New York, New York – Minority Enterprise Development Week Offers A Wider Path to Growth for Minority-owned Business in New York. The Inaugural launch of Minority Enterprise was held at Hempstead Town Hall hosted by the Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce, Inc. and the African American Small Business Foundation, Inc.
Phil Andrews, President of the Long Island African American Chamber Commerce, Inc. stated in Newsday “The enterprise development week aims to increase awareness about the Small Business Development Centers, Service Corps of Retired Executives, Hofstra’s Ascend Long Island and other programs that help people turn their ideas into companies.”
“We want to give minority entrepreneurs access to information, tools and resources to grow their business,” he told about 60 people who attended the enterprise event at Hempstead Town Hall.” Phil Andrews
The 400-member chamber has been selected for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Community Navigator Program as a spoke, a 100 million outreach effort to firm that are in underserved communities and have been adversely impacted by the Covid-19 crises. A theme of MED Week was that Minority entrepreneurs can benefit from increased commitment of the federal and state governments to award contracts to them, but only if they first have a strong, well-organized operation, officials said at the conference. The ultimate goal for MED Week is to expand MED Week into MED Month in 2023.
In a Newsday story Charlene Thompson, President of Thompson Economic Development Services, LLC, a government contractor in Baldwin stated “We have a federal and a state government that has in mind to help small businesses, particularly those of us who have often been underserved, underrepresented.” She continued, “But we have to make sure that they are ready.” There are corporate partners that can help you get your house in order.” Thompson is an expert in government housing programs and a law professor at Hofstra University.
As part of Minority Enterprise Development Week, a second event was held by the Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce, Inc along with the African American Small Business Foundation, Inc. and with Hofstra’s Entrepreneurship Assistance Center at The Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Scott Skodnek Business Development Center. The second event of enterprise week provided workshops on growing and expanding your small business and included developing your business model, access to capital, and procurement.
In October of 2022 the Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce, Inc. and the African American Small Business Foundation, Inc. launched the Inaugural Minority Enterprise Development Week on Long Island which will be Minority Enterprise Development Month beginning in October of 2023 and beyond.
Minority Enterprise Development Month (MED Month) Offers a venue for minority-owned firms to access information, tools, and resources to grow their businesses both domestically and internationally through networking events, workshops, and issue forums.
The events that compose MED Month are meant to raise awareness among minority business owners, and the larger business community.
The workshops included a session for start-ups, procurement, and access to capital.
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