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Publisher's Message

Ferguson, Missouri: A Casualty of Inequality in America!

hether viewed from race, income, social status, wealth or health inequalities, there is a disparaging gap between white and black in America. By every major statistical measurement, over the past 30 years inequality is growing markedly. Today, when viewed by the street protestors in Ferguson Missouri, inequality is a mounting social problem that has a tremendous price to pay on inclusive American prosperity. Although the racial gap in median income has closed slightly, non-white families only earn about half of what white families earn. This gap runs much wider when assets are measured by wealth, as white families claim about six times the net worth of non-white families, a gap that has changed little over the past generation. On October 16h of this year, the Black Business Association (BBA) will host their Procurement Summit at the downtown Los Angeles Regency Hotel. 

Black Business News Group P.O. Box 43159 Los Angeles, CA 90043 USA 323-291-7819 Fax: 323-298-5064

www.blackbusinessnews.net PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Earl “Skip” Cooper, II

ASSOCIATE EDITORS Sarah Harris Dean L. Jones

ENTREPRENEUR EDITOR Kim Anthony

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Belinda Foster

PRODUCTION MANAGER 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 © 2014 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. 

see Publisher's Message on page 3

3  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

About ABOUT THE BLACK BUSINESS NEWS GROUP… 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 news, the publications of the Black Business News Group impart current local, national and international industry and social trends and news affecting small businesses across the United States of America (USA), providing guides to greater access to financial capital, management efficiencies, business education, mentorship opportunities and social media networks. The goals of the Black Business News Group include: •

promoting USA-based black-owned business enterprises to a world wide audience.

•

offering business growth enhancing information on education, exhibitioning, international trading, technology, industry trends, and more.

•

exploring major public and private sector contracting methods to educate black-owned and operated enterprises.

•

gproviding an affirmative influence for emerging entrepreneurs by sharing innovative de-sign and creative cultural content that expos-es them to the history of black enterprisess and urges them to participate in the USA’s future.

•

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

WWW.BLACKBUSINESSNEWS.NET

2014/2015 Black Business Association Events

October 2014

Procurement Exchange Summit

February

Annual Awards Dinner

March

Salute to Black Women

June

Salute to Black Music Awards Dinner

Contents

BLACK BUSINESS NEWS…SEPTEMBER 2014 GOVERNMENT… 8 12 14 18 25

Attack on ISIL US Employment Profile President's Advisory Council-Doing Business in Africa Ebola Global Threat SBA Grows Impact Fund

EDITORIAL… 22

Our Work is Far From Done

ENTERTAINMENT… 28

BNN Show Biz Buzz

BUSINESS… 34 37 38 40 48 54 56 64

MED WEEK PROCLAMATION Melo7 Tech Partners Black Women-Owned Businesses Growing Fast More Return from Your Trade Show Booth XPrize Foundation Offers $15 million Mobile Business Card Apps Molly Campbell on East West Bank Board

PUBLIC INTEREST/COMMUNITY… 76

Business Profile - Rergina L. Faison

First Lady Promote Higher Ed Prep to High School Students

INTERNATIONAL… 84

Major General Williams Directs Ebola Campaign for USA

86 90

Africare in Ebola Fight Maker Fair Africa, December 2014

COLUMNS

3 - Publisher's Message 74 - Take A Look! 116 - Books to Consider... 120 - Calendar 122- Resources SPONSORS 6 - Black Business Association

SPECIAL SECTION… 104 Shopping Gallery

Cover image - Phallu Morgan

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Government

President Obama: “We Will Degrade and Ultimately Destroy ISIL” by David Hudson

President Barack Obama delivers an address to the nation on the U.S. Counterterrorism strategy to combat ISIL, in the Cross Hall of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

n an address from the State Floor of the White House, President Obama spoke to the nation tonight about ISIL -- and our comprehensive strategy to degrade and ultimately destroy the terrorist group. The President reiterated that as Commander-in-Chief, his “highest priority is the security of the American people,” and noted that we have “consistently taken the fight to terrorists” that threaten the United States:

We took out Osama bin Laden and much of al Qaeda’s leadership in Afghanistan and Pakistan. We’ve targeted al Qaeda’s affiliate in Yemen, and recently eliminated the top commander of its affiliate in Somalia. We’ve done so while bringing more than 140,000 American troops home from Iraq, and drawing down our forces in Afghanistan, where our combat mission will end later this year. Thanks to our military and counterterrorism professionals,

America is safer. “Still,” he said, “we continue to face a terrorist threat.” We can’t erase every trace of evil from the world, and small groups of killers have the capacity to do great harm. That was the case before 9/11, and that remains true today. And that’s why we must remain vigilant as threats emerge. At this moment, the greatest threats come from the Middle East and North Africa, where radical groups exploit grievances for their own gain. And

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Government one of those groups is ISIL -- which calls itself the “Islamic State.” ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) was formerly al Qaeda’s affiliate in Iraq, and has since gained territory on both sides of the Iraq-Syrian border by taking advantage of sectarian strife and the Syrian civil war. Although ISIL calls itself the “Islamic State,” the President emphasized that the terrorist group is neither Islamic nor a state. “ISIL is not ‘Islamic.’ No religion condones the killing of innocents, and the vast majority of ISIL’s victims have been Muslim,” President Obama said. “And ISIL is certainly not a state. ... It is recognized by no government, nor the people it subjugates.”

“ISIL is a terrorist organization, pure and simple.” Adding that ISIL’s sole vision is the slaughter of anyone and everyone who stands in its way, the President detailed the threat that ISIL poses to Iraq, Syria, and the broader Middle East. And “if left unchecked,” he said, “these terrorists could pose a growing threat beyond that region.” In a region that has known so much bloodshed, these terrorists are unique in their brutality. They execute captured prisoners. They kill children. They enslave, rape, and force women into marriage. They threatened a religious minority with genocide. And in acts of barbarism, they took the lives of two American journalists -- Jim Foley and Steven Sotloff. So ISIL poses a threat to the people of Iraq and Syria, and the broader Middle East -- including American citizens, personnel and facilities. If left unchecked, these

terrorists could pose a growing threat beyond that region, including to the United States. While we have not yet detected specific plotting against our homeland, ISIL leaders have threatened America and our allies. Our Intelligence Community believes that thousands of foreigners -– including Europeans and some Americans –- have joined them in Syria and Iraq. Trained and battlehardened, these fighters could try to return to their home countries and carry out deadly attacks. Noting the concern that many Americans have about these threats, he

made clear that the U.S. is “meeting them with strength and resolve.”

“Our objective is clear: We will degrade, and ultimately destroy, ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained counterterrorism strategy.”

ISIL) leader Abu Bakr alBaghdadi preaching at a mosque in Mosul, Iraq

The Four Parts of the U.S. Strategy In his address, the President outlined the four key parts of the United States’ strategy to defeat ISIL: 1. A systematic campaign of airstrikes against ISIL Working with the Iraqi government, we will expand our efforts beyond protecting our own people and humanitarian missions, so that see Destroy ISIL on page 10

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Government Destroy ISIL

from page 9

we’re hitting ISIL targets as Iraqi forces go on offense. Moreover, I have made it clear that we will hunt down terrorists who threaten our country, wherever they are. That means I will not hesitate to take action against ISIL in Syria, as well as Iraq. This is a core principle of my presidency: If you threaten America, you will find no safe haven.

2. Increased support to forces fighting ISIL on the ground In June, I deployed several hundred American servicemembers to Iraq to assess how we can best support Iraqi security forces. Now that those teams have completed their work –- and Iraq has formed a government –- we will send an additional 475 servicemembers to Iraq. As I have said before, these American forces will not have a combat mission –- we will not get dragged into another ground war in Iraq. But they are needed to support Iraqi and Kurdish forces with training, intelligence and equipment. We’ll also support Iraq’s efforts to stand up National Guard Units to help Sunni communities secure their own freedom from ISIL’s control. Across the border, in Syria, we have ramped up our military assistance to the Syrian opposition. Tonight, I call on Congress again to give us additional authorities and resources to train and equip these fighters. In the fight against ISIL, we cannot rely on an Assad regime that terrorizes its own people -- a regime that will never regain the legitimacy it has lost. Instead, we must strengthen the opposition as the best counterweight to extremists like ISIL, while pursuing the political solution necessary to solve Syria’s crisis once and for all.

3. Drawing on our substantial

counterterrorism capabilities to prevent ISIL attacks Working with our partners, we will redouble our efforts to cut off its funding; improve our intelligence; strengthen our defenses; counter its warped ideology; and stem the flow of foreign fighters into and out of the Middle East. And in two weeks, I will chair a meeting of the U.N. Security Council to further mobilize the international community around this effort.

4. Providing humanitarian assistance to innocent civilians displaced by ISIL

This includes Sunni President Barack Obama, Defense Secretary Chuck Ha and Shia Muslims who Chiefs of Staff, listen to the national anthem during the are at grave risk, as well Memorial in Arlington, Va. (Official White House Photo b as tens of thousands of Christians and other religious partners in this fight, especially minorities. We cannot allow these Arab nations who can help mobilize communities to be driven from their Sunni communities in Iraq and Syria, to drive these terrorists ancient homelands. “This is our strategy,” the President from their lands. This is American said, adding that the United States leadership at its best: We stand has a “broad coalition of partners” with people who fight for their own freedom, and we rally other nations joining us in this effort: Already, allies are flying planes on behalf of our common security with us over Iraq; sending arms and and common humanity. President Obama also noted the assistance to Iraqi security forces bipartisan support for this strategy and the Syrian opposition; sharing here in the United States, and intelligence; and providing billions of dollars in humanitarian aid. welcomed congressional support Secretary Kerry was in Iraq today for the strategy “in order to show meeting with the new government the world that Americans are united and supporting their efforts to in confronting this danger.” promote unity. And in the coming days he will travel across the Middle East and Europe to enlist more

“Different from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan”

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Government they exist, using our air power and our support for partner forces on the ground. This strategy of taking out terrorists who threaten us, while supporting partners on the front lines, is one that we have successfully pursued in Yemen and Somalia for years. And it is consistent with the approach I outlined earlier this year: to use force against anyone who threatens America’s core interests, but to mobilize partners wherever possible to address broader challenges to international order.

agel, and Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint September 11th Observance Ceremony at the Pentagon by Pete Souza) The President made clear that eradicating ISIL won’t happen overnight, but he also detailed how this effort isn’t the same as our previous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan: Now, it will take time to eradicate a cancer like ISIL. And any time we take military action, there are risks involved -- especially to the servicemen and women who carry out these missions. But I want the American people to understand how this effort will be different from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil. This counterterrorism campaign will be waged through a steady, relentless effort to take out ISIL wherever

America’s responsibility to lead

President Obama called American leadership the “one constant in an uncertain world.” From fighting terrorism, to rallying the world against Russian aggression, to helping to stop the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa, the U.S. continues to play a critical leading role across the globe: It is America that has the capacity and the will to mobilize the world against terrorists. It is America that has rallied the world against Russian aggression, and in support of the Ukrainian peoples’ right to determine their own destiny. It is America -- our scientists, our doctors, our know-how -- that can help contain and cure the outbreak of Ebola. It is America that helped remove and destroy Syria’s declared

chemical weapons so that they can’t pose a threat to the Syrian people or the world again. And it is America that is helping Muslim communities around the world not just in the fight against terrorism, but in the fight for opportunity, and tolerance, and a more hopeful future.

“Our endless blessings bestow an enduring burden. But as Americans, we welcome our responsibility to lead.” When we helped prevent the massacre of civilians trapped on a distant mountain, here’s what one of them said: “We owe our American friends our lives. Our children will always remember that there was someone who felt our struggle and made a long journey to protect innocent people.” That is the difference we make in the world. And our own safety, our own security, depends upon our willingness to do what it takes to defend this nation and uphold the values that we stand for –timeless ideals that will endure long after those who offer only hate and destruction have been vanquished from the Earth. May God bless our troops, and may God bless the United States of America.  www.whitehouse.gov/ blog/2014/09/10/president-obamawe-will-degrade-and-ultimatelydestroy-isil www.whitehouse.gov/the-pressoffice/2014/09/10/statementpresident-isil-1 www.youtube.com/ watch?v=KvRd17vXaXM ww.youtube.com/ watch?v=7vPOPUhrfZM

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Government

Made in America: 11.3 Million Jobs by Tanya Somanader

he innovation and industry of the American worker are the foundations of the world’s largest economy and strongest middle class. A key part of what makes our economy so dominant is what we build here in America. Our electronics, medical equipment, cutting-edge machines, and top-of-the line vehicles are just some of the growing number of exports that are strengthening our economy and creating good-paying jobs here at home. In fact, a new report from the Department of Commerce shows that America’s goods and services exports directly supported more than 11.3 million American jobs in 2013, with goods exports alone supporting about 7.1 million of those jobs in communities across the country. Texas exports, for example, supported nearly 1.1 million jobs, more than any other state. The city of Houston topped all other metropolitan areas, creating $115 billion in goods exports. Check out this map to see how many people are making a living thanks to products that are made in America: Exports play a key role in American businesses' ability to spur economic growth and create jobs. That is

why President Obama launched the National Export Initiative, the first-ever comprehensive exports plan of its kind to help remove trade barriers abroad, to help small businesses overcome hurdles to entering new export markets, to assist with financing, and to pursue a government-wide approach to export advocacy. To build on the success of the NEI, the President and Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker are launching NEI/NEXT: a new customer service-driven strategy that will provide the latest resources to help businesses sell their goods and services in overseas markets. Learn more from Secretary Pritzker on how the Obama Administration is helping to boost American exports and grow our economy.

