will receive a free online listing in Portuguese. Commercial News USA reaches more than a quarter-million buyers worldwide. Reserve your space in the next issue today. For more information, contact your U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist, call 1-800-581-8533 x 822, go online to http://www.thinkglobal.us, or send e-mail to advertise@thinkglobal.us The U.S. Commercial Service - Your Global Business Partner. With offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration uses its global Network and international resources to connect U.S companies with international buyers worldwide. If you have any questions about these initiatives, please contact your local U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist. To find the trade specialist nearest you please visit http:// export.gov/usoffices/index.asp. Your privacy is important to us. Please note that we do not share our lists with parties outside of the U.S. Department of Commerce. You may review our privacy policy at http://www. commerce.gov/Privacy/index.htm ****************************

91  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Africa Global Business Forum 2013 COMESA-DUBAI: Bridging the Continent to the World 1-2 May 2013 Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai

he Africa Global Business Forum 2013 (AGBF 2013) is organised by Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry and COMESA Regional Investment Agency, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE. With the global business environment in rapid change, opportunities are opening up in new and developing economies, namely in Africa. Indeed, with a population of over 1 billion people and a combined GDP of close to US$2 trillion, Africa’s strong economic growth in recent years has made it a region of international focus and interest by many businesses that are flocking to the region for its multitude of economic prospects. The Africa Global Business Forum 2013 will offer a platform to over 2,000 policy-makers and global business leaders from Africa, the

GCC, Asia and Europe and beyond to discuss current challenges and business opportunities in finance, agribusiness, logistics, and trade across the economic blocs of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC), the South African Development Community (SADC), the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD) and the African Union (AU). The Forum will highlight Dubai’s strategic role as a world-class hub for doing business with Africa. The UAE government has shown great interest in expanding business with the continent seizing opportunities available on the African continent, with an estimated US$97bn in capital expenditure on the continent in the last 10 years.

The Africa Global Business Forum 2013 (www. africaglobalbusinessforum.com/ about-africa-global-businessforum-2013) will provide delegates with access to engaging sessions in which they will have the opportunity to exchange with high-level speakers as well as a large array of networking opportunities which can be taken forward in the designated Meeting Zones. The Forum will also give a flavour to what the African continent has to offer to its residents and visitors in terms of investments and tourism via the designated Tourism and African Investment Promotion Agency Zones, where a selection of African countries will display their main attractions, facilities and business opportunities.

Forum Objectives

The Forum aims to highlight the business opportunities in Africa and Dubai’s strategic link between the

92  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

see AGBF 2013 on page 93

pageant. Yityish told CNN that she was excited because President Obama is her role model. “I did a research project about him when I was in High School,” she said. “I know that he is a very powerful man, charismatic and he achieved a lot on his own by the virtue of the fact that he believed in himself, and this stuck with me.” Miss Israel attended the gala after the White House requested her presence.

iss Israel 2013 met with President Barack Obama at a gala dinner hosted by Israel’s president Shimon Peres.

The 21-year-old former IDF officer, Yityish Aynaw, was crowned on February 27th becoming the first Ethiopian-born Israeli to win the

AGBF 2013

mutually beneficial and fruitful business relations with the African continent and economic growth • To open dialogue between and create a platform of interaction for African Officials and the private sector, businessmen and government officials from Dubai, the GCC, Asia, Europe and beyond • To address challenges in Africa and promote related investment opportunities • To promote bilateral trade with COMESA and the African continent as a gateway to investment, by raising the awareness of African products, imports, exports as well as trade procedures, roles and regulations in African countries

from page 92

continent and the rest of the world. The key objectives of the forum are: • To increase bilateral trade and investment flows to COMESA, Africa, Dubai, GCC countries, Asia and the rest of the world, namely in agri-business, logistics, trade, financial services, and tourism • To market investment projects and opportunities in COMESA, EAC, SADC, IOC, ECOWAS, ECCAS, IGAD and the AU • To present success stories to support a positive perception of COMESA and Africa as investment destinations of choice • To highlight the role of Dubai as an international hub for business in and out of COMESA and Africa • To enlighten the private sector on the major positive changes which have taken place in COMESA Member States and African countries in terms of business and investment climate and the reforms which have made them possible • To identify the appropriate frameworks which lead to

