Newly elected Mayor Karen Bass will deliver the keynote address at the 29th Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce Economic Awards Dinner on Thursday, March 30, at the JW Marriott LA Live, 900 West Olympic Boulevard in downtown Los Angeles.
Entrepreneurs, executives, seasoned businesswomen and startups converged for an evening of empowerment, encouragement, and solidarity at the Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce 5th Annual Women in the C-Suite.
The Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce (GLAAACC) will recognize the Bakewell family and State Senator Steven Bradford at its Annual Economic Awards Dinner on Thursday, May 19, at 5:30 p.m., at the JW Marriott LA Live, 900 West Olympic Boulevard in downtown Los Angeles.
For over 15 years, the Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce‘s (GLAACC) Business Evolution Program (BEP) has partnered with major corporations to provide entrepreneurs with the tools and resources they need to increase scale and achieve economic growth.
Black-owned businesses in California and around the country are closely watching as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi decides when she has enough support from the congressional Democratic caucus to call a vote on the $1.2 trillion bipartisan federal infrastructure spending bill.
According to the Small Business Administration, 95% of the 2.6 million African American-owned business have no employees. And although African American solopreneurs and businesses with less than ten employees are more likely to face barriers such as access to capital and difficulty scaling their business, they make up one of the fastest growing business sectors in the country.
“What does it mean to have a seat at the table?” was the theme for The Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce’s virtual Women in the C – Suite conference on November 4. Décor Interior Design Chief Executive Officer Ronda Jackson moderated the hour-long discussion that centered on the topics of what it takes to maintain a successful career, open doors for other women and propel the next generation of women leaders. Panelists included Sydney Kamlager, Assemblywoman, 54th District; Kim Carter, partner, Kelley Drye, LLP; Christine Keith, resident, Elite Auto Network; Tameka Raymond, founder, Cult De Jour; and Halleemah Nash, founder, Rosecrans Ventures.
In an ideal world, discrimination would not exist and outlawing it wouldn’t be necessary. Racism and sexism would only be fleeting thoughts of a time far gone. And people would rise in society based on the merits of their achievements, and not their gender, race, ethnicity, or any combination of the three.
For over a decade, The Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce has worked with promising business owners to propel them to the next level in their industry with its Business Evolution Program.
On October 23, 2019, Governor Gavin Newsome met with the African American Empowerment Committee, a coalition of African American businesses and civic leaders from Northern and Southern California for a second time at the offices of Gene Hale, President of G&C Equipment Corporation and Chairman of the Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce (GLAAACC) to discuss a range of issues impacting the African American community, including but not limited to criminal justice reform, homelessness, education, government appointments, and business process reforms for state agencies dealing with providing economic fairness to the African American community. The committee is chaired by Alice Huffman and Pastor Edgar Boyd. Gene Hale is the chair of the small business committee.
Since its inception in 2006, The Hale Foundation has donated tens of thousands of dollars to provide a helping hand to low-income families, children and young adults. In addition to providing money for educational scholarship donations, The Hale Foundation has donated to organizations that give assistance to children affected by homelessness and malnutrition. Other beneficiaries of The Hale Foundation include: the United Negro College Fund, the L.A. Southwest College Education Foundation, Inner City Arts, Parents of Watts, St. Jude Children’s Hospital and L.A. Child Guidance Clinic.
The awards ceremony pays tribute to individuals, small businesses and corporations who have contributed to the economic growth and development of the African American small business community.
It’s crucial that we have policies in place, like the sign ordinance, that give businesses the tools they need to help them grow and thrive.
Awards were given in nineteen categories including a special legacy award presented to Los Angeles World Airport (LAWA) Chief Development Officer Bob Gilbert for his four decades of service to the aviation industry. GLAAACC’s Special Recognition Awards went to Jeffrey Brunswig, Operations Manager, Hensel Phelps Construction; Louis Carr, Chief Information Technology Officer at Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP); and John Harriel, Project Superintendent, Morrow-Meadow