NEI/NEXT The Obama Administration has renewed its commitment to creating American jobs by launching a new phase of the National Export Initiative, NEI/ NEXT (http://trade.gov/nei). This new phase will build on the NEI's success by helping companies find export opportunities, gain access to financing, and move their goods across borders. NEI/NEXT will also open markets around the world while ensuring

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Government

a level playing field for American companies. My Administration is also helping American companies strengthen their global competitiveness by investing in cutting-edge manufacturing techniques. Over the past 4 years, factories that once went dark have turned on their lights again, and the United States has seen the first sustained growth in manufacturing jobs in over two decades. As we ensure the next technological revolution is American-made, we must also create new opportunities to sell our goods throughout the world. Alongside our partners in the Asia-Pacific, we are working to complete negotiation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which will lower barriers to trade, create jobs in America

and across the Pacific, and open up markets to our exports in the world's fastest-growing region. And to grow prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic, we launched negotiations with the European Union on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. America's economic strength is a source of strength in the world. As our global economy evolves, as countries forge ever-stronger links, the United States must not stand on the sidelines. If we do not shirk from this challenge, if we continue to embrace the grit and innovative spirit that has always defined our Nation, I am confident America's best days lie ahead.  www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/nei_ report_9-16-10_full.pdf

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THE WHITE HOUSE EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 13675 -- Establishing the President's Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa

y the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to promote broad-based economic growth and job creation in the United States and Africa by encouraging U.S. companies to trade with and invest in Africa, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Policy. The United States recognizes that Africa is a region of growing economic opportunity and innovation and aims to expand a trade and investment partnership that is grounded in shared interests and mutual responsibility. Africa offers a diverse and broad range of trade and investment opportunities in national and regional markets. The U.S. Government will encourage U.S. companies to seize the trade and investment opportunities offered by Africa's national and regional markets and help drive inclusive and sustained economic growth and the region's economic expansion, while also creating jobs here in the United States. Sec. 2. Establishment. Not later than 180 days after the date of this order, the Secretary of Commerce shall establish the President's Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa (Advisory Council). Sec. 3. Membership. (a) The Advisory Council shall consist of not more than 15 private sector corporate members, including small businesses and representatives from infrastructure, agriculture, consumer goods, banking, services, and other industries. The Advisory Council shall be broadly representative of the key industries with business interests in the functions of the Advisory Council as set forth in section 4 of this order. Appointments to the Advisory Council shall be made without regard to political affiliation. (b) Members of the Advisory Council shall be appointed by the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC), which was authorized by statute in 1992 (15 U.S.C. 4727) and established by Executive Order 12870 of September 30, 1993. Sec. 4. Functions. (a) The Advisory Council shall advise the President, through the Secretary of Commerce, on strengthening commercial engagement between the United States and Africa, with a focus on advancing the President's Doing Business in Africa Campaign as described in the U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa of June 14, 2012. (b) In providing the advice described in subsection (a) of this section, the Advisory Council shall provide information, analysis, and recommendations to the President that address the following, in addition to other topics deemed relevant by the President, the Secretary of Commerce, or the Advisory Council: (i) creating jobs in the United States and Africa through trade and investment; (ii) developing strategies by which the U.S. private sector can identify and take advantage of trade and investment opportunities in Africa; (iii) building lasting commercial partnerships between the U.S. and African private sectors; (iv) facilitating U.S. business participation in Africa's infrastructure development; (v) contributing to the growth and improvement of Africa's agricultural sector by encouraging partnerships between U.S. and African companies to bring innovative agricultural technologies to Africa; (vi) making available to the U.S. private sector an accurate understanding of the opportunities presented for increasing trade with and investment in Africa; (vii) developing and strengthening partnerships and other mechanisms to increase U.S. public and private sector financing of trade with and investment in Africa; (viii) analyzing the effect of policies in the United States and Africa on U.S. trade and investment interests in Africa; (ix) identifying other means to expand commercial ties between the United States and Africa; and (x) building the capacity of Africa's young entrepreneurs to develop trade and investment ties with U.S. partners. Sec. 5. Administration. (a) The Department of Commerce shall provide funding and administrative support for the Advisory Council to the extent permitted by law and within existing appropriations. (b) Members of the Advisory Council shall serve without either compensation or reimbursement of expenses. (c) The Secretary of Commerce shall designate a senior officer or employee of the Department of Commerce to serve as the Executive Director for the Advisory Council. (d) The Secretary of Commerce shall consult with the TPCC on matters and activities pertaining to the Advisory Council, including on activities related to implementation of the advice of the Advisory Council. The Secretary of Commerce shall invite representatives of TPCC agencies to attend meetings of the Advisory Council when issues relevant to their responsibilities are to be considered. Sec. 6. Termination. The Advisory Council shall function for such period as may be necessary but shall terminate 2 years after the date of this order, unless extended by the President. Sec. 7. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect: (i) the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or (ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations. (c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. (d) Insofar as the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) (the "Act") may apply to the Advisory Council, any functions of the President under the Act, except for those in section 6 of the Act, shall be performed by the Secretary of Commerce in accordance with the guidelines that have been issued by the Administrator of General Services.

BARACK OBAMA

Government

Announcement from the U.S. Federal Register Federal Register/Vol. 79, No. 176/Thursday, September 11, 2014/Notices

Seeking Applicantes for Membership on the President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa AGENCY: International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. ACTION: Notice of establishment of and an opportunity to apply for membership on the President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa. SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as directed by the President in Executive Order No. 13675 Establishing the President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa of August 5, 2014, has recently established the President’s Advisory Council (Advisory Council) on Doing Business in Africa and is seeking applications for membership. The purpose of the Advisory Council is to advise the President through Secretary of Commerce on strengthening commercial engagement between the United States and Africa, with a focus on advancing the President’s Doing Business in Africa Campaign as described in the U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa of June 14, 2012. DATES: All applications must be received by the Office of Advisory Committees and Industry Outreach by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on Tuesday, September 30, 2014. ADDRESSES: Please submit applications by email to DBIA@trade.gov, attention: Tricia Van Orden, Office of Advisory

Committees and Industry Outreach, President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa Executive Secretariat or by mail to Tricia Van Orden, Office of Advisory Committees and Industry Outreach, President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Suite 4043, Washington, DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa Executive Secretariat, U.S. Department of Commerce, Room 4043, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230, telephone: 202– 482–4501 , email: DBIA@ trade.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The President’s Advisory Council

on Doing Business in Africa (Advisory Council) is established pursuant to Executive Order No. 13675 dated August 5, 2014, for a two-year period ending August 5, 2016. This Advisory Council has been established in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended, 5 U.S.C. App., to advise the President through the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) on strengthening commercial engagement between the United States and Africa, with a focus on advancing the President’s D o i n g Business in Africa Campaign as described in the U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa of June 14, 2012 (www.whitehouse. gov/sites/default/files/docs/africa_ strategy_2.pdf). The Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, Office of Advisory Committees and Industry Outreach, is accepting applications for Advisory Council members. The Advisory Council shall provide information, analysis, and see Advisory Council on page 16

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Government Advisory Council

from page 15

recommendations to the President that address the following, in addition to other topics deemed relevant by the President, the Secretary, or the Advisory Council: (i) Creating jobs in the United States and Africa through trade and investment; (ii) developing strategies by which the U.S. private sector

can identify and take advantage of trade and investment opportunities in Africa; (iii) building lasting commercial partnerships between the U.S. and African private sectors; (iv) facilitating U.S. business participation in Africa’s infrastructure development;

(v) contributing to the growth and improvement of Africa’s agricultural sector by encouraging partnerships between U.S. and African companies to bring innovative agricultural technologies to Africa; (vi) making available to the U.S. private sector an accurate understanding of the opportunities presented for increasing trade with and

investment in Africa; (vii) developing and strengthening partnerships and other mechanisms to increase U.S. public and private sector financing of trade with and investment in Africa; (viii) analyzing the effect of policies in the United States

and Africa on U.S. trade and investment interests in Africa; (ix) identifying other means to expand commercial ties between the United States and Africa; and (x) building the capacity of Africa’s young entrepreneurs to develop trade and investment ties with U.S. partners. The Advisory Council shall consist of not more than 15 private-sector corporate members representing

U.S. companies, including small businesses and representatives from infrastructure, agriculture, consumer goods, banking, services, and other industries. The Advisory Council shall be broadly representative of the key industries with business interests in the

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Government functions of the Advisory Council as set forth above. Each Advisory Council member shall serve as the representative of a U.S. company engaged in activities involving trade, investment, development or finance with African markets. The Department particularly seeks applicants who are active executives (Chief Executive Officer, Executive Chairman, President or comparable level of responsibility); however, for very large companies, a person having substantial responsibility for the company’s commercial activities in Africa may be considered. For eligibility purposes, a ‘‘U.S. company’’ is a for-profit firm incorporated in the United States or with its principal place of business in the United States that is (a) majority controlled (more than 50 percent ownership interest and/or voting stock) by U.S. citizens or by another U.S. entity or (b) majority controlled (more than 50 percent ownership interest and/ or voting stock) directly or indirectly by a foreign parent company. Members are not required to be a U.S. citizen; however, members may not be registered as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Additionally, no member shall represent a company that is majority owned or controlled by a foreign government entity or entities. Members of the Advisory Council will be selected, in accordance with applicable Department of Commerce guidelines, based on their ability to carry out the objectives of the Advisory Council as set forth above. Members shall be selected in a manner that ensures that the Advisory Council is balanced in terms of points of view, industry subsector, activities in and with African markets, range of products and services, demographics, geography, and company size. Additional factors

which will be considered in the selection of Advisory Council members include candidates’ proven leadership and experience in the trade, investment, financing, development, or other commercial activities between the United States and Africa. Priority may be given to active executives (Chief Executive Officer, Executive Chairman, President or comparable level of responsibility). Appointments to the Advisory Council shall be made without regard to political affiliation. The Secretary appoints the members of the Advisory Council in consultation with the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC), a Federal interagency group led by the Secretary of Commerce tasked with coordinating export promotion and export financing activities of the U.S. Government and development of a government-wide strategic plan to carry out such activities. Members shall serve a term of two years, at the pleasure of the Secretary. Members shall serve in a representative capacity, representing the views and interests of their particular industry sector. Advisory Council members are not special government employees, and will receive no compensation for their participation in Advisory Council activities. Members participating in Advisory Council meetings and events will be responsible for their travel, living and other personal expenses. Meetings will be held regularly and, to the extent practical, not less than twice annually, in Washington, DC, or other locations as feasible. Teleconference meetings may also be held as needed. To be considered for membership, submit the following information by 5:00 p.m. EDT on September 30 to the email or mailing address listed in the ADDRESSES section: 1.) Name and title of the

individual requesting consideration. 2.) A sponsor letter from the applicant on his or her company letterhead containing a brief statement of why the applicant should be considered for membership on the Advisory Council. This sponsor letter should also address the applicant’s experience and leadership related to trade, investment, financing, development, or other commercial activities between the United States and Africa. 3.) The applicant’s personal resume and short bio (less than 300 words). 4.) An affirmative statement that the applicant meets all eligibility criteria, including an affirmative statement that the applicant is not required to register as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended. 5.) Information regarding the ownership and control of the company, including the stock holdings as appropriate, signifying compliance with the criteria set forth above. 6.) The company’s size, product or service line, and major markets in which the company operates. 7.) A profile of the company’s trade, investment, development, finance, partnership, or other commercial activities in or with African markets. 8.) Brief statement describing how the applicant will contribute to the work of the Advisory Council based on his or her unique experience and perspective (not to exceed 100 words). Dated: September 8, 2014. Jennifer Pilat, Director, Office of Advisory Committees & Industry Outreach. 

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Government

Ebola Outbreak a Threat to Global Security By David Hudson with content from Jim Kuhnhenn of Associated Press, Associated Press writers Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Erica Werner and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.

President Barack Obama, center, and from left, Secretary of Health and Human Services Slyvia M. Burrell, CC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden, and National Security Advisor Susan Rice, during a briefing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta.

alling the Ebola outbreak in West Africa a threat to world security, President Barack Obama broadly expanded the U.S. response by ordering thousands of troops to the region along with an aggressive effort to train health care workers and build treatment centers. He called on other countries to quickly supply more helpers, supplies and money. "If the outbreak is not stopped now,

we could be looking at hundreds of thousands of people affected, with profound economic, political and security implications for all of us," Obama declared after briefings at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Obama acted under pressure from regional leaders and international aid organizations who pleaded for a heightened U.S. role in confronting the deadly virus, especially in the hardest-hit countries of Liberia,

Sierra Leone and Guinea. At least 2,400 people have died, with Liberia bearing the brunt. The president described people dying in the streets and health care systems near collapse from this latest outbreak. "In West Africa, Ebola is now an epidemic," Obama said. "It's spiraling out of control, it is getting worse." At the same time, he offered assurances that the chances of an

18  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Government outbreak in the U.S. are "extremely low." The stepped-up U.S. response includes sending 3,000 troops to the region, including medics and corpsmen for treatment and training, engineers to help build treatment facilities and logistics specialists to assist in patient transportation. Troops would not provide direct care to Ebola patients. A substantial number will be stationed at an intermediate base in Senegal, with others at locations in Liberia, he said. Obama also announced that Maj. Gen. Darryl Williams, head of U.S. Army Africa, will head a military command center based in Liberia. The announcement came the same day the World Health Organization (WHO)warned that the number of West African Ebola cases could begin doubling every three weeks and that the crisis could end up costing nearly $1 billion to contain. Joanne Liu, president of Doctors Without Borders, said the global response was falling short. "The window of opportunity to contain this outbreak is closing," Liu told a meeting at the United Nations in Geneva. Dr. Margaret Chan, DirectorGeneral of the WHO, welcomed Obama's announcement, calling the U.S. offer "precisely the kind of transformational change we need to get a grip on the outbreak and begin to turn it around." Nearly 5,000 people have become ill from Ebola in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Nigeria and Senegal since it was first recognized in March. WHO says it anticipates the figure could rise to more than 20,000. Obama described task ahead as "daunting" but said what gives him hope is that "the world knows how to fight this disease." At the request of the Liberian

government, we’re going to establish a military command center in Liberia to support civilian efforts across the region -- similar to our response after the Haiti earthquake. It’s going to be commanded by Major General Darryl Williams, commander of our Army forces in Africa. He just arrived today and is now on the ground in Liberia. And our forces are going to bring their expertise in command and control, in logistics, in engineering. And our Department of Defense is better at that, our Armed Services are better at that than any organization on Earth.

additional treatment units, including new isolation spaces and more than 1,000 beds. And in all our efforts, the safety of our personnel will remain a top priority. Meanwhile, our scientists continue their urgent research in the hope of finding new treatments and perhaps vaccines. And today I’m calling on Congress to approve the funding that we’ve requested so that we can carry on with all these critical efforts. Obama administration officials said money for the steppedup effort to combat the disease would come from $500 million in overseas contingency operations, such as the war in Afghanistan, that the Pentagon already has asked Congress to redirect to carry out humanitarian efforts in Iraq and in West Africa. Officials said it would take about two weeks to get President of Liberia Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf U.S. forces on the ground. We’re going to create an air Ebola is spread through direct bridge to get health workers and contact with the bodily fluids of medical supplies into West Africa sick patients, making doctors and faster. We’re going to establish a nurses especially vulnerable to staging area in Senegal to help contracting the virus, which has no distribute personnel and aid on the vaccine or approved treatment. ground more quickly. We are going Obama's trip came a day after to create a new training site to train the United States also demanded thousands of health workers so a stepped-up international they can effectively and safely care response to the outbreak. The U.S. for more patients. Personnel from ambassador to the United Nations, the U.S. Public Health Service will Samantha Power, called for an deploy to the new field hospitals emergency meeting of the U.N. that we’re setting up in Liberia. And Security Council, warning that the USAID will join with international potential risk of the virus could "set partners and local communities in the countries of West Africa back a a Community Care Campaign to generation."  distribute supplies and information www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2014/09/16/ kits to hundreds of thousands of major-increase-our-response-ebolafamilies so they can better protect outbreak themselves. http://news.msn.com/world/obama-ebolaWe’re also going to build outbreak-a-threat-to-global-security

19  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Editorial

"Our Work is Far From Done."

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder with Associate Attorney General Tony West

Associate Attorney General Tony West Delivers Remarks at the Progressive National Baptist Convention Fort Lauderdale, Florida ~ Tuesday, August 5, 2014

hank you, Dr. [Carroll] Baltimore, for that kind introduction. I salute you for your leadership of this convention and I congratulate you on this successful convening. I have to say, I feel very much at home here, being the greatgrandson of two South Florida Baptist preachers – although clearly, the program organizers were unaware of my Baptist pedigree as they only allotted me 10 minutes to speak. It is such an honor to address this convention. I was thinking

on the way down here about the living history that this convention represents: About the fact that this was the denominational home of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; about how we cannot talk about the Civil Rights Movement and not in the same breath speak of this organization, and about the leadership of Dr. Taylor, Rev. Booth, Rev. Chambers and so many others.