Benefits of Attending

Delegates will have instant and exclusive access to network before the event with registered participants and request meetings through an online platform on the Forum website. Not merely a static participant, delegates will be fully involved in the forum featuring highlevel peer-to-peer dialogue to draw out innovative opportunities as well as:

www.tadias.com/03/22/2013/miss-israel-todine-with-president-obama

Photo credit: Avi Ohayon/GPO/ FLASH90

• Meet and network with top business leaders, key government officials and decision makers from Africa, UAE, GCC and other global countries. • Promote your investments and business projects to key decision makers and potential business partners in meeting zones and other networking opportunities. • Enhance your knowledge through engaging sessions and debates during which you will be able to exchange with those who are driving the agenda in the sectors of trade, logistics, agribusiness and finance. • Explore the different facilities and opportunities Dubai has to offer as a strategic hub for doing business in and out of Africa. • Identify key success factors and strategies to address challenges associated to doing business in Africa, GCC countries and beyond. Register for the Business Forum at www.africaglobalbusinessforum. com/international-delegateregistration. There is a US$150 fee for all internationally-based delegates. 

93  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

87th Annual World Trade Week Kick Off Breakfast JW Marriott at L.A. Live  May 2, 2013  7:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.  Cost: $75 Register: http://www.lachamber.com (World Trade Week Home) For more than 80 years, World Trade Week (WTW), an initiative of the L.A. Area Chamber of Commerce, has been the most extensive and unique program of its kind in the country. WTW dedicates itself to educating the public on the importance and benefits of global trade on the local and national economy through a series of educational programs and events. World Trade Week is celebrated throughout the month of May and is jumpstarted by the Chamber’s Annual WTW Kickoff Breakfast. The keynote address for this year’s breakfast will feature Tyler Bryson, Microsoft Corporation Enterprise & Partners Group Southwest District General Manager. Mr. Bryson overseas Microsoft’s sales for the largest 150+ customers in the Southwestern United States across California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and Hawaii. Through his leadership, Microsoft established the first-ever High Tech Customer Advisory Board, a vehicle for driving greater industry and customer feedback to Microsoft. Information available on the L.A. Area Chamber of Commerce www.lachamber.com International Trade Events Calendar; Global Initiatives; Educational Initiatives; Inside Global Trade

Thursday Blues at Uncle Darrow’s High Noon-2pm Every Thursday

Come by for lunch and relax to blues & jazz from our house band! 2560 S. Lincoln Blvd. Marina del Rey

North East corner of Washington & Lincoln

“LA Times Magazine favorite cajun food”

310-306-4862

www.uncledarrows.com 95  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

96  February 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Returning to Africa?

African Repatriation is an invaluable online resource for any African national who is thinking about returning to Africa. Our industry articles and specialist editorials provide the latest sector information. Why not find out for yourself and become a part of our growing community today? www.africanrepatriation. com

Career Opportunities in Africa Search and apply online for the latest vacancies in Africa with African Talent. We provide candidates and employers with the tools and resources needed in today’s competitive job market. For employers, we offer numerous options to feature your jobs in Africa and for candidates, reviewing the most recent job vacancies in Africa is a fast, easy process. Uploading your CV is simple and takes just a few moments. www.africantalent.com

98  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Leimert Park Village

An African American Cultural, Retail, Foods & Entertainment Center. Degnan Boulevard between Crenshaw & Leimert Blvds. 43rd Street-43rd Place, Los Angeles

www.sazacc.com

Shop, Eat, Relax in

Little Ethiopia Experience Africa in America

Culture, Retail, Entertainment

Fairfax Boulevard between Pico & Olympic Boulevard Los Angeles

International

One Africa:

Tell the US Government that North Africa is Africa Too!

oin with and support the United Africa Organization’s campaign to petition the U.S. Department of State to include the whole African continent under its Bureau of African Affairs.

Why?

