beliefs. Holding true to one’s core values, it is possible to create agency and leverage to be successful. Johnson adds that it was due to her resilience that she created her own resources. Being resilient will not only allow us to bounce back, but also move forward. In order to do that, “We must adapt. We must perform, and we must thrive,” she declared.
Black Boss Summit Expands with Competition and Cannabis Panel
Fifth Annual Event Continues Aim of Creating Wealth by Establishing and Sustaining Businesses By Joshua Glenn
Resilience was the theme
that fueled a weekend of inspiration at the Fifth Annual Black Boss Summit. The gathering featured entrepreneurs from across the country, as summit leaders opened their arms to give aspiring businesses the tools to adapt, perform and thrive. A ballroom at the Clayton Hotel in Cherry Creek North was home base for the jam-packed, three-day event. Hosted by Jice Johnson and Shay J of the Black Business Initiative, the summit expanded into the community this year to up the ante from years prior. For the first time in summit history, the Pitch Black competition and Cannabis and Conversations panel made their inaugural debut at this year’s event. The Jacquad Autograph Hotel was the venue for day one of the Black Boss Summit. Shay J and Rich Lewis from RTL Networks co-hosted the first annual Pitch Black competition to kick off the festivities. In the style of the popular TV series, “Shark Tank,” over 80 Black-owned businesses pitched their ideas for a chance to earn a $10,000 investment sponsored by Amanda Gordon, owner of GoJo Auto. National Business League CEO Dr. Kenneth Harris and Ben-Gurion University Chief of Staff & Strategic Initiatives for Americans Nneka McPhee sat
Create and Find Tools and Opportunities to Forge a Path to Success
alongside Gordon to form an all-star judge’s panel. Emerging from a tight pool of finalists, Truck Desk Owner Nosa Iyare was crowned the winner of the competition. The president of Commercial Rail Solutions, Christopher Senegal, led an engaging conversation about the real estate market. While sharing his market knowledge and the ways the Black community has struggled with it, he also spoke about the realities of gentrification of Black communities that results in the unfortunate displacement of Black families. Black Boss Summit Founder Johnson set the tone for day two. In her presentation, she introduced attendees to the event theme of resilience. Last year’s pandemic halted the growth and development of Black-owned businesses across the country. However, resilience is in our roots, and with it, the instinctual ability to overcome any hurdle in our way, Johnson told the audience. In her opening conversation, she mentioned how setting a goal and performing at the highest caliber will provide you with the tools necessary to create your own success. “Unless you reach the goal, you don’t change the vision,” said Johnson. She stressed the importance of changing your mentality. Mainstream media is often a culprit of dictating the way people feel and their
financial investment and can be virtually impossible to do individually. Multiple speakers from the weekend, including Pinder, discussed how partnering with other established corporations will increase funding opportunities. Following the discussion of economics was Danielle Shoots, founder and CEO of the Daily Boss Up. Her advice to the room was about the critical importance of spending money to make money. “You do not grow business without debt,” Shoots advised.
Jice Johnson, Hill Harper and Shay J
Throughout Saturday’s event, entrepreneurs and economic professionals had opportunities to share their personal experiences navigating the business world. Duwain Pinder from the McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility presented a portion of the McKinsey Report that discusses the economic impact of small businesses. With a significant number of Black-owned businesses opening in healthcare, “How do we start Black businesses in sectors where the economy is growing?” asked Pinder. Launching, owning and operating a business are a major
Photo by Ajay Kyle
Stern in her speech, she mentioned the word “risk.” As the banking industry has routinely operated against Black people, she described risk as the word used to keep Black businesspeople out of the capital machine. Through years of developing financial literacy, she developed the tools to stand up to the banking industry and create her own path to success. “There is no entrepreneurship without purpose,” asserted Dr. Kenneth Harris, 12th National CEO of the National Business League who followed Shoots by discussing how now is the time for a Black economic revolution. The pandemic in
Panelists and guests enjoying the summit Photo by Ajay Kyle
Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – October 2021
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