“About this there can and should be no argument. Every American citizen must have an equal right to vote.” And A d I thought th ht about b t how h much h I owe to this convention, as an

African-American man: too young to remember first-hand the Civil Rights Movement’s most dramatic, seminal moments; yet too old not to feel the weight of responsibility for preserving, protecting, defending and promoting the movement's legacy in the public service I am now privileged to perform. We’re in a time when we're celebrating a number of significant anniversaries – milestones that make all the more salient the historic centrality of this great, Progressive National Baptist Convention: • Fifty years since they came by the hundreds of thousands to gather peacefully on the Washington Mall, marching for jobs and freedom; • Since college students, black and white, boarded buses in the North and rode them deep into the South, riding with the i certainty of danger but the faith of

22  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Editorial Paul; • Since the ’64 Civil Rights Act and Mississippi’s “Freedom Summer.” And as we think about the those anniversaries, we have reason to rejoice in the great progress forged by ordinary men and women in shattering boundaries once thought unbreakable – enormous change wrought in the short space of five decades. And yet, I am struck by the fact that at the heart of what Dr. King, his contemporaries and this convention were grappling with back then remain, fundamentally, the same challenges facing us today: How do we build a society that allows all people the freedom to realize fully their own potential? How do we ensure that, in Dr. King’s words, “[l]aw and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice” and not as “dams that block the flow of social progress?” How do we make certain that this bold experiment in self-government is inclusive, responsive and maintains its legitimacy in the eyes of those it serves? The opening lines of our story as one nation begin with a promise: a promise that we are all created equal. And nowhere is this promise manifest more tangibly than in the right to vote. That sacred franchise – the right to choose who will speak and act in our names; the right to express sovereignty over our government; a right that is, to paraphrase Lincoln, the foundation on which the temple of liberty is built because it protects all other rights – that right, more than any other, is what defines us as joint and equal members of this unique, democratic idea called

the United States of America. And next year, we’ll mark 50 years since the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. You know, after President Lyndon signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law, there were those – many of them his close allies – who told him to wait, to slow down; that it was too soon to start work on another major piece of civil rights legislation. But President Johnson knew that 100 years after the Dr. Martin L. franchise had been King, Jr. promised to AfricanAmericans – a commitment forged by Civil War it. Voter fraud undermines our and consummated by constitutional democracy. Nobody believes we amendment – Johnson knew that should accept that. But public policy studies from the time for waiting had run out. Instead of waiting, Johnson across the political spectrum come acted, saying, “About this there can to the same conclusion that inand should be no argument. Every person voter fraud is extremely rare. American citizen must have an Too often, the fervor surrounding voter ID laws seems more like a equal right to vote.” So it is a sad irony that five solution in search of a problem. And decades later, we find ourselves so we need to be mindful that “the working overtime to hold onto to real voter fraud,” as the president that promise. It is ironic that 50 says, “is people who try to deny our years later, we are battling efforts rights by making bogus arguments that make it harder, not easier, for about voter fraud.” The right to vote faces other people to cast their votes. It is challenges, as well. Repeatedly, a ironic that in 2014, we must litigate against laws that impede voter bipartisan Congress of the United registration that curtail democratic States reauthorized Sections 4 and participation; or impose restrictive 5 of the Voting Rights Act – most voter ID requirements that we know recently in 2006 with unanimous have a disproportionate effect on support in the Senate and nearpoor people and people of color, unanimous support in the House. making it harder for them to exercise And repeatedly, Republican and Democratic Administrations used the franchise. Now, I don’t want there to be these provisions to secure the any confusion about this so let me franchise for all American citizens. Yet notwithstanding this be clear: where there’s evidence of voter fraud, we won’t tolerate see Far From Done on page 24

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Editorial Far From Done

from page 23

bipartisan history, last year we lost an important tool in our antidiscrimination toolbox when the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated a key part of the Voting Rights Act. So, on the eve of the 50 th anniversary of the ’65 Voting Rights Act – in the middle of a season where we remember Mississippi’s “Freedom Summer” – we know that our work is far from done. We know that the perennial lesson of history is that the triumphs won by Dr. King, by Fannie Lou Hamer, by the Progressive National Baptist Convention and by so many others – those triumphs must be won anew in this generation, because the hard reality is that the right to vote faces threats today as stark and serious and urgent as any it faced 50 years ago. And that is why we must continue to act. That is why protecting the fundamental right to vote for all Americans remains one of the Justice Department’s highest priorities. Because standing by as the voices of some Americans are shut out of the democratic process is simply not an option. So at the Department of Justice, we are continuing to monitor jurisdictions around the country, and we're watching for changes in their voting laws that may hamper voting rights. Our message is unequivocal: we will use every legal tool that remains available to us, against any jurisdiction that seeks to hinder eligible citizens’ full and free right to vote. When we see something that causes us concern, we won't hesitate to make it plain. In Texas, we have gone to court to challenge

a voter ID law and a congressional redistricting map that we contend discriminate against Latino voters. In North Carolina, we have sued the state over discriminatory voting laws that restrict access to the polling place and make it harder for voters to case their ballots. Last week, we submitted filings in voting rights cases in two different states: Wisconsin and Ohio. In Wisconsin, we're contending that the federal judge there got it right when she struck down Wisconsin’s strict photo voter ID requirement due to its adverse effects on minority voters under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. In Ohio, in a case challenging that state’s law curtailing early voting and same-day registration, we filed a statement in support of the NAACP's position, arguing that Ohio has misinterpreted a key provision of the Voting Rights Act in defending its law. And while we will continue to use all the legal authority we have to protect vigorously the right to vote, the fact is there is no substitute – as the president has made clear – for strong congressional action which guarantees that every American has equal access to the polls. That is why the Justice Department is providing assistance to Congress to formulate potential legislative proposals to address voting rights discrimination. And, importantly, this work is bipartisan, because the fundamental right to vote must be above party or partisanship – too much hard work has been done, too much blood has been shed, too many lives lost and voices silenced for this to be simply about partisan politics. No, this is about something much deeper, much more important. We know what this is about. It’s about

who we are as a nation – who we are as a free and fair democratic society. Because if a government of, by and for the people means anything at all, it means that a ballot has the power to give equal voice to the high and the low; the weak and

Fannie Lou Hamer the strong; those at the bottom as well as the top. It means that in the polling place, the line is just as long for the richest among us as it is for those who often work the hardest but have the least. And just as in 1965, those of us in the federal government – we cannot win this battle alone. We will need your help. We will need your hands. We will need your voices to help us walk and not grow faint; to push us on and not get discouraged; to lift us up and carry us forward. We will need your leadership to help us pull our nation out of its acquiescence and, in the proud tradition of this great convention, push it into action once again. Thank you and God bless you. 

www.justice.gov/iso/opa/asg/speeches/2014/asg-speech-140805.html 24  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Government

SBA Expands Impact Investment Fund

dministrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), Maria ContrerasSweet, announced the expansion of the Impact Investment Fund, a feature of the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) Program. The SBA is implementing a series of policy changes that promise to broaden access to the fund and strengthen the impact of SBIC’s. “As head of the SBA, my main goal is to increase access to capital for our nation’s entrepreneurs, especially to our underserved communities. This expansion of the Impact Investment Fund today puts more capital into the hands of entrepreneurs, while offering impact investors a tremendous platform to reach small business owners with innovative ideas,” said Administrator Contreras-Sweet. The SBA launched the Impact Fund in 2011 as a five-year, $1 billion pilot initiative to capitalize investment funds that seek both financial and social return. This announcement reaffirms SBA’s commitment to impact investing beyond 2016. The agency will continue to allocate roughly $200 million of its $4 billion annual investment authority to Impact SBIC’s investing in underserved areas and sectors of national priority. The detailed policy memo that outlines this new commitment can be found at: www.sba.gov/inv/ impact. In addition to extending the Impact Investment Fund, SBA has introduced policy changes based

on extensive consultation with SBIC Program stakeholders and experts in the impact investment industry. The major changes include: • Advanced Manufacturing Businesses and SBIR/STTR Recipients Now Eligible: Currently, Impact SBICs must invest 50 percent of their capital in businesses located in underserved communities, the education sector or the clean energy sector. The new policy will add advanced manufacturing to the list of recognized sectors and allow businesses that have received Small Business Innovation Research (“SBIR”) or Small Business Technology Transfer (“STTR”) grants to become eligible for impact investments. • Incorporating IRIS-based Measurement: Impact SBICs may also now designate their own, self-identified impact investment strategy, but must commit to measure their social, environmental or economic impact using an assessment system based on The Global Impact Investing Network’s Impact Reporting and Investment Standards. • $200 million Restriction Lifted: During the pilot initiative, Impact SBICs were collectively limited to a restricted pool of $200 million in annual SBA-guaranteed leverage commitments. Under the new policy, Impact SBICs will be able to access leverage on equal footing with Standard SBICs.

New Impact SBICs to be Funded SBA anticipates licensing a few new Impact SBICs by the end of the year. These funds will join the two existing Impact SBICs, Michigan Growth Capital

Maria Contreras-Sweet, SBA Administrator Partners and SJF Ventures III. Together they manage over $182 million in assets and have invested in seventeen (17) companies that collectively employ about 1,500 people. Fiber By-Products, a portfolio company of Michigan Growth Capital Partners located in rural White Pigeon, Mich., collects wood waste otherwise destined for the landfill and uses it to produce animal bedding, wood mulch and premium pellet fuel. Think Through Learning, an impact investment of SJF Ventures III, is an education technology company that provides online instructional systems for schools and students nationwide. Its flagship product, Think Through Math, helps students master key mathematical concepts and is designed to aid the transition many schools are making to the Common Core Curriculum. The 290 funds in the SBIC Program portfolio, which collectively manage $21.5 billion in assets, are already focused on increasing investment flows to sectors and regions where capital formation gaps are widest. Last year, about one-quarter of the American small businesses SBICs financed were owned by minorities, women, and veterans – or conducted business in HUBZones, rural or distressed urban areas and other Competitive Opportunity Gaps. For more information about the Impact Investment Fund and the SBIC Program, visit www.sba.gov/ inv. 

25  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

BBN Show Biz Buzz By Linda Ware candal creator Shonda Rhimes' is heading back in the TV studio for this fall's season of Scandal with new episodes set to begin airing on Thursday, September 25th. At the same time, Rhimes' newest show, How To Get Away With Murder premieres directly following Scandal with Viola Davis in the leading role. 

officially launched his much anticipated CD release entitled, "Smokey & Friends." Smokey joins forces on duets with other top musical artists including Mary J. Blige, James Taylor, Sheryl Crow, Ledisi, Cee Lo Green

Loni Love, Tamera Mowry, Adrienne Bailon, Jeannie Mai and Tamar Braxton are returning for this fall's season of "The Real" returns September 15th at 11am on FOX.  Actor Shemar Moore is set to

Shemar Moore

return to the popular CBS daytime soap opera, "Young & The Restless" on CBS. Moore will continue to star in his primetime role on Criminal Minds. 

and John Legend recreating some of his top Motown hits as well as his solo hits.  Comedian Mike Epps has been selected to play comedy legend Richard Pryor on the big screen. More details to be announced. 

Patti LaBelle is joining the cast of American Horror Story on FX. She will star alongside the show's all star cast that includes Jessica Lange, Angela Bassett and Kathy Bates.  Smokey

Robinson

has

Laurence Fishburn

Oscar winner Octavia Spencer is set to star in the "Red Band Society" which debuts September 17th at 9pm on FOX. 

Smokey Robinson

Anthony Anderson teams up with Tracee Ellis Ross in the ABC comedy

28  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Survivors Remorse

Black-ish set to premiere on September 24th. The show also stars Laurence Fishburne. Both Anderson and Fishburne also serve as the show's producers. 

is set to star with Katherine Heigl in NBC's State Of Affairs which is set to debut on Monday, November 17th at 10 pm. 

Actress Jada Pinkett Smith is set to appear in FOX' Emmy Winner Alfre Woodard series, Gotham with the debut scheduled for September 22nd. Martin Lawrence has returned to series TV in the sitcom Partners. The show also stars Kelsey Grammer, and it airs Mondays nights at 9pm on FX. 

Alfre Woodard

"Survivors Remorse," will air beginning October 4th on Starz. The plot follows two young sports stars through a combination of God-given talent and north Philly grit, Cam Calloway and Reggie Vaughn have achieved fame and fortune that neither could have imagined growing up in one of the toughest neighborhoods in Philadelphia. But success comes with its own challenges, and the cousins and confidantes wrestle

Jada Pinkett Smith

with the rewards of money, stardom, love, and occasionally, the guilt of having "made it." Stars include Jessie T. Usher, Ronreaco Lee, Mike Epps and Tichina Arnold. Producers include LeBron James, Tom Werner, Mike O’Malley, Maverick Carter and Paul Wachter.  see BBN Show Biz Buzz on page 30

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Entertainment BBN Show Biz Buzz from page 29

Serena Williams won her third consecutive U.S. Open championship and 18th major title overall. Not only did Williams,

ranked and seeded No. 1, win all 14 sets she played in the 2014 tournament, she never even dropped more than three games in any of them. Williams earned $4 million, a record in tennis -- $3 million for the title, plus a $1 million bonus for having had the best results during the North American summer hard-court circuit. ď &#x192;

Serena Williams

THE WHITE HOUSE MINORITY ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT WEEK, 2014 BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION Our Nation thrives when we fulfill the promise of opportunity for all -- when each of us has the same chance to succeed, when every American can find pride and independence in their work, when our shared prosperity rests upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class. With talent, dedication, and bold ideas, minority entrepreneurs reach for that promise. They bring jobs and services to communities across our country. They innovate and create. They open new markets to goods stamped "Made in the U.S.A." During Minority Enterprise Development Week, we celebrate their essential role in our economy and our communities. Minority-owned businesses employ millions of Americans, and my Administration is proud to invest in their success. We have increased access to contracts and capital, reduced burdensome paperwork, and connected more minority enterprises to booming export markets. Since I took office, my Administration has made more loans to small business owners than any other. By hosting workshops and through www.Business.USA. gov, we are empowering minority entrepreneurs with the tools to help their businesses grow. America's great strength lies in our diversity -- of people, perspectives, and ideas. We cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it. But if we invest in small businesses and give all our entrepreneurs a chance to compete, new opportunities will open, and we will flourish -- as individuals and as a Nation. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim July 27 through August 2, 2014, as Minority Enterprise Development Week. I call upon all Americans to celebrate this week with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities to recognize the many contributions of our Nation's minority enterprises. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-ninth. BARACK OBAMA

Business

Carmelo Anthony CoFounds Venture Capital Firm By Richard Spiropoulos for Black Enterprise

elo7 Tech Partners, LLC (M7) was founded by basketball star Carmelo Anthony and Stuart Goldfarb to invest in and develop opportunities primarily in early stage digital media, consumer internet and technology ventures. Current investments include: • Hullabalu: a children’s media company that develops interactive storytelling apps for mobile devices. • The Orange Chef: develops smart kitchenware such as the Prep Pad, a digital food scale that facilitates nutritional intake.

• MakeSpace: a full service storage company, provides storage bins, pickup and on-demand storage. • SeatGeek: a ticket search engine enabling users to find and purchase tickets for live sports and other events.

Anthony is intrigued with wearable and connected devices. He has been interested in tech devices “for as long as” he can remember and his firm will be on the lookout for ventures focused on leadership that resonates with clients. M7 will be an early-stage seed fund for digital media and consumer technology. “M7″ reportedly stands for “‘Melo Seven,” Carmelo’s nickname and jersey number with the New York Knicks. 

www.blackenterprise.com/lifestyle/carmelo-anthony-venture-capital-firm-m7-tech-partners/?obref=obinsite www.crunchbase.com/organization/m7-tech-partners-llc www.SeatGeek.com www.makespace.com http://theorangechef.com http://hullabalu.com

37  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

Black Women-Owned Businesses Up by 258% By Jazelle Hunt for NNPA

rom the rubble of the Great Recession, women business owners are emerging victorious with record growth and economic impact. Even so, women entrepreneurs still face barriers to success. Today, 30% of all American businesses have a woman at the helm. African American women in particular are a driving force, establishing their enterprises at six times the national average, according to a 2013 American

Express OPEN report. Between 1997 and 2013, African American women-owned businesses grew by 258% and made $226.8 billion in revenue. They employ 1.4 million people, which is more than the combined population of Atlanta, St. Louis and Miami. Another study from the Global Initiative for Women’s Entrepreneurial Research found that by 2009, women-owned businesses supplied 23 million jobs – or 16% of all jobs available at the time – with an economic impact of $3 trillion. In terms of job growth, women owned businesses rank second only to publicly traded companies. “While women-owned businesses are the fastestgrowing segment of businesses, and many succeed, women must overcome barriers that their male competitors do not face,” a report from the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship states. The committee held a hearing recently at which it released the report and discuss its findings. “In the area of capital, studies find that women do not get sufficient access to loans and venture capital.”