The State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, led by Assistant Secretary Johnnie Carson, currently excludes Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia and Western Sahara from its agenda. Instead, the aforementioned countries are grouped with the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, together with Iran, Iraq, Israel and others. This artificial distinction between North Africa and the rest of Africa

negatively impacts US foreign policy relations throughout the entire continent of Africa. We unequivocally reject the argument that North African countries are outside the scope of African affairs. North Africa is geographically and historically part of the African continent, and all fifty-three (53) independent African states, including North African countries, are represented in the African Union (AU). It would be far more productive for the State Department to engage with the entire continent of Africa, including North Africa, under its Bureau of African Affairs. We are one Africa, from the Cape to Cairo, indivisible and bound together! Therefore, no square inch of African

land should be excluded from African affairs.

Sign The Petition!!!

Go to www.change.org/petitions/ one-africa-tell-us-state-departmentthat-north-africa-is-part-of-africa and sign the online petition to support this important proposition. Next tell everyone you know to sign. 

www.uniteafricans.org

Gathers Strategies, Inc. is in the heart of Downtown LA at

City National Plaza.

Gathers Strategies, Inc. 515 South Flower Street, 36th Floor  Los Angeles, CA 90071 USA Phone: 213-236-3554  Fax: 213-236-3501 Please stay in touch!

www.gathersstrategies.com  Follow us on Twitter @gathersstrat We appreciate your friendship and support and look forward to our continued association with you.

Cultural Interiors West &

Cordially Invited Cultural Interiors West 5573 West Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90019 Experience our exciting array of products from Cards to Cupcakes, African Masks, Asian Teacups, Healthy Herbal Teas, Gourd Purses, Candles, to Furniture

Artwear Handpainted Handbags, Skirts, Tees, Accessories, Calendars, Wall Hangings & More! http://gbabysworld.blogspot.com Gbabyartwear@hotmail.com or Gbabyart345@gmail.com Find Gbaby Products at the “Collective” http://www.atthecollective.com 280 Elizabeth Street, Atlanta, GA

Hope to see you soon!!! In the meantime visit us on Facebook www.facebook.com/pages/CulturalInteriors-West/140688362658236

JJ’s Belizean Cuisine 2618 W. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90008 1-323-293-2926

Introducing the .....

www.zambiausachamber.org 102  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Custom Culturally Inspired Wedding Rings & Fine Jewelry For The Entire Family. Unique One of a Kind Pieces Create your own designs. Transform old into new.

JendayiCollection.com 323.898.7468 877.898.7468

Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, First Floor 103  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Ask me to Cater Your

Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day Celebration

Bernahu Asfaw & Getahun Asfaw

1041 S. Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90019 323-938-8827 or 323-938-8806 • Fax: 323-932-6047 messob@gmail.com • www.messob.com

Open 7 days a week • 11am - 11pm

How to Do Business with Metro - Monthly Workshop

DECEMBER 11, 2012 9:30am – 12:00 pm May 14, 2013 TOPICS:    

Highway Program Forecast Measure R Projects Southern California High‐Speed Rail Project Contract Opportunities Short Term Lending Program

PRESENTERS: Doug Failing:

Executive Director, Highway Programs, Metro

Brian Boudreau:

Executive Director, Programs Management Oversight, Metro

Michael Gillam:

Deputy Program Director Southern California, High‐Speed Rail

Michelle Boehm:

Regional Director Southern California, California High‐Speed Authority

Scott Leslie: Project Director, Small Business Transportation Resource Center SW Region

Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization US DOT

Metro Headquarters Building 3rd Floor Board Room One Gateway Plaza Los Angeles, California 90012 Parking is $6.00

Metro hosts a two‐hour orientation/business workshop on the second Tuesday of every month to provide firms with information on how to do business with Metro. The session includes information on Metro’s certification program, vendor registration, contract look‐ahead schedules and other relevant information.

Metro’s procurement staff conducts one‐on‐one interviews with firms during the workshop. Please note that the workshop starts promptly at 9:30 AM. For further questions, please contact Sherman Gay, Ph.D. (HC) at gays@metro.net or at (213)922-3502.

