Black to Business
16
Summer 2010
Boat Cruise Although the weather was cold and windy with a light fog and drizzle, the atmosphere on the summit boat cruise was vibrant and alive. Guests were treated to a wonderful assortment of finger foods and entertainment consisted of host Charla Williams, who had all the “dirt” on the “crew on deck,” and DJ MO’ BOUNCE who spun old-school tracks, some funk and even a little top 40.
Charla Williams with a Guest
Keynote speaker Omar Tyree and panellist Hezekiah Griggs also joined the close to 60 summit delegates on the cruise and seemed to enjoy themselves. Cassandra Dorrington (Chair of the Board) took the microphone and acknowledged fellow boat cruise patrons and thanked all for attending. Despite the weather, those who attended seemed to have a wonderful time and once again proved that the boat cruise is a great way to relax while benefiting from some excellent entertainment, food and networking opportunities.
Vivian Dixon and Gordon Tynes enjoying the Boat Cruise
Workshops The workshop began with facilitator Joe Parris introducing the panellists. He asked each of the four panellists to respond to a series of questions, including discussing what they understood by “creating your economy,” how they got started in business, what they believe is the secret to success and staying competitive, and their take on how to go about getting funding as a small business. The panellists included:
Joseph Parris
Sirena Moore and Hezekiah Griggs
Hezekiah Griggs is a 21-year-old multi-millionaire media mogul who founded HG3 Media in 2003, which has since grown to 20 different corporate operations and 45 collective media properties. Mr. Griggs believes that creating your economy means creating something greater, more vibrant than yourself that goes beyond you to benefit others. This also means identifying and understanding what innovation means not to you but to the consumer. Griggs also narrated how he got into entrepreneurship by selling videos at the age of seven, to retire at 11 years old. He believes there is no secret to success other than hard work and discipline, realizing what skills you already have. People should be prepared when their moment comes and opportunities will always present themselves. In order to stay competitive, businesses ought to always analyse the market space, see what the competition is doing and be proactive rather than reactive while keeping abreast of technology. Sirena Moore is the President and CEO of Elohim Cleaning Contractors Inc. Ms Moore believes that creating your economy means creating your own opportunities in any circumstance. She started her business with nothing but an idea, which has grown to a multi-million dollar business. For this reason, Ms Moore says people should stop giving excuses for themselves. The key to success is surrounding oneself with smarter people. She also believes that small business owners should only purchase what they can afford, so as not to get into unnecessary debt. Moore encouraged parents to get their children involved in business at an early age, at the same time making sure they do what they enjoy. Omar Tyree is an international creative visionary and literary icon. Tyree defined creating your economy as creating what people need, want or lack. He believes the secret to success is not being afraid to ask. Ask for money, help, etc. He says people ought to be comfortable asking, otherwise their business will remain just a hobby. He also says that people should learn to hustle and bustle in order to succeed. Omar Tyree started off at an early age and believes people should utilize the energy in young people, making entrepreneurship more fun and interesting.
Omar Tyree
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