Turning Unemployment into an Opportunity. Cheryl Holland, A’Sista Project

In 2002, Karen Lawrence was laid off in the post-9/11 recession. Tired of fighting to get back into the corporate world, she channeled

her event management skills into a startup. Using her savings and severance package, she launched It’s My Affair, LLC. “It wasn’t enough. But I started small,” Lawrence says. “Getting people to take you seriously as a business owner, especially when

you’re small, is the hardest part.”

The Capital Challenge Despite excelling with the opportunities given, women entrepreneurs still face obstacles echoing from decades of codified sexism. Chief among these obstacles is access to capital. For example, a study from the Ewing Marion Kaufman Foundation found that women receive 80% less capital than men for first-year financing. The Senate committee report also points out that women-owned small businesses (WOSBs) represent 30% of all small businesses, but only 17% of U.S. Small Business Administration loans went to women entrepreneurs. And this

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Business may be their best opportunity to access funds; the SBA says women are three to five times more likely to be approved for an SBA loan than for a conventional loan.

Restricted Access to Lucrative Opportunities. Federal contracting opportunities

amount to approximately $500 billion worth of business. Sometimes, small businesses are able to get a shot at this money by providing services to government agencies through sole source authority. This authority lets federal entities bypass the bidding or application process and award contracts that pay up to $6.5 million for manufacturing, or $4 million for other industries, to one business. Currently, 15% of small business awards are granted to disadvantaged businesses using this authority. The WOSB Procurement Program was established in 2000 to help federal agencies funnel contracts to WOSBs/economicallydisadvantaged WOSBs. Of seven similar procurement programs for disadvantaged businesses, the WOSB Procurement Program is the only one that does not have sole

source authority. Even if they have the capacity to handle these bigmoney contracts alone, WOSBs can only subcontract on them, thus splitting the earnings with other firms. “It’s very hard to compete when you have to compete with large corporations and firms that have already done business with the government. I don’t think they look at small business owners,” Lawrence says of her experience with federal contracting. The goal of the WOSB Procurement Program was to have 5% of all federal contract dollars awarded to WOSBs. The federal government has never hit this goal. It came closest in 2012, thanks to a boost from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which awarded 14.65% of its contracts to women owned businesses. Even without sole source authority, the process of working with the federal government is a complex one, Lawrence says. After many attempts, she finally landed her first federal contract last year. “It was a learning curve, even with [free, SBA- sponsored] classes. If you’re not awarded a contract, follow up and find out why…. that helped me correct what I was doing.” Despite the obstacles, women entrepreneurship will likely continue to grow, especially if proposed interventions come to pass. For starters, an amendment to grant sole source authority to the WOSB Procurement Program is neatly tucked into the National Defense Authorization Act of 2015, which has been passed in the House and is moving its way through the Senate. The Senate committee also finds that the SBA Microloan and Intermediary Lending Programs are “well-suited to target women

owned borrowers,” though they need to be modernized through Congressional action. On the unconventional side, the explosion of crowdfunding – using social networks and websites to seek donations to raise capital for projects – has been particularly useful for women. Because it is such a new phenomenon, the law is still catching up. Most recently, the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act of 2012 established some regulations. The Committee report explains, “When fully implemented, the JOBS Act through crowdfunding has the potential to greatly expand the investor base and allow womenowned companies to appeal to a wider investor audience, such as other women investors.” Data suggests that the Millennial generation, defined as those born between the mid 1980s and early 2000s, is particularly attuned to entrepreneurship. A Kaufman Foundation study found that 54% of young people are interested in starting a business or have done so already, and that the rate is “notably higher—10 to 11%” for young adults of color. Lawrence advises aspiring entrepreneurs to become experts on the market they’re entering, make connections, and take advantage of resources such as a local SBA office, Women’s Business Center, or nonprofit/ state-sponsored classes. She says learning how to properly present your business for federal contracts is a skill all its own. “It takes a lot of research to figure out what’s available to you. The SBA has done a good job in the past with helping find out what’s available,” she says, adding that repeated engagement with these resources yields best results. “The information is out there, but you have to find it.” 

39  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business - Profile

Regina L. Faison "Helping you achieve your life goals"

s Senior Financial Advisor, Regina L. Faison* has been in the securities industry for more than 20 years. Regina's main focus with clients is "planning". Regina uses her own personal experiences to help her clients achieve their life goals and openly shares her story so that her clients are prepared for life's unexpected events. Without a plan, you can't achieve your goals and ensure that your retirement and family are properly secure. Regina works with her clients in the areas of wealth management, retirement and estate planning. She assists individuals, business owners and non-profit organizations in developing

long-term financial solutions in addition to providing services for Retirement, 401K, 403B, & 457 planning and implementation of customized investment strategies. Regina works alongside of her clients' attorneys and CPAs in developing their overall goals, and always puts the "client first". She has external partners in the areas of Medicare solutions, mortgage & financing, so she is able to service all of her clients financial needs. Regina is series 7, 24, 63, 65, and insurance licensed. She is currently working on obtaining her CFP (Certified Financial Planner ) designation. As the industry and the world is changing, Regina strives to increase her knowledge and continuing education in order to keep her clients up-to-date on all of the changes in the economy and markets in this everchanging environment. Regina holds events educating the community and her clients by informing them on important issues and updates on the economy, markets, and retirement. She believes it is exceedingly important to stay informed and ahead of the changes, especially in these difficult economic times. Using her extensive experience, Regina endeavors to establish deep and valued relationships with clients to truly learn what their needs and aspirations are. Regina resides in Lake Forest, CA with her family. She is very active in the community and is president of the Derrick L. Faison Foundation, which she founded in July 2004 after losing a loved one to heart disease. She works with various non-profit organizations in the areas of heart disease and education. She also gives back to the community by working with underserved youth by educating them on business, sharing her personal story and stressing the importance of education and developing their overall growth potential. Faison Wealth & Retirement Services (http://faisonwealth.com) also has external partners in the areas of Medicare, insurance, and mortgage services. 

40  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

Executive Director Search The Board of Directors of the California Black Chamber of Commerce (CBCC) invites qualified candidates to apply for the position of Executive Director. The California Black Chamber of Commerce is a state-wide business association that has been in existence for over 20 years, headquartered in Sacramento, California. The CBCC is the states' largest African-American organization representing more than 8, 000 African-American-owned businesses. It serves as the umbrella organization for more than 22 member chambers statewide and it actively promotes the economic growth and development of entrepreneurs. Access the position description at http://origin.library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1103180196120363/President+Position+Description.pdf to read about the responsibilities, experiences and education requirements and working environment for this position. All Applicants are encouraged to submit a cover letter/ letter of interest and resume by email at: cbcc@calbcc.org with attachments, please include "Executive Director" in the subject line or by mail to the following: Mailing Address: California Black Chamber of Commerce ATTN: Aubry Stone 1600 Sacramento Inn Way, Suite 232 Sacramento, California 95815 ALL APPLICATIONS MUST REACH THE CBCC OFFICE NO LATER THAN 5:00 PM ON OCTOBER 1, 2014 TO BE CONSIDERED.

41  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

F AC T SHE E T

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42  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

A Short History, an Ambitious Future California has an important role to play in ensuring that Covered California is successful. Working together with federal, state and community partners, Covered California wants millions of Californians to get aÎ?ordaEle health care coverage. With more Californians covered, the state, our neighEors and our families will all Ee aEle to make healthy choices that EeneČ´t us all.

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43 ď&#x201A;ą September 2014 ď&#x201A;ą Black Business News ď&#x201A;ą www.blackbbusinessnews.net ď&#x201A;ą 1-323-291-7819

TO RECEIVE COMPUTER Attend 3 Hour Boot Camp Monday – Friday 10am – 1pm 4pm – 7pm Saturday 11am – 2pm Locations: Vary – Call For Schedule Questions: Call (323)754-3116 or Email: info@laoic.org

Business

Tech Innovation Is Redefining the Job Market

By Dennis McCafferty www.baselinemag.com

hen it comes to the employment picture, IT is creating a greater number of new positions than it's eliminating, according to recent research published by CareerBuilder. However, the technology industry is the main target for what's called "de-skilled" workers: those whose jobs are being replaced by automation. What's clear is that

private industry, federal/state/local governments, and both K-12 and higher educational leaders will have to work together to boost students' interest and capabilities in fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). "While automation may eliminate some jobs, it also creates other jobs that are higher paying, and [that] lifts the standard of living for

the economy as a whole," says Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder and co-author of The Talent Equation. "One of the greatest challenges the U.S. faces today is sufficiently preparing the workforce for the influx of more knowledgebased jobs that will likely result from progress in robotics and other STEM-related fields." Nearly 2,200 hiring managers and HR professionals took part in the research. Additional research was compiled through analysis of more than 785 occupations recognized by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

www.baselinemag.com/careers/slideshows/tech-innovation-is-redefining-the-job-market.html 47  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

8Trade Show Ideas That Will Pay Off

By Jill Amerie for Skyline Trade Show Tips

he busy trade show season is upon us. It's time to tackle the challenges that will inevitably come your way. Successful trade show exhibiting isn’t something that just happens. The most successful exhibitors have done a lot of legwork

before the show to set themselves up for success. These successful exhibitors have developed a process that they follow for every show to help prepare. The actions taken during this time will help prepare you for the experience, and having a strategy to implement your trade show ideas will prevent many headaches.

8 Trade Show Ideas to Implement Now

Set Goals and Objectives. You must set goals for the trade show from the moment you decide to

attend. You also need to know your objectives—why are you exhibiting? Your goals will impact the decisions you make before, during and after the event. If your reason for attending is to showcase a new product, make sure A) you bring the product or a prototype with you to the event, and B) you have marketing materials ready to go for the event. This includes updating your website to support the product launch. If your main goal for the show is to collect leads, train booth staff so they know how to engage attendees and what questions should be asked, and develop a system for collecting and following up on leads after the show. You have to be prepared and know what your objectives and goals are before you’re at the show. To help you plan for this, read this article.

Create a Budget.

It’s very easy to rush headlong into an event without a budget in place, but you’ll have many other expenses than just your exhibit. In fact, the exhibit itself is traditionally only about one-third of the total cost of exhibiting. Factor in booth costs, travel expenses, show services and giveaways, and possible staff overtime along with the cost of the exhibit to get a decent budget established. Don’t forget to factor in unanticipated expenses. They always seem to arise and it’s better to be prepared than not. A good

budget can help make decisions for you. Click here to see the breakdown of a great trade show budget.

Location, Location, Location.

It’s important for trade shows and events too. Examine the map of the trade show floor and try to get a location that gets maximum exposure. Pick a spot that gets a lot of walk-by traffic like the ends of aisles, spots near the restrooms, drink or food stations, and doors. We always recommend trying to get a corner spot for your booth so that you get traffic coming in two different directions and are a cross spot for people.

Pre-Event Marketing.

You can’t just show up to a trade show and expect that attendees will visit your booth to make it while. Establish a pre-event marketing campaign where you reach out to current customers and prospects a few weeks prior to the show. Let them know the name of the event you’ll be attending and your booth number. Use email, social media, newsletters, direct mail and even a note on your website to spread the word. Include information about what they can find at the booth and give them a reason to stop by. Update your website and social media pages through your planning stages to let visitors know you’re excited about the show and what you’re doing to prepare. Are you having an in-booth contest or offer? Start advertising that on your website or through email and give people incentives for stopping in your booth.

Convey the Right Message.

Don’t rely on your booth to send your message. It really doesn’t matter if people remember your booth or not. However, make sure your booth message and short and

48  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

concise with just a few words that describe who you are so no one has to guess. The goal of trade show attendance is to get them to remember you and your products. Make sure you are providing the information visitors are looking for and really train your booth staffers to engage attendees. It may be product information, price lists, or ideas. Whatever your message, it should be concise, clear and easy to understand in just a few seconds.

is one of the primary purposes of attending a trade show. You’ll be relying on your booth staff to engage and draw in visitors and then collect the leads. Reward them with an incentive program to keep them motivated. It can be something as simple as a gift card for whoever generates the most leads at the event or in a day. Give them goals to accomplish like taking 2 or 3 qualified leads per hour. Realistic goals and rewards for meeting them

Overly complicated messaging will turn people off and they’ll pass right by your booth.

will motivate your booth staff to do their job well and engage attendees appropriately.

Consider a Staff Incentive Program.

Follow Up.

Incentive programs are an excellent way to reward lead generation. And lead generation

This is one of the biggest mistakes of trade show exhibiting. You go through all the work to plan and prepare for the show, you attend

it and collect great leads, but then you get back to office and it goes nowhere. How can you expect to have a successful trade show experience if you don’t actually make contact with these new leads and turn them into customers? Have a plan in place to get leads entered into your system and make contact. Make sure your marketing or your booth staff understands what the sales team needs for good follow up with leads. Leads need to be followed up in 1-3 days and no more than that! This is important and can’t be swept into your desk drawer for later.

Evaluate.

Take the time to evaluate how the event went. What kind of results did you have? Did you generate the number of leads you had hoped to? More importantly, were they quality leads from your target audience? How many people visited your booth? How many were you able to convert into customers? Evaluation of the event can reveal areas that worked well, as well as areas for improvement.

Trade show marketing is much more complex than just showing up for an event with a booth. There are many factors that play into your success, but the good news is, you’re in control of them. Implement some of these trade show ideas into your next event and see how your experience improves. Chances are you’ll find it less stressful to plan the event and more profitable to participate.  www.skylinetradeshowtips.com/8trade-show-ideas-that-pay-off

49  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

FOR

Birthdays, Halloween OR ANY SPECIAL OCCASION

Business

The XPrize Foundation Announces $15-million Open-Source Literacy Prize By Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols for Linux and Open Source

still wear my XPrize t-shirt for the first sub-orbital private manned spaceflight from Mojave Space Port. The XPrize Foundation (www.xprize.org) is best known for this and other high-technology challenges such as the prizes to land a private robot on the moon and to create a true Star Trek style Tricorder. Now, the Foundation has turned its eyes closer to home with its new Global Learning XPrize (http://learning.xprize.org). With this, the first open-source software XPrize, the Foundation is challenging teams to create software that will teach a child to read, write, and perform arithmetic without a teacher. The prize? $15-million. Why are they doing this? Because more than 250 million children around the world don't have basic literacy skills. Without these fundamental skills, potential is locked, the door of opportunity is closed, and entire nations are condemned to poverty. The goal is not to replace teachers, but to bring an educational solution where few or no schools exist. This will not be an easy goal to achieve. Children using the program must gain basic reading, writing, and mathematical skills in just 18 months without the aid of an instuctor. While the Foundation already has $15-million ready for the winner, they want to give more. To do that, the XPrize Foundation is asking, via Indiegogo, for the public to add

half-a-million more to the Global Learning XPrize. These funds will "be used to create a global community of advocates, developers, designers, and more, to support and encourage teams to collaborate around common problems and build compelling, innovative technologies, and to field-test these technologies with

more kids in more villages and countries." In short, they're not just encouraging open-source software, they're trying to build a community to support early education wherever children go uneducated today. So, while this XPrize may not be as thrilling as rocket-ships — although such an educational progam can be

54  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

stuff of compelling science fiction as readers of Neal Stephenson's brilliant The Diamond Age know — it may have a far greater effect on the world. Interested in giving it a try? You can start with the prize's guidelines. The competition is open to competitors globally of any age

with a range of skill sets. Both individuals and teams are eligible to register. For full details on how the competition will be run see the Global Learning XPrize Summary (http://learning.stage2.xprize.org/ sites/default/files/global_learning_ xprize_competition_summary_ v1.pdf).