Attendance is by RSVP only. Please RSVP to Sonya Turner �tturners@metro.net w with your name, company nam contact information, your product and/or service.

107  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

How Can Organizations Participate? > Employers > Financial institutions > Non-profits and governments > Educators and Youth Organizations > Military > Media

How Can Individuals Participate? > Assess your savings progress > Join America Saves > Test your savings knowledge > Take action to save more effectively > View savings messages > Read saver stories

What is America Saves Week? About America Saves Week Our Purpose Participating Organizations America Saves Week 2011 America Saves Week 2010 America Saves Week 2009

www.americasavesweek.org

www.TheArtofBidding.com is dedicated to the art and science of moving goods and services to market. This web site is useful to business managers responsible for their companiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; supply chain activities. This information is sponsored by the Southland Partnership Corporation that serves a wide range of supply chain management issues for large and small enterprises. Southland is in place to enhance supplier inclusion through the increased flow of goods and services by providing current information from initial sourcing all the way through to delivery to public and private sector endusers. Southland shares vital information of purchasing opportunities from production planning, order processing and fulfillment, inventory management, transportation, distribution, and professional service requirements. For some, this information on proposal estimating will be a refresher on how to submit an effective pricing plan, however, for other companies this may be just the information to create that winning response. All buyers seek to make the best investment when selecting outside resources. The supplier selection results from demonstrating efficiencies and generating the highest level of customer satisfaction at the most responsible lowest cost. In general all major buying entities look at the strategic, tactical, and operational functions of prospective suppliers.

http://www.americasavesweek.org/

1/12/2012

JWFA

Jamaal Wilkes Financial Advisors, LLC M a n a g i n g We a l t h I n t e l l i g e n t l y

WHY OWN GOLD IN YOUR IRA/401k Changing jobs creates a great opportunity for you to switch, or rollover, your former employer’s retirement plan into an IRA. Plus, it usually provides you with more investment options than if you left the money in your former employer’s plan or rolled the money into your new employer's retirement plan. The early 1980s presented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to buy stocks. Today, economic and political conditions appear to offer a similar opportunity in tangible assets such as physical gold. With the global economic environment growing more uncertain, physical gold has become the #1 alternative for IRA, 401k, 403b, and Pension Plans, as well as for non-retirement funds. Gold is produced primarily for accumulation while other commodities are produced primarily for consumption. Gold’s value does not arise from its usefulness in industrial or consumable applications. It arises from its use and historical worldwide acceptance as a store of value. Gold is money. A healthy measure of gold clearly belongs in every portfolio for the “Four Ps” – Personal Purchasing Power Protection. There are six primary reasons why investors own gold: As a hedge against inflation. As a hedge against a declining dollar. As a safe haven in times of geopolitical and financial market instability. As a commodity based on gold’s supply and demand fundamentals. As a store of value. As a portfolio diversifier. According to Bloomberg.com, on October 15, 2009, Paul Tudor Jones of Tudor Investment Corp, who manages about $11.6 billion out of Greenwich, Connecticut, told its investors, “I have never been a gold bug… but Gold is just an asset that, like everything else in life, has its time and place. And now is that time…Gold appears to be cheap. In our view, gold’s value should increase as its scarcity relative to printed currencies increases.” JAMAAL WILKES FINANCIAL ADVISORS makes 401(k) rollovers easy with just a few simple steps. Please call us at (310)209-8298 or email gold@jamaalwilkes.com for a web seminar presentation. Jamaal Wilkes Financial Advisors is an independent Registered Investment Advisor www.jamaalwilkes.com Phone: (310)209-8330 6601 Center Drive West, Suite 500 Los Angeles, CA 90045

109  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Eso Won Books

African American Books 4327 Degnan Boulevard, Leimert Park, Los Angeles

Give the Gifts that Keep on Giving! Come see our unsurpassed collection of books, music, videos, children’s books, and games!

