January ZOOM Luncheon Featuring a
Black/Minority Owned Businesses Panel Discussion
Wednesday, January 13, 2021
11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/95443509476?pwd=cnNXWWlNR0hrNmF1eStudldtaU9hZz09
Join us for an upcoming panel discussion, hosted by the Shoreline Chamber of Commerce via Zoom.
Across the country, the Black Lives Matter movement has mobilized communities at an unprecedented scale with its simple message that unarmed people should not be more than twice as likely to be killed by the police due to the color of their skin. The heightened interest in understanding bias and dismantling systems of oppression has inspired many to seek out ways to be supportive of black-owned businesses. A recent report from Yelp showed that searches for Black-owned businesses were up from approximately 35,000 last summer to more than 2,500,000 this summer. But as a recent Forbes.com article revealed, an extreme wealth gap persists between black and white families, hindering the formation and growth of black businesses. Since the onset of the COVID-19 economic crisis, Black entrepreneurs are hardest hit: fully 41% of Black small-business owners stopped working altogether between February and April of 2020. White small-business owners, by contrast, ceased work at less than half the rate of Black small-business owners. In light of these troubling statistics, what can be done to catalyze heightened interest in equity into action in our community?
We are excited to announce we have recruited an experienced leader in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion to facilitate a discussion with Black business leaders in our community to speak about the barriers they face, things we in the broader community can do to support diversity in our business community and attract more entrepreneurs of color, how we can introduce young people of all backgrounds to diverse business people, and the resources available to businesses owned by people from traditionally underserved communities. Read more about our panelists below and register now to be a part of this important discussion!
Moderator
Kevin Henry
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) leader
Kevin P. Henry has worked in the Diversity-Equity-Inclusion and Communications field for over 30 years. He currently coordinates the Diversity and Inclusion program for Sound, a Seattle-based healthcare provider. As a panel moderator, keynote speaker, and facilitator, Kevin works with diverse audiences and in a variety of formats and settings. As a consultant, he works with businesses, schools, and nonprofits developing DEI training and assisting with creating strategic plans. Kevin is the co-chair of the League of Minority Voters - Washington State and is a member of the Seattle Association of Black Journalists. Currently, Kevin is also a reporter for KBCS-FM, 91.3.
From 1994-2015, Kevin managed the City of Bellevue, Washington’s Diversity Advantage Program, which included developing and facilitating training for employees, students, and non-profits, in addition to hosting a weekly cultural affairs radio program called Voices of Diversity.
While living in Honolulu, Kevin developed programs for high school students that focused on career planning, writing, and video production. In addition, he worked with Domestic Violence survivors coordinating career planning workshops at Child & Family Service.
Panelists
Dar’Nesha Weary
EDI Leader and Black Coffee Northwest Operations Director
Dar’Nesha Weary is a Seattle native with over twenty years of experience in the nonprofit sector, where her mission has been to serve others, build community, and make a positive impact by challenging racism, promoting acceptance of people from different backgrounds, raising awareness, and using her voice to address hate and to promote kindness.
She began her career as a Program Director at the Greenwood Boys and Girls Club. For the latter part of her career, she has risen in the ranks of the YMCA of Greater Seattle, beginning as the Dale Turner Branch Membership Engagement Director and ending in the corporate office as the Program Executive of Membership, overseeing membership engagement operations of 14 branches.
Erwin Weary,
Black Coffee Northwest CEO
Erwin Weary is the CEO of Black Coffee Northwest. He was born and raised in Yakima Washington.
Erwin is passionate about community building, social justice, technology, playing and listening to music, sports, building large scale radio-controlled cars, show cars and barbeque grilling. Erwin enjoys uniting people from different backgrounds to discuss, strategize and implement change to systemic issues that plague communities.
He's also created and developed an award-winning drumline that performed in tandem with the nationally recognized Northside Step Team.
Black Coffee Northwest will provide our Black youth a safe place, resources and access to opportunities while serving the community amazing coffee drinks, pastries, exciting events and more!
Eben Pobee
Co-Founder of JHP Legacy
Eben Pobee lives in Shoreline with his wife Harriet and their three daughters, Emily, Olivia, and Lydia. He is a man of many talents. Eben has an MBA from Concordia University and works as a finance manager with Fidelitel Telecommunications. He is also co-founder and Artistic Director of JHP Legacy which provides a variety of cultural and arts programs with 4Culture, Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council, Edwin Pratt Early Learning Center, and the City of Shoreline. JHP Legacy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Shoreline which seeks to come together to share our different cultures through traditional music and dance performances, workshops and classes.
Tewachew “T” Felate
Owner of Afro Barber Shop
Che Wong, Craft3 Business Development Specialist
Che Wong is a Community Development Finance professional with 15+ years experience as a business lender and outreach strategist. In her current role as the program manager for King County outreach at Craft3, she is responsible for community engagement and outreach to increase access to capital to underserved communities in King County, specifically to entrepreneurs of color and those owned by women, veterans and immigrants.
Che has also worked in community development, both internationally and domestically. She is a graduate of the Lundquist College of Business at the University of Oregon with a focus on Entrepreneurship, and has lived and studied abroad in Tokyo, Japan, Beijing, China and worked as a Peace Corps volunteer in Cape Verde, West Africa.
The event is free and open to the public.
Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 954 4350 9476
Passcode: Shoreline
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