Good luck to all who compete and may one, or more of you, create truly great software that will change the world.  www.zdnet.com/the-xprizefoundation-announces-15-millionopen-source-literacy-prize7000033934/?s_cid=e232&ttag=e2 32&ftag=TRE6a12a91

How to Succeed in the Publishing Game

Vickie M. Stringer

est-selling author and worldrenowned publisher Vickie Stringer began her empire with one book: ''Let That Be the Reason.'' After enduring 26 rejection letters from mainstream publishers, Stringer began to explore the promising world of selfpublishing. Stringer has distinguished herself as a Literary Renaissance Woman, boasting titles such as best-selling

author, leading publisher, prominent literary agent and motivator to aspiring authors and selfpublishers. In ''How to Succeed in the Publishing Game,'' Stringer reveals the secret to her success and unveils countless valuable tips and steps on how to become successful in the world of selfpublishing: 1. Utilize creative means of generating start-up capital 2. Build winning relationships with editors, typesetters, graphic designers, printers 3. Ensure that your book will flourish in the hands of the right distributors, wholesalers, bookstores 4. Develop a steadfast marketing

plan, brand and image that will sell itself 5. Utilize the complete guide to dependable references and resources 6. Harvest the benefits of a bestseller! www.amazon.com

55  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

Mobile Apps Galore for Managing Business Cards By Heather Clancy for Small Business Matters

ou never know when you'll wind up asking someone for a paper business card but when was the last time you actually consulted a Rolodex to find someone's phone number, address or emaill address? The nature of card-collecting habits makes managing them an inherently mobile task, one that relies on either manual entry or a smartphone camera or even a miniature scanner to turn the information digital. With that in mind, here's the latest about mobile apps and services designed to make this process a little simpler. •Bizz Card (Apple iOS; Free) You can use this service to create an electronic identity that replaces paper cards, complete with sophisticated graphics. You "share" your card by swiping across your iPhone, which automatically generates an email message to send. If you have an existing card, you can capture the image to send electronically. This app is meant pretty much just for giving out your card, not for managing cards from other people. •CamCard (Android, iOS, Blackberry, Windows Phone; Starts at $0.99 for app downloads plus the Web service) Created by enterprise mobile developer INTSIG and widely used in Asia, this service is still officially in beta if you check the site. Like other offerings, it lets you scan a physical business card

so that it can be added to a digital management system. The twist is that it supports augmented reality -- allowing you to attach text, video, graphics and and other documents to specific cards. •Clinck (Android, iOS; Free) Clinck's focus is on allowing users to send their electronic business cards to others via email (the recipient doesn't need to have the app installed in order to import the information). •CloudCards (Android, iOS; Free) Essentially, this is a service for

digitizing existing paper c a r d s a n d creating a digital directory that can be kept updated m o r e e a s i l y. There are templates for creating entries as well as a facility for sharing contact information with other people. The developer behind this app, MeCan, is from Malaysia and focuses on social networking platforms. •eConnectCard (Android, iOS; Free for first 30 days, starts at $14 for a "startup" plan) The focus of this service is to digitize existing paper cards, so they can be shared via email or mobile phone. Incoming cards can be managed with the "Digadex" app, and the service also links with calendaring and scheduling apps, to help keep tabs on interactions. •Evernote Hello (Android, iOS; part of Evernote Premium; priced at $5/month) There are several ways to create contacts with this mobile app, including business card scans, direct connections with other

www.zdnet.com/8-mobile-apps-for-managing-business-cards-7000016496/

56  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business Evernote Hello users (via the Evernote Connect service) or a quick profile creation option, which works with LinkedIn and Facebook. The cool thing about this app is that it automatically associates contacts with meetings that you might have with them. •Feathr (Android, iOS; Free for networkers) Technically, this is an app meant to support networking at conferences and trade shows, but that IS where many connections are made, so it's worth mentioning. The app is used by attendees to collect informtaion about new acquaintances, and add them to their existing social networks. •FlashBind (Android, iOS; Free) The focus of this service is on

creating a trusted network of contacts, especially for small businesses. You can "publish" your card on Facebook; the information can be kept updated in one place, and pushed out to your network when you make changes. •Flextown (Android, iOS; Starts at $65 for a single card) - Initially launched in Denmark, the service turns paper cards into one

special Flextown physical card that can share its information using Near Field Communcations. (There's also a QR code on the back that can be scanned to achieve the same purpose.) So, you don't technically hand out the card, you offer it to someone for them to scan with their smartphone. You can also share it via email, SMS or AirDrop. The cardholder gets an alert when someone accepts and stores his or her information. The service integrates with existing CRM applications. •FriendThem (Android, iOS; Free) This app, which is primarily consumer focused, offers a twist on keeping contacts in order, by using the location based services on your smartphone to tell you who's nearby (provided they have agreed to disclose their information). If you're at a conference, the app helps you "friend" others to add them to the Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter social networks. The developer's motto is "one-click connectivity." •FullContact Card Reader (iOS and Android; starts at $9.99/month, $99.99/year) If your organization relies heavily on Salesforce.com, this is definitely an app that you should evaluate. It turns business card images directly into Salesforce.com leads. Since I last updated this list, the software was released for Android and it was expanded to integrate with Google Contacts and iPhone Contacts. •Icon.me (Android, iOS; starts at $3.99/month) Technically speaking, this is a cloud-based service for managing and curating

your "professional persona." It aggregates external social networks, and also provides context related to others in your company. So you can see who is viewing your information, as well as whether or not a contact is shared by other people you know. •Loopd (iOS; To be determined) Billed as a "social discovery app," the technology tells you when an existing connection is in close proximity -- between 10 feet and 15 feet away. So, the focus is on encouraging more location-specific interactions with those around you, say, at an industry conference. •Inigo App (Currently Web only, although native apps for Android and iOS are under development) A cloud service for creating interactive "networking cards" that currently integrate with Facebook, Google +, Twitter, LinkedIn and Skype. Future support coming for Four Square, Pinterest and Vine. •Olocode (Web service, Android and iOS; Free) Rather than associating your business identity with a specific company, Olocode focuses on you: the service lets you

see Mobile Apps on page 58

57  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business Mobile Apps from page 57

WorldCard Link

create a unique six-character digital contact code that stays the same regardless of where you happen to be working. The code can be shared on a physical business card, as part of an email signature or over the phone. •Sansan (Android, iOS; Free download of mobile app, with up to 50 transcriptions per month; priced starting at $10 per month beyond that) The company behind the top contact management service in Japan got $14 million in May 2014 from investors including Salesforce to help launch its U.S. version.

You take a picture of a physical card with your mobile phone (or scan it), and it's transcribed. The app synchronizes with email and phone apps. • S a v v y C a r d Technically, this isn't a mobile app. Rather, it is a Web service that acts as a "business referral system." It works by creating electronic credentials and a mobile Web directory for your organization, which can be used for direct outreach or shared from person to person. (You add it to your email signature.) •ScanBizCards (iOS, Android, Windows Phone; $3.99 to $6.99,

depending on OS) If your company

uses Salesforce.com, this is another app to evaluate. You can export everything that you capture directly into the CRM package. There is a direct link to LinkedIn, and there is a one-button feature that will initiate a LinkedIn invite to any scanned contact. If you don't have time to do it yourself, you can use the company's transcription service, at $0.18 per card. •Shape Business Card Reader (iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows, Symbian and Java; varies depending on the platform, $4.99 for Android or $6.99 for iOS) Uses optical character recognition to convert images into contact entries, and boasts integration with both Evernote and Salesforce.com. •WorldCard Link (Apple iOS; starts at $39.95) One of the most comprehensive technologies available, this software comes with a special iPhone stand to help position the card you want to scan, improving accuracy. WorldCard also offers similar apps for Android and Windows Mobile, starting at $5.99, but there isn't a dock that comes with the products. The Pro version makes it simpler to integrate the scanned information with Outlook. The software also integrates with iCloud and Dropbox for storing images. 

Quote of Note "It is the civil society leaders who, in many ways, are going to have the more lasting impact," President Obama said. "Because as the saying goes, the most important title is not 'president' or 'prime minister'; the most important title is 'citizen'."

Barack Obama

58  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

The U.S. Commercial Service is proud to present this unprecedented national series of business development conferences to help U.S. companies identify and win new business in the international marketplace. Each DISCOVER GLOBAL MARKETS event will feature visiting U.S. Commercial Diplomats from the countries highlighted below:

DISCOVER GLOBAL MARKETS: Free Trade Agreement Countries Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, Morocco, Panama, Peru, Singapore, and South Korea Detroit - September 9-10, 2014

DISCOVER GLOBAL MARKETS: Greater China and Gateway Countries Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenyang, Singapore, Taiwan, and Mongolia New York - October 7-8, 2014

DISCOVER GLOBAL MARKETS: The Americas Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Uruguay Charlotte - October 29-31, 2014

DISCOVER GLOBAL MARKETS: Sub-Saharan Africa Angola, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, and Tanzania Atlanta - November 5-6, 2014

DISCOVER GLOBAL MARKETS: Healthcare & Life Sciences Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, European Union (Regulations), India, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudia Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, and Vietnam Minneapolis - November 17-18, 2014 Contact us at any time at DiscoverGlobalMarkets@trade.gov

62  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Conference Overview: Join the U.S. Commercial Service, the export promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, and the Georgia District Export Council for DISCOVER GLOBAL MARKETS: SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA This premier business conference will help you to transform market potential to market success. The two-day business conference has been designed for U.S. executives who want to explore new export market development strategies, innovative tools to promote competitiveness and success, and the dynamic and emerging markets of Sub-Saharan Africa. DISCOVER GLOBAL MARKETS: SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA will feature highranking U.S. government officials, visiting U.S. commercial diplomats posted at U.S. Embassies throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, and international business leaders from the private sector. Experts on trade finance, market entry strategies, risk mitigation, and a broad array of industry sectors, including oil and gas, agribusiness, healthcare, information technology, franchising, and consumer goods, will alert attendees to recent and anticipated developments that will impact where—and how—to develop new business opportunities in Sub-Saharan Africa. DISCOVER GLOBAL MARKETS: SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA also provides ample networking opportunities with U.S. trade officials and diplomats, industry leaders and other U.S. exporters. For more information and registration go to: http://export.gov/georgia/dgmsubsaharanafrica/index.asp Contact us at any time at

DiscoverGlobalMarkets@trade.gov

Business

Molly Campbell is f irst African American Women Appointed to Board of Directors of East West Bank

ast West Bancorp, Inc., parent company of East West Bank, the financial bridge between the United States and Greater China, appointed Molly Campbell, Deputy Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles, to its Board of Directors. Ms. Campbell was also appointed to the Board of Directors of East West Bank, making her the first African American woman to serve as a board member. Ms. Campbell’s appointment to East West Bank, which was named the Financial Institution of the Year at the recent Black Business Association Awards Dinner held in recognition of National Small Business Week, is effective immediately. “We are pleased that Molly Campbell has accepted this opportunity to join the boards of East West Bancorp and East West Bank,” said Dominic Ng, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of East West. “Molly brings to our Board a deep expertise and knowledge of global logistics and financial management. The Port of Los Angeles is the largest and busiest container port in the United States and an important trading partner for Greater China. We believe that Molly will provide a valuable perspective on cross-border business opportunities between the U.S. and Greater China to our Board,” concluded Ng. Ms. Campbell joined the Port of Los Angeles in 2000 and was appointed to her current position in 2007. As a member of the executive team at the Port of Los Angeles, she has overall responsibility for finance, fiscal management, information technology, human resources, and facilities and assets. Prior to her appointment as Deputy Executive Director, she held the position of CFO of the Port of Los Angeles and also previously served as Director of Public Finance for the City of Los Angeles. Ms. Campbell is active in national and international port associations as well as locally serving as a member of the Planning Commission of the City of Long Beach.

Molly Campbell

About East West East West Bancorp is a publicly owned company with $27.6 billion in assets and is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “EWBC”. The Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, East West Bank, is one of the largest independent banks headquartered in California. East West is a premier bank focused exclusively on the United States and Greater China markets and operates over 130 locations worldwide, including in the United States markets of California, Georgia, Nevada, New York, Massachusetts, Texas and Washington. In Greater China, East West’s presence includes a full service branch in Hong Kong and representative offices in Beijing, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Taipei and Xiamen. Through a wholly-owned subsidiary bank, East West’s presence in Greater China also includes full service branches in Shanghai and Shantou and a representative office in Guangzhou. For more information on East West Bancorp, visit the Company's website at www.eastwestbank.com. 

64  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

Small Business Investment Companies (SBIC)

favorable rates through the federal government. •And the national economy benefits as the small businesses financed by SBICs continue to create jobs and generate tax revenues.

Where can I learn more? Visit the SBIC Program pages ( w w w. s b a . g o v / c o n t e n t / s b i c program-overview-0), including the FAQ, for more information about the SBIC Program. Still have questions? Email askSBIC@sba. gov. 

id you know that the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program has been helping high-growth small businesses get financing since 1958? That's right – for more than 50 years, SBICs have facilitated the flow of long-term capital to America’s businesses. There are thousands of small business success stories, but here are a few you probably recognize: Costco, Apple and Staples – just to name a few.

funds (the SBICs) that finance small businesses.

How does it work?

What are the perks?

SBA doesn't finance businesses directly. For the SBIC program, the Small Business Administration (SBA) partners with private investors to capitalize professionally-managed investment

•Small businesses can receive equity capital, long-term loans and expert management assistance. •Investment managers can add to their own private investment capital with funds borrowed at

MOBILE BLACK BUSINESS DIRECTORY

http://trayvonmartinfoundation.org

Download the App Add your Business Information Be found by new & old clients

DO IT TODAY! http://aroundthewayapp.com

65  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

BANC OF CALIFORNIA Signs Community Benefits Plan

anc of California (BOC) has committed to pursuing a number of goals that should enhance the access to banking services in the low income and under served communities in its expanding footprint. As previously announced, Banc of California is continuing to expand and its next acquisition will include Popular Community Bank's California branches. This new community benefits plan was reached after several meetings with the California Reinvestment Coalition (CRC) and its members, with input from community leaders, non profit organizations, and customers. The key highlights of the Community Benefits Plan are as follows: • CRA activity base will be 20% of deposits (Banc has $4.4 billion in deposits) • .25% of deposits to community development investments

•

• • • • •

(affordable housing-not including tax credit or mortgage backed securities, small business lending, CDFIs, community development corporations, and more) .02-.025% of deposits to contributions, 60% of which will be made to affordable housing, economic development, and financial literacy Develop a small business loan referral program Applying to state loan guarantee program Creating and marketing an account that meet CRC's safemoney standards The bank will waive EBT fees at its ATMs Striving to be top 10 SBA lender

"I have participated in many community reinvestment act negotiations, by advising then Mayor Tom Bradley's office on the 1991 Bank of America and Security Pacific mega-merger. With this

Banc of California acquisition, it becomes the first time I had the pleasure to work out a deal with former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa," said Michael Banner, President and CEO of the Los Angeles LDC and CRC member. The new plan allows Banc of California to report its results, including supporting data, before meeting with the California Reinvestment Coalition and its members. The bank intends for its 2015 goals to serve as the standard for evaluating its annual community benefits goals over the next five years. "It was unusual for me to learn that my brother is a long time Popular customer, which now means the Banner family has real skin in the game or interest in monitoring the success of Steve Sugarman and his BOC team," says Michael Banner, a Banc of California shareholder and long time California Reinvestment Coalition member. 

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Business

Windows 9's which stores everything Cortana knows about you, with your Cortana Cortana is a along preferences. You can see edit all this personal Top-Notch and data. For example, you can Virtual list your family, so you can say things like “Call my Assistant daughter,” and Cortana By Mike Elgan for BaseLine

icrosoft plans to publicly unveil Windows 9 on September 30th at a special event in San Francisco. The company should roll out a "Windows Technical Preview" aimed at enterprise customers, developers and power users. There will be many benefits and improvements, but one update stands above them all: The coming integration of Cortana. The expansion of Cortana (virtual assistant) from Windows Phone to desktop Windows has been widely rumored. There are currently just two somewhat widely used mainstream virtual assistant features: Apple’s Siri and Google’s Google Now. Both are primarily smartphone- and tablet-accessible. Each of these is both brilliant and flawed in its own way. Siri is more “human like”—more convincing as a virtual person. Google Now performs the magic of preemption.