323-294-0324

www.esowonbookstore.com //esowon.booksense.com for Calendar of Events

International Edition

Black Business News

View the International Edition at www.bbala.org

Watch & Support the Africa Channel! Time Warner • Comcast

Don’t have the Africa Channel in your area? Call Time Warner at: 1-888-892-2253 and ask that the Africa Channel be broadcast to ALL regions of your state. For information on the Africa Channel visit www.theafricachannel. com or send an e-mail inquiry to info@theafricachannel.com.

Black Meetings & Tourism Digital Magazine

he digital version of Black Meetings & Tourism magazine is available on-line. The current issues, as well as archived issues, can be viewed by visiting www.blackmeetingsandtourism. com and click on the image link located on the home page.The digital version is just a small part of BM&T’s expanded on-line presence, which includes a host of new departments, the twice-monthly e-newsletter, an increased focus on leisure travel, and many new marketing opportunities. The newly designed website offers a guest blog page, a video page and a variety of interactive and custom advertising products that will allow vendors direct access to the more than 45 billion dollar AfricanAmerican travel market. 

110  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Books to Consider... Defending the Spirit: A Black Life in America

by Randall Robinson

Randall Robinson rose from a poor childhood in the segregated South to become one of the most distinguished and controversial p o l i t i c a l activists of our time. Defending the Spirit is his story— an intimate portrait of what it means to be black in America. In 1977, Robinson f o u n d e d TransAfrica, the first organization to advocate the interests of African and Caribbean peoples. Now he has undertaken the extraordinary task of confronting racism within America’s most elite power structures and educating a new generation of political and social leaders. Both a searing memoir and a powerful depiction of racism at home and abroad, Defending the Spirit is a stirring call to a new era of African-American leadership. 

Quitting America: The Departure of a Black Man from His Native Land by Randall Robinson

Randall Robinson is quitting America, and this book charts his journey from the most powerful

nation on earth to the tiny tropical island where his wife was born. His search for a more peaceful and hospitable place grew out of the disappointment and increasing sense of abandonment he felt in the land of his own birth—an America that has sapped the creative energies of his race and “transfigured humanity.” From within a culture as different f r o m America as black is from w h i t e , Robinson is able to share why he needs to escape the racism he has fought all his life. Yet America is never far from his mind. The current state of political and socioeconomic affairs and why our leadership falls short of our expectations continue to inform his writing. 

Makeda

by Randall Robinson

On the eve of the Civil Rights movement, while struggling to survive the emotional vacuum of his family, young Gray March escapes into the safe and magical world of his grandmother Makeda’s tiny parlor. There his life is transformed by his visits to the aging matriarch, a woman blind since birth but who has always dreamed in color. She begins to confide in Gray the things she “sees” and remembers from her dream state, and a story starts to emerge, a story that becomes increasingly more detailed, layered with descriptions and historical accuracy beyond the scope of Makeda’s elementary school education. Gradually, Gray begins to make a connection…

…a connection between his grandmother’s dreams and the epic life of an African queen described in the Bible…

Part coming-of-age story, part spiritual journey, and part love story, Makeda is a universal tale of family, heritage, and the ties that bind. It is about the people who help to shape and mold us, and lead us into the light. Appealing to the deepest sense of who we are, Robinson plumbs the hearts of grandmother Makeda and her grandson Gray, and summons our collective blood memories, taking the reader on an unforgettable journey of the soul that will linger long after the last page has been turned. 

Other Books by

Randall Robinson include:

An Unbroken Agony: Haiti, from Revolution to the Kidnapping of a President The Reckoning: What Blacks Owe to Each Other The Debt: What America Owes to Blacks  www.randallrobinson.com Contact author at rr@rosro.com

111  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Calendar April… 4th-5th

Ex-Im Bank Annual Conference 2013 Register now for the international finance conference to learn about programs especially for minorityowned businesses: www.exim.gov.

June… 28th-30th

BET Experience at LA LIVE This 3-day entertainment festival is being held in conjunction with the 2013 BET Awards broadcast. Get your tickets at: www.axs.com/betexperiencevip.

