2009 Ron Brown Business Economic Summit & Youth Scholarship Awards
Summit Overview
The 2009 Ron Brown Summit got off to a roaring start with the Annual Youth Scholarship Golf Classic. This event along with our Sponsors So Cal Edison and Citi assists the CBCC Foundation in giving out 15-20 scholarships each year.
For the past 14 years the Ron Brown Summit has brought together small business members and major corporations to meet, greet and learn how to do business with one another and develop relationships for future exposure. This year, "Plugging into Technology" included such corporations as: Department of General Services, Department of Transportation Small Business Enterprise, Department of Technology, Department of Environmental Protection Agency and representatives of county coalitions, Mayor in each city, government, Speaker of the House, Congressional Black Caucus Chair and other legislatures from the local areas, legislature, etc. The Summit included workshops on green technology, one on one matching sessions, and Marketing Strategies t improve your business bottom line. Our keynote speakers George Fraser author of Success Runs in our Race; Ken McNeely, president of AT&T; Janice Bryant Howroyd president/owner ACT 1 group; provided excellent insight into creative ways to improve your business, connect with your community and reach back to assist and include our youth to move them forward in life. There were many opportunities for networking, and informational exhibits. The primary purpose of this conference was to do business.and you can't do business if you are not where business is being done!
This year approximately 300 participants attended the Summit. The opening session was electric with the keynote address from George Fraser, networking guru who told it like it is and charged the audience to take charge and make change. The two day conference ended with another electrifying keynote address during the scholarship luncheon when Janice Bryant Howaryd encouraged the students to be leaders and thinkers and who had us all standing up to take notice of our lives in the community and business opportunities we could pass onto our youth and begin to prepare them to take our places. Respondents gave the workshops they attended a high utility rating with 100% indicating that they believed the information/training they received would be useful to very useful in their business. Some of the quotes: "I look forward to returning and implementing all the great ideas I heard here at the Summit."
"I will seek venture capital"
"I will strategize my marketing needs/cost before I move, and plan in detail."
"I will define who I am as a brand, and determine my niche"
Not to forget the Youth Entrepreneurial Summit going on concurrently on Friday morning. A half day event for young adults to develop business resources and provide significant entrepreneurial networks for young adult's ages 18-25, as well as business strategies and design, financial literacy, applicable skill sets and technologies. Through contact and support, young men and women are enabled to advance their educational pursuits to secure their future opportunities in business and technology.
Encouraging professional support in commerce for future leaders, CBCC President Aubry Stone says, "We believe the economic future for California is directly linked to the investment we make in our youth." "Bringing together small business experts to showcase the importance of leveraging technology and business processes has always been our intention," said California Black Chamber, CEO Aubry Stone. "Bringing that together with tomorrows up and coming generation is the focus of the dreams we all grow on."
Last but not least, the Ron Brown Memorial Awards Gala; in honor of the late secretary of commerce Ronald H. Brown. During the gala we recognize those who push the envelope and stand out in their community as movers and shakers. This year's Visionaries; Frank S. Greene, a designer of memory chips and computer memory systems. He is the founding partner of NewVista Capital, a Silicon Valley venture capital company responsible for investing in 26 start-up technology companies; and Roy L. Clay, founder of Roy L. Clay & Associates, a venture capital firm that includes specific ventures in Compaq Computer, Tandem Computers and Intel Corporation. Also recognized was the small business of the year (north) Yadari Enterprises; (south) Brandon Supply, Inc; Chamber of the Year-GLAAACC; Corporate Community Leadership awarded to Southern California Gas Company; African American Press award to California Advocate; Diversity & Procurement Outreach to Metropolitan Water District & California Public Utilities Commission; and the Outstanding Community Service to Manatt, Phelps & Phillips a law firm based in Sacramento.
All in all, a good time was had by all and topped off with entertainment by the Manhattans
If you missed this year, you won't want to miss next year. It will be our 15th Anniversary. We look forward to seeing you in the Los Angeles area August 18-20, 2010!
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