Virtual Assistants Should Be 'Ambient' That means you just talk—no fishing the device out of a pocket or purse—and the assistant does things, finds out information and answers questions. Wearable computing devices are better, theoretically, than smartphones and tablets for virtual assistants because they’re actually on you and can be activated with a

simple gesture. For example, with Android Wear, just raising the wrist and saying, “OK Google,” activates Google Now. In the quest to have ambient virtual assistants everywhere for everybody, Cortana on Windows is a major step forward because it puts an ambient virtual assistant in your office, home and laptop.

How Cortana Can Change Your Professional Life Just say, “Hey, Cortana,” while you’re anywhere in your office, and Cortana for Windows 9 will be primed for a command or request. In general, it's like a mix between Siri and Google Now. Its main interface is a friendly, sometimes funny, human-like voice that you talk to like Siri, but it can do some preemptive interruption like Google Now does. Cortana can send messages, take notes, remind you of items on your calendar, tell you sports scores, set alarms, play music, give you directions, tell you arbitrary facts, do conversions, give you flight updates, make calls and a lot more. It lets you narrow results with follow-up questions, and it supports geo-fencing, so you can say things like “remind me to talk to Steve when I get to work.” Plus, Cortana does one thing that neither Siri nor Google Now can do. It’s got a feature called the Notebook,

knows who you’re talking about. You can set times of the day when you don’t want to be disturbed. You can set your locations, like “work” and “home,” so you can later ask things like “How long will it take me to get home from here?” Good virtual assistants, when you use them, alter your relationship with your information and with the Internet. You’re more likely to do more and are far less likely to let things fall through the cracks. More importantly, Cortana’s killer app is Windows 9. Because it’s Windows, the operating system you have right at your desk all day, Cortana will become a constant companion—a real assistant. Any time you’re in your office, or are within earshot of your PC or laptop, you’ll have access to Cortana, and can be prompted and reminded by it. Cortana is the most radical user interface addition since the integration of the browser in the 1990s. Thanks to Windows integration, it should be the most widely available ambient virtual assistant out there. The implications for business and technology managers are that they and their teams will be more effective, more aware and more efficient with mastery of this soonto-be ubiquitous transformation of the Windows user interface. This integration is comparable to the transition from DOS to Windows in the early '90s.  www.baselinemag.com/mobility/ here-comes-windows-9s-killer-app. html

68  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Save The Date

Successful Women in Business Leadership & Procurement Conference TRANSPORTATION | REAL ESTATE | FINANCE INDUSTRY EXECUTIVES FUTURE DIRECTIONS ON WOMEN BUSINESSES

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014 SAN GABRIEL HILTON

Schedule

Join us for a day of knowledge, networking and connecting! Public Connections LA invites you to learn from, listen to and talk to “Successful Women in Business”. Find out how these women from different professions strived for greater accomplishments, overcame many challenges, managed to survive in a competitive environment, and found success. They are exceptionally competent, extraordinarily capable professionals and have gained an outstanding reputation in the profession of their expertise. Their achievements are to be commended and their accomplishments in business well acknowledged.

Registration/ Breakfast Session I: Women In Real Estate Session II: Women In Transportation Lunch: Award Presentation Session III: Women In Finance Industry Session IV: Industry Executive Future Directions on Women Business VIP Reception/Award Presentation:

8:30 a.m. 9:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. 10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. 1:45 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. 3:15 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Cost: (Full Day/Lunch/VIP Reception) Early bird: Regular: Lunch only: VIP Reception only:

$75 by Sept. 30, 2014 $95 after Oct. 1, 2014 $50 $40

Sponsorship Opportunities Available Diamond Level: Gold Level: Silver Level: Showcase Tables:

$5,000 $3,000 $2,000 $300

Advertisement Opportunities Available (Includes listing in Public Agency Directory) Full Page Back Cover (Color): Full Page Inside Covers (Color): Full Page (Color): Half Page (Color):

$600 $500 $450 $300

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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.

Jet Magazine App

he morning period is over for the print version of the venerable Jet Magazine published by Johnson Publishing company for over 60 years. Time to keep up with the news in 21st century digital, mobile form - Get The App! The digital version of Jet Magazine is available from both the iTunes and PlayStore catalogues.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/ app/hilagos-offline-map-lagos/id879242787?mt=8

his offline Map of Lagos, Nigeria (hiLagos) is a simple but amazing app. It gives you full offline map support in Lagos, Nigeria West Africa. If you are just travelling or even residing to Lagos, you should be sure that you have this small tool with you. Why? Simple! Because this is very advanced map with 18! Zoom level maps for Lagos. Maps are fully offline, so you don't need a costy internet roaming to digg arround, and in case you are lost to check where are you in offline map. App is available for $0.99 at download and is compatible with iPhone 3Gs, iPhone 4. iTunes account required. Note: This app is iOS 7.0 ready.

www.packpnt.com

ackPoint is a free packing list app you may download from iTunes or PlayStore. The app will help you organize what you need to pack in your luggage and suitcase based on length of travel, weather at your destination, and any activities planned during your trip.

bile or desktop devices. Share your website link with fellow travelers so they’ll know what to pack too.

Build Your Custom Packing List PackPoint builds your packing list accordingly so you have everything you need for your travels. Will you be hiking, traveling internationally, swimming, working, traveling with a baby, or whatever? What is the weather forecast for the destination for your dates of travel?

Share Your List With Fellow Travelers Your packing list gets its own website. Access your list from your mo-

PackPoint

74  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business www.rome2rio.com

ome2rio (www.rome2rio. com), based in Melbourne, Australia, is organising the

world’s transport information. Rome2rio offers a multi-modal, door-to-door travel search engine that returns itineraries for air, train, coach, ferry, mass transit and driving options to and from any location. The site includes links to information on auto rental and hotels help complete your trip planning. Rome2rio’s platform utilises a vast, purpose built, worldwide repository of air, rail, coach, ferry and mass transit routes. The repository is constantly expanding as we add new data from a variety of sources. Rome2rio uses data from several

types of sources, including API data feeds, GTFS data, outsourced and in-house data entry. Rome2rio uses data derived from OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors. The platform is available for integration into web and mobile applications via API and White Label solutions.

www.manictime.com

he ManicTime (www. manictime.com) system can be used for keeping track of work hours or just for gathering usage data. It started out as a single user tool, today it can be used in a multi user environment where you are required to keep accurate account of your work by project or client or whatever. Automatic tracking: M a n i c Ti m e automatically records your computer usage. It remembers which apps you've used and for how long. It will also remember which web sites you've visited and which documents you've worked on. All this data will help you keep track of your work hours. Accurate timekeeping: All the data ManicTime collects will be presented in a easy to understand graphical interface. This will help you to quickly figure out when you went to lunch and when you've switched tasks. From now on, your logged hours will be accurate and simple to track. Easy timesheets: From the hours you logged its easy to create almost any kind of report. Once you create the report, you can easily copy it to Excel or some other tool and create an invoice there. Local storage: ManicTime is not a cloud based service, instead it uses

a local datastore, so all recorded data will be kept on your machine. This also means that it will work the same with or without Internet connection. ManicTime pricing and licensing is available for individual users or professional (multi-user) contracts.

www.presentationpro.com

resenter Pro is a professional presentation training application (app). It is an amazingly rich and comprehensive resource for becoming an exceptional presenter and for creating phenomenal presentations. Whether you're a corporate executive, manager, sales executive, trainer, or lawyer, this advanced presentation skills application will help you present ideas powerfully and persuasively. Presenter Pro features: Advanced presentation skills techniques with eye-catching supporting graphics, audio, and video clips. Direct access to Rexi Media (www.reximedia.com) for additional presentation skills coaching or PowerPoint design guidelines A tip shaker for accessing hundreds of quick tips for your presentations (shake the device while viewing any of the sections for a quick tip). A checklist feature, which enables you to store and e-mail any topic paragraph(s) you want to refer to later. Purchase/download the Presenter Pro app from the iTunes App Store for a nominal fee.  Submitted by LaSandra Stratton, Chief Content Administrator of the Black Business News.

75  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest

The First Lady Holds Prep Rally to Encourage Higher Ed Preparation by Cameron Brenchley

Students at Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta listen to First Lady Michelle Obama speak on preparing for higher education. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Education by Joshua Hoover.

irst Lady Michelle Obama was at Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta, Ga., recently, to help kick off the Department of Education’s annual Back-to-School Bus Tour, and to encourage students to take charge of their futures and complete an education beyond high school as part of her Reach Higher initiative (www.whitehouse.gov/ reach-higher). Booker T. Washington High School opened its doors in 1924 and was the first public high school

for African-Americans in Georgia. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is among the school’s graduates. The First Lady began her visit by joining Secretary of Education Arne Duncan for a quick stop at a college fair, and to listen to students talk about their experience in searching out schools and getting help from their counselors. “Everything you are doing in school right now is critical to the rest of your life,” the First Lady told the students during the “Prep” rally that followed the college fair.

Completing high school is not the end but the beginning of your life’s journey. It’s just the beginning. In today’s world, in order to compete in an ever-globalizing economy, you’ve got to continue your education after you graduate from high school. And fortunately, there are many paths that you can take –- whether that’s a professional training program, a four-year school like Georgia State or Emory or Clark Atlanta, or a community college like Atlanta Metro State College. But no matter where you go,

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Community/Public Interest

First Lady Michelle Obama hugs a student during a college fair at Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Education by Joshua Hoover. the important thing is that you go somewhere. Because no matter who you are or where you come from, higher education is absolutely the best way you can take charge of your future. And there’s a lot you need to be doing right now to prepare yourself for those next steps. The Reach Higher initiative’s goal is to inspire students to take charge of their own future and complete some type of higher education after high school. The First Lady is working to rally the country around the President's "North Star" goal — that by 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world. During the rally, the First Lady talked about her own experience as a student. I still remember how one of my high school counselors told me that

I shouldn’t apply to Princeton. They told me I would never make it there, that I was setting my sights too high -- can you believe that? She told me, don’t bother. But let me tell you something -- that stuck with me. It made me a little uncertain, it did. It threw me off a little bit. But let me tell you, it made me mad, too. But I didn’t let those emotions get the best of me. Instead, I focused on getting good grades. I focused on signing up for activities, lining up my recommendations from teachers and mentors. And in the end, I ended up showing that counselor just how wrong she was. She acknowledged that the students at Booker T. Washington face many challenges and that it will take grit and determination to overcome those obstacles and reach their goals.

"So if there is anybody telling you that you’re not college material -anyone -- I want you to brush them off. Prove them wrong." I want you all to ask for help. Ask your teachers, your counselors, your coaches, your friends –- I don’t care who it is. But here’s the thing about asking for help -- you can’t do it just one time. You’ve got to keep asking again and again and again until you get what you need. You keep asking. Do you understand me? You don’t take no for an answer. You keep going back in. That’s how you rally back from adversity. Read the First Lady’s full remarks and learn more about the Department of Education’s Backto-School Bus Tour (www2. ed.gov/progress/index.html). 

77  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest - Obituary

Black Business Association Founding Member, Bob Collins, Passes

obert Earl “Bob” Collins, one of the founding board members of the Black Businessmen’s Association of Los Angeles (currently the Black Business Association), passed away on September 1, 2014, in Banning, California. Bob was one of the nation’s early leaders and a true trailblazer in the Black business movement during the late 60’s and early 70’s. His entrepreneurial endeavors included serving as the CEO of the National Economic Management Association (NEMA), a federallyfunded minority business development organization with five offices throughout California.

Bob also was the Chairman and CEO of H i g h - P r o Corporation (manufacturer of pasta products), the owner and operator of several fastfoods eateries, and an astute real estate investor and property manager. Affectionately called, “Big Bob” by his many business associates, he was recognized for his aggressive encounters with major corporate CEO’s during the BBA’s monthly hot-seat forums with business and government leaders. His efforts resulted in helping to secure contracts and loans for many minority businesses throughout California. Bob received appointments from Mayor Tom Bradley, Governor Ronald Reagan and President Richard Nixon, and was also appointed to the Boards of the LA Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, and the Los Angeles Board

of Airport Commissioners. At various junctures, Bob represented Governor Ronald Reagan on several task forces and committees dealing with minority economic development. The numerous awards and citations for his efforts on behalf of the Black business community are testament to Bob Collins’ hard work and commitment. Robert Earl Collins was born February 18, 1933 in Houston, Texas. He is survived by his son and daughter in-law, Erle (Vanessa) Collins; three grandchildren; and a devoted companion. He was preceded in death by his beloved daughter Subrena Collins. Bob excelled in academics and athletics at Jack Yates High School and Tennessee State University. After college he enlisted in the Air Force and was honorably discharged. In his leisure time outside his business interests, Bob was an avid golfer, sports fan and enjoyed traveling around the world. Words of encouragement may be sent to the Collins Family, 14431 Ventura Boulevard, #218; Sherman Oaks, California 91423. Bob will interred at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California. 

78  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest - Obituary

William Greaves, a Pioneering Journalist, Dies at 87 By Mel Watkins, New York Times

illiam Greaves, a producer and director who helped bring an African-American perspective to mainstream America as a host of the groundbreaking television news program “Black Journal” and as a documentary filmmaker, died at his home in Manhattan. He was 87. His daughter-in-law Bernice Green confirmed his death. Mr. Greaves was well known for his work as a documentarian focusing on racial issues and black historical figures. Mr. Greaves (rhymes with “leaves”) gained national recognition as a cohost and later executive producer of “Black Journal,” a monthly hourlong National Educational Television newsmagazine that made its debut in 1968 in response to a call by the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders to expand coverage of black affairs. It was the only nationally telecast series devoted to black issues in the 1960s. “By the acid test of professional and perceptive journalism, ‘Black Journal’ has earned its rightful niche as a continuing and absorbing feature of television’s output,” the television critic Jack Gould wrote in The New York Times in 1969. “Mr. Greaves is simply covering a story that should be covered and covering it with distinction.” In 1970, “Black Journal” won an Emmy in the “magazine-type programming” category.

Later that year, Mr. Greaves left the program to pursue projects developed by his own production company. (He was replaced by Tony Brown, and the program was later renamed “Tony Brown’s Journal.”) “The Fighters,” a featurelength documentary Mr. Greaves produced and directed about the 1971 Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier fight, was released theatrically in 1974. Writing in The Times, Vincent Canby called it “a first-rate film of its unprepossessing kind.” He went on to write, produce or direct films including the wellreceived PBS documentaries “Ida B. Wells: A Passion for Justice” (1989) and “Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey” (2001), as well as explorations of contemporary political and cultural issues like “Black Power in America: Myth or Reality?” (1986) and “That’s Black Entertainment” (1989). His work won awards at numerous festivals. William Garfield Greaves was born in Harlem on Oct. 8, 1926, one of seven children of Garfield Greaves, a taxi driver and minister, and the former Emily Muir. He won a scholarship to the Little Red Schoolhouse in Greenwich Village and later graduated from Stuyvesant High School. His education continued at the City College of New York. Between 1944 and 1952 he tried his hand at boxing, dancing, songwriting and

acting. He joined the American Negro Theater shortly after high school and, for a time, vied for roles with Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier. He appeared on Broadway in “Finian’s Rainbow” (1947) and “Lost in the Stars” (1949) and in a few movies, among them “The Fight Never Ends” (1948), an independent production starring the boxing champion Joe Louis, and “Lost Boundaries” (1949), a Hollywood film about race relations. In 1948, he was accepted as a member of the Actors Studio, but he decided to forgo a promising acting career and became involved in production. “I became infuriated by the racially degrading stereotypes that white film producers threw up on American screens,” he wrote in

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1969. “It became clear to me that unless we black people began to produce information for screen and television there would always be a distortion of the ‘black image.’ ” In 1950 he began working with Louis de Rochemont, a noted documentary filmmaker and the producer of “Lost Boundaries.” From 1952 to 1963 he lived in Canada and worked for the National Film Board of Canada as a writer, editor and producer. He married Louise Archambault in August 1959. She survives him, as do their three children, David, Taiyi and Maiya Greaves; two brothers, Theodore and Donald; a sister, Ruth Evadne Brooks; three grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild. Mr. Greaves produced short films for the United Nations and the United States Information Agency before forming his

production company, in 1964. He first attracted attention as a filmmaker with “Still a Brother: Inside the Black Middle Class,” an examination of the barriers facing upwardly mobile blacks, which he produced for National Educational Television in 1968. Around the same time he wrote, produced, directed and edited “Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One.” An experimental layers-ofreality work, it involved two actors performing a scene in Central Park while being filmed by a crew that was itself being filmed by another crew, all of the action presided over by Mr. Greaves himself. He was unable to find a distributor, and except for screenings in Paris and New York in 1980 it languished for more than 20 years. It was finally shown at the Brooklyn Museum and the Sundance Film Festival in the ’90s, but it was not seen in movie theaters until it opened, to glowing reviews, in 2005.