October… 24th-26th

8th-9th

2013 Asia Pacific Business Outlook Conference “Opening Doors” SAVE THE DATE: Asia Pacific Business Outlook Conference 2013 at USC Davidson Center, Los Angeles, CA. For more information: www.apboconference.com

20th

Africare’s Bishop Walker Memorial Dinner Gala Help to continue the great work that

Center. The expo features include a Job Fair, Junior Business Camp, Fashion Show, and six pavilions business, technology, green living, automotive, home improvement, and health and beauty. Get detailed information on exhibiting, sponsorship and registration at: www.westcoastexpo.biz.

July… 6th-10th

42nd Annual Conference of Rainbow/PUSH Coalition & Citizenship Education Fund Register to attend the Chicagobased conference at: www.rainbowpush.org.

National Black Book Festival The 6th annual National Black Book Festival (NBBF) is sponsored by Cushcity.com, the world’s largest African-American retailer online. It will be held at Fallbrook Church, 12512 Walters Rd., in Northwest Houston, Tx. The festival attracts a wide array of authors, publishers,

September… 27th-28th

West Coast Expo The 2nd West Coast Expo will be held at the Los Angeles Convention

is carried out by Africare by supporting the annual dinner. For more information go to //http:africare.org

May…

book clubs, libraries and individual readers from the Southwest U.S. and nationwide. Get detailed information on exhibiting, sponsorship and registration at: www.nationalblackbookfestival.com. C

16th-17th

19th Annual National Conference - Ethiopian Community Development Council This unique event is dedicated solely to the topic of African refugees and immigrants in the United States. Register now at: http://ecdcus.org/Registration-1.asp or get information at: http://ecdcus.org/ Conference-home13.html.

www.regonline.com/access2013internationaltradeforum

112  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Resources Media Africa Interactive Multimedia Press/Content Agency in Africa www.africa-interactive.com Africa World Press Books www.africaworldpressbooks.com African Vibes Magazine www.africanvibes.com The African World www.theafricanworld.tv Africast TV www.africast.tv AllAfrica http://allafrica.com Black Wall Street Times http://bwstimes.com Black Business News Group www.blackbusinessnews.net Black Press USA www.blackpressusa.com BridesNoir www.bridesnoir.com CuisineNoir www.cuisinenoirmag.com DiasporaVoice www.blogtalkradio.com/diasporavoice Rock Me Africa //rockmeafrica.com

www.continentalacc.org Pan African Film Festival www.paff.org United African Organization http://uniteafricans.org Zambia-USA Chamber of Commerce www.zambiausachamber.org

Investment/Development Africa Reports www.africareports.com African Development Bank www.afdb.org African Export - Import Bank //afreximbank.com/afrexim/en The Exchange Magazine www.nse.co.ke Ventures www.ventures-africa.com

U.S. Government Commerce Department www.doc.gov International Trade Administration http://trade.gov Minority Business Development Agency www.mbda.gov Small Business Administration www.sba.gov State Department www.dos.gov

Organizations

White House www.whitehouse.gov

The African Union www.au.int/en Black Business Association www.bbala.org CauseCast www.causecast.com www.causecastfornonprofits.com Continental African Chamber of Commerce 114  April 2013  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

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YOUR LINK TO AFRICAN AMERICAN BUSINESS ENTERPRISE The Black Business Association, SBA 2007 Journalist of the Year, is pleased to invite you to be an integral part of our publication. Black Business News - Your Link to African American Business Enterprise throughout the nation. The Black Business News is the ofcial voice through which public and private entities advertise contract opportunities available to black business enterprise. Gain access to a highly afuent target market via outreach and advertising opportunities. • Outreach to Black Businesses • Advertorial/Feature Story Advertising • Profiles and Business Listings • Classified Ads and Bid Opportunities

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Our readers are BBA members, Black business owners, corporate buyers, prime contractors, community organizations and elected ofcials, who all turn to the Black Business News for business development news and information to take their business and project efforts to the next level of protability and success!

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Ad Type Measurements Full Page 10.25”x12.75” Half Page 10.25”x 6.75” Half Page 5.00”x12.75” Quarter Page 5.00”x 6.75” Eighth Page 5.00”x 3.00”

For more information contact: Earl “Skip” Cooper, II at 323-291-9334 E-mail: mail@bbala.org

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