Manohla Dargis of The Times, while acknowledging that the film was in some ways dated, called it “highly entertaining and, at moments, revelatory about filmmaking as a site of creative tension between individual vision and collective endeavor.” Other filmmakers took notice, among them Steven Soderbergh, who as executive producer (with the actor Steve Buscemi) helped Mr. Greaves complete a belated sequel, “Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take 2 ½” (2005). They are now available as a two-DVD set from the Criterion Collection. In his later years, when asked about his achievements as a chronicler of black history and black life, Mr. Greaves was proud but modest. “I thought I was going to be a hurricane, but I ended up a becoming merely a single raindrop,” he once said. “Hopefully there are other raindrops of similar mind.” 

www.nytimes.com/2014/08/27/arts/william-greaves-a-documentarian-and-pioneering-journalist-dies-at-87.html?_r=0

International

Senior Army Commander 'On the Ground' Directing U.S. Ebola Campaign from allafrica.com Major General Darryl A. Williams

y the time President Obama announced a stepped up effort to combat Ebola in West Africa on Tuesday, September 16th, the Army officer he tapped to coordinate the response was already on the job. "We're going to establish a military command center in Liberia to support civilian efforts across the region,"Obama said during remarks at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta. Major General Darryl A. Williams, who is directing that effort, "is now on the ground in Liberia," the President announced. The U.S. military provides "unique, unrivaled expertise in command and control, and logistics and engineering", Obama said, speaking at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa on Wednesday. The first task for what is called Operation United Assistance is "creating an air bridge to get health workers and medical supplies into West Africa faster," he said. Officials estimate

the cost at between $500 and $750 million over the next six months. Williams took over in July as commander of U.S. Army Africa, a component of the U.S. Africa Command (Africom). He served previously in Europe, Korea and Iraq and as assistant Surgeon General dealing with care for returning soldiers, according to his official biography. Some 3,000 U.S. military personnel are being deployed to the region, along with 65 officers from the U.S. Public Health Service, joining more than 100 specialists from various government agencies already working in the three most affected countries, according to a fact sheet issued by the White House. In his CDC address, President Obama outlined a four-point strategy that includes "controlling the epidemic" in West Africa, "blunting the economic, social,

and political tolls," mobilizing and coordinating global engagement and strengthening "global health security infrastructure in the region and beyond." The selection of a senior commander to take charge of the effort underlines the President's designation of Ebola as a "national security priority." Williams, a twostar general, is directing the creation of a Joint Force Command to lead the international efforts to combat the spreading epidemic which has claimed at least 2,400 lives to date. In Congress, there have been bipartisan expressions of support for the administration initiative. Committees in the House and Senate have convened hearings this week that were unusually wellattended by members with seating for media and the public filled to capacity.  http://allafrica.com/ stories/201409171845.html

84  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

U.S. Troop Deployment

Ebola ward under construction in Liberia

85  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

International

What Africare is Doing to Contain Ebola www.africare.org/africare-contain-ebol

hanks so much to all our donors who have contributed to Africare’s Ebola Response Efforts. Here is an update with examples of the actions we’ve taken so far. Africare’s response to the West Africa Ebola outbreak is threepronged: • Emergency Response to address urgent needs • Behavior Change Communication to educate communities on how to stay healthy • Health Systems Strengthening to fortify health care systems against future outbreaks

other necessary medical supplies to protect health care workers, prevent Ebola transmission and assist in treating those infected. Two shipments sent by sea freight are en route, totaling $1.25 million in medical supplies. Africare is distributing these supplies to health care facilities via Liberia’s Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and we are partnering with other organizations in the affected areas to provide supplies elsewhere in Liberia, International Emergency Guinea and Sierra Response Coordination: Leone. We are With support from UPS and DHL, continually working Africare is shipping Personal to secure and ship Protective Equipment (PPE) and more supplies.

Africare has shipped more than $1.25 million in medical supplies to date, with plans for more in the near future. Photo: Direct Relief

Emergency Response in Liberia: Our extraordinary Africare/Liberia staff is deeply involved in Liberia’s Ebola containment efforts. The many different functions Africare/ Liberia is performing on the ground include:

• Providing technical support as a Member of the National Technical Working Group, the technical arm of the Ebola Task Force headed by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf • Developing protocols and standards for coordinators, supervisors and tracers as a Member of the contact tracing subcommittee • Serving as a county-chair for episurveillance & contact tracing and providing logistics like vehicles, fuel and forms • Training local government coordinators and supervisors as well as community members

86  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

local health care workers, local civilsociety organizations, traditional community and religious leaders, and local communities themselves.

Health Systems Strengthening:

Africare/Liberia Country Director Ernest Gaie meets a new life born during the Ebola outbreak at the Africare-supported Zebay Clinic.

• •

•

• •

on Ebola and contact tracing methods Helping to maintain two Ebola hot lines Procuring large quantities of PPEs: rubber aprons, rain boots, liquid soap, nose masks, latex gloves, rubber gloves, eye goggles, disposal head caps and more Distributing supplies like Clorox, chlohexidene solution, plastic buckets with faucets and knapsacks for disinfecting each health facility in Bong and Nimba Counties Training health care workers on safe Ebola health care practices – 200 trained to date Providing financial and in-kind incentives for Burial & Disposal teams to perform their hazardous jobs and supporting health technicians to ensure safe burial practices are followed Supporting health promotion messaging by health facility staff and Community Health Workers Providing incentives for lab technicians to perform blood specimen collection

Behavior Change Communication: Many Liberian communities are skeptical of the outbreak and initially

perceived the Ebola emergency as a ploy by the government to get millions of dollars from international donors. This is one example of the misperceptions that are still too prevalent in the region. Communities simply will not overcome Ebola and avoid future outbreaks without understanding the true causes of the disease and how to prevent it The second prong of Africare’s approach will be comprehensive behavior change campaigns. A behavior change campaign around Ebola will address public misconceptions about the disease, its treatment and how it is contracted, informing citizens that there is currently no vaccine or cure. Public misunderstandings complicate the crisis tremendously and are hampering global efforts to contain the virus. A behavior change campaign in the immediate future is necessary, and the campaign needs to be integrated into the health care system, stretching from the most prominent national representatives to the most local of community members. This can be done by targeting relevant messages at key groups: government ministries,

Liberia’s health care system was fragile and insufficient prior to the Ebola outbreak. Now it is overwhelmed. Health facilities have even been closing in the face of Ebola’s dangers, and people who are suffering from ailments other than Ebola are struggling to find care, and dying. Also as health facilities close, women begin caring for sick family members at home which increases their risk of exposure and death, especially in rural areas where traditional gender roles are more common. Many children will be left with other relatives to provide care, even though these relatives may be unable to adequately fulfill their own needs. Africare has several ongoing health projects in the country, supporting local institutions in providing essential health services. We have successfully kept Africaresupported health care facilities open to care for their surrounding populations, and we look to expand and deepen these programs to bolster the capacity of local health systems. This way Liberia will better respond to and ultimately prevent future outbreaks, whether in response to Ebola again or another virulent disease. Thanks so much again to all of our supporters who have enabled our initiatives so far. If you would like to donate to Africare’s Ebola response efforts, please go to www.africare. org/how-you-can-help/africareebola-outbreak-relief to give now and help us reach our goal of $50,000. .

87  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

International

Finance Trade Mission to

New York City

September 22 - 25, 2014

When

Monday - Thursday September 22 - 25, 2014

Where

Downtown New York, NY 10036

What

Showcase of today's Angola as a vibrant investment venue in Africa.

Join

More information: www.us-angola.org/

Corridors of Power: Angola in the U.S. Markets and Diplomatic Hallways - Wall Street and the United Nations During the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City, New York, the U.S.-Angola Chamber of Commerce (USACC) will host its 2nd mission targeted towards the finance, financial services and business sectors, for those seeking major investments and partners from the U.S. The objective is to increase Angola's economic profile and attract investors to participate in the various projects the country has to offer.

Registration: http://events.r20. constantcontact.com/register/ The mission will be held from Monday, 22nd through Thursday, 25th September, event?oeidk=a07e9qxzl87d0a 2014 and includes the following: click http://origin.library.constantcontact.com/ 89aa7&llr=ybcmfnqab download/get/file/1117133342776-61/WallStreetMissionSept2014.pdf to see the Complete Mission Program. Participation fee includes: • 5 Nights Stay at Five Stars Hotel in New York City; • Breakfast and meals indicated on the Mission program; • Participation in the Ai Summit; • Meetings with U.S. organizations, institutions and companies; • Participation in all events to be held under the program; • Assistance with obtaining visa to the United States. Your response is appreciated by September 8, 2014. The favor of your timely response is appreciated as securing accommodations in New York for targeted time frame will be tight. And it should also be noted that New York costs are exceptionally expensive, especially during the high profile period of UN General Assembly. 88  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

International

TRADE MISSION: DIVERSIFYING INVESTMENT IN ANGOLA Coming Soon! October 2014. The US-Angola Chamber of Commerce (USACC) was informed on May 21st by Boeing that due to administrative circumstances beyond their control, the anticipated dates for delivery of the TAAG 777 had to be shifted. Subsequently this means that the USACC Trade Mission to Angola originally scheduled for May 29 to June 4, 2014, will also have to be changed to a later date which will be conveyed in due course – anticipated to be in the fourth quarter of 2014. USACC sincerely apologizes for any inconvenience this unavoidable shift in schedule may have caused you and do hope that you will still be able to join us on this great mission at its rescheduled date. If you have already paid, USACC will be pleased to reimburse your fee for the trade mission. Upon receipt of your instruction please be advised that this reimbursement will take approximately four business days to be credited back to your account. Please know that you and your company are important to us at the U.S.-Angola Chamber of Commerce and our partner ANIP. We would like to sincerely thank you for your support and understanding.

For up-to-date information, please contact Maria da Cruz Gabriel (1-703-203-6481). 89  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

International

Why Africa Needs Maker Faire By Adam Oxford for African Enterprise

fter a short hiatus, Emeka Okafor and a small team of volunteers are planning to bring Maker Faire, the international celebration of hardware hacking, back to Africa. It will be the fifth time the event has visited the continent: the first was in 2009 in Accra, Ghana from where it went to Nairobi, Cairo and finally, in 2012, Lagos, Nigeria. "When you talk about Maker Faire in the US, a large percentage of the makers involved are hobbyists, and most of the rest are looking to go into Maker Pro," Okafor said. "In Africa, you don't have makers that fit the same profiles, you largely have makers who are making things to solve problems or to supplement their living." Described as "the greatest show and tell on Earth", Maker Faire has grown from a single event organised by MAKE: magazine in San Francisco to a network of

international crafting showcases on every continent. Thanks to support from celebrities such as MythBusters' Adam Savage and high-profile writers such as

Chris Anderson — whose book Makers tipped the movement as the most significant force in US manufacturing of the future — there was even a White House Maker Faire hosted by US President Barack Obama recently. "This event celebrates every maker," Obama said in his introduction to the event. "From students learning STEM [science, technology, engineering, maths] skills to entrepreneurs launching new businesses to innovators powering the renaissance in American manufacturing, I am calling on people across the country to join us in sparking creativity and encouraging invention in their communities." Each event so far organised by Okafor and his fellow volunteers has been noticeably different in atmosphere. "The range of projects we've seen at Maker Faire Africa has been incredible," Okafor said. "In Egypt we had young men and women who had built autonomous vehicles. In Kenya there were affordable machines for recycling. In Nigeria we had people from trade schools making power inverters." Perhaps the best known project demonstrated at Maker Faire Africa was in Nigeria in 2012, when a team of young female engineers from a local high school built a generator that turns urine into electricity. The girls' story went global and was covered by many well-known news sites (see Links below). While the promise of free electricity might have been a bit hopeful, it was indisputably a more positive

story about the potential for women to succeed in Nigeria than usually reaches the outside world. On the whole, though, Okafor said that many more of the exhibitions are low key and driven by practical necessity, such as bicyclepowered generators for charging batteries or jewellers from the slums of Kibera who make bone artefacts from the remains on butchers' floors. And that's okay. "Each one of these people and everyone attending is important," he said. "It doesn't have to be the best invention or the most interesting, Africa has to be seen as a home for creation and invention." Unlike other Maker Faires, Okafor said that it's not enough to simply hold the event in an African city and see who turns up. Two volunteers are currently working in South Africa to discover inventors in rural areas and neighbouring countries such as Zambia and Botswana who they can encourage to attend and show off their work. They rely on sponsorship funding to arrange for travel and accommodation for makers from outside the host city. If the event was restricted to those who could afford to turn up, he said, it would be a missed opportunity. "The landscape is different in Africa," Okafor said. "We need to trigger the community and that involves an investment on our part."

90  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

http://makerfaireafrica.com

By 'triggering the community', Okafor means spreading technical skills and understanding of how innovation happens. He's passionate in his belief that bringing makers together can help fill in skills gaps. "Educational institutions across Africa are failing their populations. They're producing people who come out with certificates but are largely not very productive. We need to be provocative about what we're asking our young people to

do. Is it about production or the appearance of education? It's more important for Africans to start asking questions about what is useful for them," Okafor said. In a week when it was revealed aid donors to Africa take far more money from the continent than they actually put it, the need for more local entrepreneurs is pressing. While many countries in Africa have a proud history of innovation — a theme which was the subject of a recent TEDxGlobal (see Links

below) talk last year — it's still the case that many African inventors are working in isolation, solving their own problems in innovative ways that never get shared for others to follow, Okafor said. "The most important thing for us is about changing the way African makers and inventors see themselves," he said. "These individuals represent something very important in society, there's a common thread that connects them." 

www.zdnet.com/why-africa-needs-maker-faire-7000031727 http://makerfaireafrica.com http://makerfaireafrica.com/2012/11/06/a-urine-powered-generator http://blog.ted.com/2013/06/13/want-to-see-real-innovation-check-out-africa-toby-shapshak-at-tedglobal-2013 91  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

International

Newly formed Atlanta organization to host Zambia Golden Jubilee Celebration in Atlanta Zambians Promoting Leadership in America (ZLA) is a recently formed organization based in Atlanta GA. ZLA founder, Freda Mwamba Brazle, said the organization's objective is centered around demonstrating leadership, taking responsibility and collaboration. Born in Chinsali, Northern Province, Mwamba Brazle is a graduate of the Leadership Atlanta class of 2006 and possesses a Bachelors in Management Information Systems and Master of Science in Accounting from Pace University, New York City. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Master Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma. Her impressive education background is coupled with over 20 years experience in the corporate world which includes employment with The Coca-Cola Company, General Electric, Arthur Andersen Consulting, Bank of America and WellPoint where she has held various executive roles.

When asked why she decided to host Zambia Golden Jubilee event and how it relates to ZLA, Freda said, "I am one of many Zambian born professionals who have made significant strides in the United States. Zambia's 50th year anniversary is the perfect time to take stock of how far Zambia has come and how Zambians in the Diaspora have developed. Zambia's 50th birth year is the perfect

time to launch "Zambians Promoting Leadership in America." Freda Mwamba Brazle decided that she was going to apply what she had learned about community and transformational leadership to plan a memorable event for Zambiaಬs 50th Golden Jubilee in Atlanta. Understanding that success is best achieved with like-minded people,

Freda Mwamba

she pulsed several contacts, both Zambian and non-Zambian to interest them in joining her in making a statement about her country of origin. The response was overwhelming and the idea was given life.

92  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

International SPEAKER LINE-UP

Innocent Mulenga

Thomas Konditi

The members of the planning committee are made up of Zambian professionals from diverse backgrounds and experience. "There are so many skilled and talented Zambians in the US. I feel privileged to work with such an impressive team of leaders in their own right. Take a look at their profiles on our website," she exclaimed. The jubilee celebrations will take place on Saturday, October 25th, 2014 at the Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway Hotel. An impressive list of speakers include: Geri Thomas President of Georgia Operations and Global

Hugh Molotsi

Diversity & Inclusion Executive at Bank of America Corporation. Nairobi-based Thomas Konditi, the Chief Financial Officer for GE Africa. Hugh Molotsi, Vice President of Technology Innovation at Intuit. Zambia-based Innocent Mulenga, Zambian Primatologist at Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage. Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphange in Zambia has provided care and protection to about 200 Chimpanzees since it opened. Entertainment will be provided by 3D the Boss, Ollie Patterson, the Soweto

Geri Thomas

Street Dancers, and Damien Musuka. ಯThe Golden Jubilee event is our way of giving back to our country of origin by sharing the untold story and showcasing Zambia to the American audience. We are a proud, humble and friendly nation and home to The Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world." Freda added.

GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATION October 25, 2014 Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway Hotel

Tickets can be purchased online at www.ZambiaJubileeAtlanta.com For additional information please email zambiajubileeatlanta@gmail.com

93  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

AFRICAN EXPANSION ECONOMIC SUMMIT 2014 / Durban, South Africa 10-14 November 2014 Durban International Convention Centre The African Economic Expansion Summit is an annual global gathering of international investors, business executives, financiers and government officials to discuss, showcase, review and create business partnerships. Several infrastructure channels and project pipelines have been identified for pre-selected African States to submit pre-screened projects to the Project Initiation Committee under the following sectors: Transport:

Services:

Social:

Agriculture:

Energy:

• Ports/Shipping • Road Network • Rail Network • Airports

• Electricity • Water • Telecoms & ICT

• Schools/Universities • Clinics/Hospitals • Tourism

• Production • Processing • Distribution

• Generation • Distribution • Sustainable & Alternative

International project and consulting companies and interested businesses/investors will be able to present their focussed projects and services to government decision makers from across sub Saharan Africa. Interested parties from Africa and overseas will be able to showcase their infrastructure projects and services through targeted exhibitions, project due diligence presentations and other marketing materials. The Summit’s diverse array of marketing channels includes site visits, plenary sessions, panel discussions, break-away sessions and one-on-one interactions will deliver a unique professional experience and networking platform to move deals forward. The AEES gives Africa a new platform to drive economic activity and investment profiles about what’s happening on the continent as it relates to infrastructure projects. African delegations from Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union, West & East African Regional Economic Communities, and various African member states to showcase their economies critical infrastructure projects. The Summit co-hosts, the South African Province of KwaZulu-Natal and Rainbow/PUSH Africa believe this unique professional networking experience offers an exceptional insight into Africa’s future infrastructural opportunities and challenges. We look forward to your participation at the AEES, we believe there is an appetite to build new partnerships and become part of the African growth story. Registration and Information: Website: www-aees.co.za E-mail: info@aees.co.za

International

Download the NEW!! Zambia-USA Chamber of Commerce App from the

Apple App Store or

Google Play Store Search: "Zambia USA Chamber"

Find links to the chamber website and facebook page, and embassies; access business resources; receive breaking news; view relevant video presentations; communicate via Twitter, smartphone and e-mail.

www.zambiausachamber.org

96  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

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 97  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

konyagi.co.tz

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

RESOURCES FOR GOING GLOBAL Event: East Meets West in Startup Paradise 2014 “Digital Lifestyle” Dates: November 5-7 Times: 9am Cost: $1,000 Registration: http://eastmeetswest.co/en/#sthash.6kmpRtVN.dpuf Location: Honolulu, Hawaii Join us for some golf and networking on November 5th at the beautiful Kapolei Golf course, followed by a VIP dinner. Then on November 6th, we will hold the East Meets West in Startup Paradise 2014 "Digital Lifestyle" Conference followed by a VIP reception at Hawaii Fashion Week at The Modern Honolulu. Finally, on November 7th, network and soak in all the knowledge at our full-day conference followed by a Luau! To Resolve Questions or For More Information: http://eastmeetswest.co/en/activity/ acy219096#sthash.et7gzMIF.dpuf

Event: Sustainable Energy Business Districts (SEBIZ)- Energy Efficiency

Trade Mission to China Date: December 7-13 The mission will focus on business development opportunities in Beijing, Tianjin, Qingdao, and Changzhou. The mission will be unique in that two of the stops will focus on “shovel-ready” projects that have been prepared under the auspices of a US DOE grant. A US firm called Optony (http://www.optony.com) is managing the execution of the grant-related work, and is looking for US firms with efficiency-related technologies that can carry out retrofitting projects. Register or For more information: http://chinauseealliance.org/2014mission

Asian Development Bank Tender Report This Foreign Government Tender report from the US Commercial Service Asian Development Bank Liaison Office (CS ADB) augments our series of regular monthly reports that give U.S. exporters advance information on Asian government tenders. This report covers advance and ongoing procurement, as well as recruitment of consultants for projects that are funded by the ADB. U.S. firms may submit their bids directly to the executing agency listed on the procurement notice. Details of the bidding procedures are stated in the Bidding Documents issued by the executing agency or otherwise stated in the procurement notice. U.S. firms are encouraged to keep in contact with CS ADB, especially if they decide to participate in ADB procurement activities. This office works closely with the Office of the U.S. Executive Director (US/ED) to the ADB to increase American awareness of and participation in ADB’s procurement activities. A summary of the projects is found at: http:// buyusainfo.net/docs/x_751955.pdf and www.export.

100  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

RESOURCES FOR GOING GLOBAL gov/ADB/build/groups/public/@ eg_adb/documents/webcontent/ eg_adb_078505.pdf. ᏊᏊᏊᏊᏊ Marketing: Promote Your Company on the New Commercial News USA Website The newly redesigned Commercial News USA website makes it easier for buyers around the world to find American companies with products and services ready for immediate export and for U.S. exporters connect with buyers worldwide. Commercial News USA features hundreds of products and services from U.S. exporters. For more information and/or to review the current

issue of the magazine, please visit www.thinkglobal.us. ᏊᏊᏊᏊᏊ 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 www.buyusa.gov/home/us.html or contact Bobby Hines at bobby. hines@trade.gov. 

International

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

102  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

International

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 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)

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

107  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Collection Bed, Bath & Beyond

http://bsmith.com/shop

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

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 110  September 2014  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

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

Back to School - Back to Reading Come see our unsurpassed collection of books, music, videos, childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s books, and games!

323-294-0324

www.esowonbookstore.com ď&#x192;&#x201D; //esowon.booksense.com for Calendar of Events

Books to Consider...

The New Negro: An Interpretation by Alain Leroy Locke

llain Leroy Locke served as Master of Ceremonies at a 1924 literary banquet at Manhattan’s Civic Club, at which Paul Kellogg, the editor of Survey Graphic, became so impressed with Locke that he invited him to edit a special issue of his popular mainstream magazine. Locke recognized the opportunity for what it was: a chance to celebrate African-American artistic talent and, in doing so, inspire others to create art in service of a grander vision that would upend painful, and enduring, racist caricatures and replace them with the fullness of “the New Negro.” What happened next solidified the Harlem Renaissance as a recognizable movement. After the successful March 1925 release of Survey Graphic’s special issue, which Locke, as editor, subtitled Harlem: Mecca of the New Negro, he strove to reach a wider audience by turning it into a book, The New Negro: An Interpretation (1925), which became the crystalizing anthology of the Harlem Renaissance. In the book’s preface, Locke captured the significance of what was happening: “[T]he New Negro must be seen in the perspective of a New World, and especially of a New America. … America seeking a new spiritual expansion and artistic maturity, trying to found an

Alain LeRoy Locke American literature, a national art, and a national music implies a Negro-American culture seeking the same satisfactions and objectives. Separate as it may be in color and substance, the culture of the Negro is of a pattern integral with the times and with its cultural setting.” The New Negro became the who’s who of the Harlem Renaissance. Its table of contents is enough to fill a course’s syllabus, or generate a lifetime of study. For fiction, there was Jean Toomer and Zora Neale Hurston, among others. In his poetry section, Locke included Countee Cullen, Claude McKay, James Weldon Johnson, Langston Hughes, Arna Bontemps, Anne Spencer, Angelina Grimke and others. There were works of drama by Jessie Redmon Fauset, musical selections by Locke, McKay and Hughes, and an essay on the new musical form called “jazz” by none other than our old friend “J.A. Rogers.” The essays included were written by such leading lights of the Harlem Renaissance as Arthur Schomburg, Walter White and Kelly Miller. Even Melville Herskovits published an essay there, as did Albert Barnes, on black art. Not surprisingly, the last word in The New Negro went to W.E.B. Du Bois, who closed it out with his essay “The Negro Mind Reaches Out.” It was a perfect description of Locke. The New Negro embodied Locke’s definition of essential features of African American culture,

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themes such as the importance of self-respect in the face of social denigration; ethnic pride; overcoming racial stereotypes and idioms, such as call-and-response in the spirituals or discord and beats in jazz; and the importance that cultural hybridity, traditions, and revaluations play in shaping cross-cultural relationships. Locke promoted those features of African American folk culture that he believed could be universalized and thus become classical idioms, functioning, for Locke, as cultural ambassadors encouraging crosscultural and racial respect. Alain LeRoy Locke was born in Philadelphia in 1885, the only son of a lawyer and teacher, both of whom had been born free. He attended the Philadelphia School of Pedagogy en route to a bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from Harvard University in 1907. Locke had entered Harvard as a member of the Class of 1908 but completed his undergraduate studies in three years in order to take full advantage of the Rhodes Scholarship he had applied for and been elected to in his junior year. Alain LeRoy Locke died June 9, 1954, at age 68. His funeral service was held at Bent’s Funeral Home on West 132nd Street in Harlem, and his body was cremated at the Fresh Pond Crematory. Ralph Bunche, W.E.B. Du Bois, Walter White, Mordecai Johnson (then the president of Howard University) and other notables were among the 110 people who attended the funeral, presided over by Channing Tobias. Locke’s close friend Arthur H. Fauset, the well-known folklorist and half-brother of Jessie Redmon Fauset of Harlem Renaissance fame, assumed responsibility for the arrangements.  By: Henry Louis Gates Jr.

www.theroot.com/articles/ history/2014/09/who_was_the_ first_black_rhodes_scholar.1.html www.amazon.com/The-NewNegro-Interpretation-Literature/ dp/0405018266

Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina

by Misty Copeland

n this instant New York Times bestseller, Misty Copeland makes history as the only African

American soloist dancing with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre. But when she first placed her hands on the barre at an afterschool community center, no one

Misty Copeland expected the undersized, anxious thirteen-year-old to become a groundbreaking ballerina. When she discovered ballet, Misty was living in a shabby motel room, struggling with her five siblings for a place to sleep on the floor. A true prodigy, she was dancing en pointe within three months of taking her first dance class and performing professionally in just over a year: a feat unheard of for any classical dancer. But when Misty became caught between the control and comfort she found in the world of ballet and the harsh realities of her own life (culminating in a highly publicized custody battle), she had to choose to embrace both her identity and her dreams, and find the courage to be one of a kind. Life in Motion is an insider’s look at the cutthroat world of professional ballet, as well as a moving story of passion and grace for anyone who has dared to dream of a different life.  www.amazon.com/Life-Motion-AnUnlikely-Ballerina/dp/1476737983

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RIO 2016 OLYMPIC COMMITTEE Partnership & Contract Opportunities For a list of current Rio 2016 Olympic Sponsors visit: http://rio2016.com/en/organising-committee/partners

Your American Contact: joel.Reynoso@trade.gov

For information on the Games visit http://export.gov/brazil/games/index.asp

For information on participating in or supporting the Voting Rights Act restoration movement visit these and other organization websites: • 50th Anniversary March on Washington - http://50thanniversarymarchonwashington.com.

• National Action Network - http://nationalactionnetwork.net/mow/

• NAACP - www.naacp.org

• National Urban League - http://nul.iamempowered.com

• Rainbow/PUSH Coalition - www.rainbowpush.org

Verizon is joining forces with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and a number of other businesses and community organizations to help promote safe driving through

It Can Wait. http://itcanwait.com

• Project Vote - www.projectvote.org

Grow With

A crowdfunding platform for projects and ideas benefiting the African-American community. www.blackstartup.com

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Calendar September TBA BBA Business Entrepreneur Training Institute Conducted in partnership with the Business Division of West Los Angeles College. The 15-week training program prepares the serious entrepreneur for operating a highly successful business. Participation fee is $75 and includes a one-year BBA membership and a certificate of completion. For information visit www.bbala.org or send an inquiry to the BBA using mail@bbala.org. See page 75.

25th Cybercrime Small Business Forum Learn to protect your business from Cybercrime at this forum. Admission is free. The presentation begins at 10am at the R.A. Anderson Recreation Center @ Expo Center, 3980 Bill Robertson Lane, Los Angeles. For information or RSVP visit www.cyberinfo@businessmatchmaking.com.

October 2nd-4th 15th Annual Creating Opportunity Conference Using the theme "Thriving in a Changing Economy" the conference includes My Community Rocs and My Church Rocs sessions. The conference will be held

at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. For information visit www. rainbowpush. org

13th Global Automotive Summit The Automotive Project is the only business conference that takes a deep dive into the automotive industry for people of color. It will be held at the MGM Grand Detroit Meetings and Events Center. For information visit www.rainbowpush.org.

16th BBA 2014 Procurement Exchange Summit The Summit, Conference and Luncheon will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Downtown Los Angeles. For informaion on how to participate in the exchange, attend the conference, and the benefits of sponsorship visit www.bbala.org or send an inquiry to the BBA using mail@bbala.org

African Expansion Economic Summit 2014 An annual global gathering of international investors, business executives, financiers and government officials to discuss, showcase, review and create business partnerships. Several infrastructure channels and project pipelines have been identified for pre-selected African States to submit pre-screened projects to the Project Initiation Committee

23rd Successful Women in Business Leadership & Procurement Conference Held at the San Gabriel Hilton, the one day conference features prominent women in discussion on achieveing and maintaining success along with opportunities to network with corporate and government procurement representatives. Detailed information is available at www.publicconnectionsla.com.

November 10th-14th

under the following sectors: Transport, Services, Social, Agriculture and Energy. The Summit co-hosts, the South African Province of KwaZulu-Natal and Rainbow/ PUSH Africa believe this unique professional networking experience offers an exceptional insight into Africa’s future infrastructural opportunities and challenges. For information and registration visit www-aees.co.za or send e-mail to: info@aees.co.za. The conference will be held in Durban, South Africa. 

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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 Publish Africa http://wow.gm/publishafrica Rock Me Africa //rockmeafrica.com

www.causecast.com www.causecastfornonprofits.com Continental African Chamber of Commerce 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 AfrigadgetTV www.afrigadget.com The Exchange Magazine www.nse.co.ke YouTube Educational Channels http://teacherswithapps.com/197-educational-youtube-channels-know Ventures www.ventures-africa.com

U.S. Government

Organizations Africa Leadership Forum http://africaleadership.org The African Union www.au.int/en Black Business Association www.bbala.org CauseCast

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 White House www.whitehouse.gov

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