Black Economic Council of Massachusetts

10/16/2026

Some of the most meaningful moments at this year's Mass Black Expo happened beyond the stage.

They happened during conversations between sessions, introductions across the room, and opportunities for entrepreneurs, business leaders, and community members to connect with people they may not have otherwise met.

That's what makes gatherings like the Mass Black Expo important. Bringing people into the same space creates opportunities to exchange knowledge, build relationships, and discover resources that can support business growth.

As we look back on October 6, we're reminded that the value of the Expo isn't limited to the programming itself. It's also found in the connections people take with them when they leave.

10/13/2026

One week ago today, we had the pleasure of welcoming John Hope Bryant, Founder and CEO of Operation HOPE, Inc. and Bryant Group Ventures, to the main stage at the 8th Annual Mass Black Expo!

As this year's keynote speaker, Bryant joined BECMA President & CEO Nicole Obi for a conversation centered on building Black wealth, financial empowerment, entrepreneurship, and expanding economic opportunity.
Their conversation reflected the importance of this year's theme, Building Black Wealth: Small Business, Big Impact, and BECMA's continued commitment to creating pathways to business ownership, access to capital, and generational wealth across Massachusetts.

We extend our sincere gratitude to John Hope Bryant for joining us in Boston, sharing his perspective, and contributing to an important conversation about the future of Black economic opportunity.

Thank you for being part of the 2026 Mass Black Expo!

10/12/2026

The Black Economic Council of Massachusetts (BECMA) extends our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who joined us for the 8th Annual Mass Black Expo on Tuesday, October 6, at the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport.

This year's theme, Building Black Wealth: Small Business, Big Impact, brought together hundreds of entrepreneurs, business owners, policymakers, and community leaders to highlight the vital role small businesses play in strengthening local economies and creating pathways to generational wealth across Massachusetts.

From a keynote conversation with John Hope Bryant, Founder and CEO of Operation HOPE and Bryant Group Ventures, to a fireside chat with Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, this year's Expo brought together influential voices to discuss building and protecting Black wealth.

Panel discussions further explored the path from debt to ownership, the realities of entrepreneurship, and the policies shaping Black economic opportunity. Additional conversations focused on cooperative economics, artificial intelligence in small business growth, and opportunities in the green economy.

This year's Expo also marked the unveiling of BECMA Compass, a new AI-powered platform designed to help Black-owned businesses identify grant and contracting opportunities. Meanwhile, our Black-Owned Pavilion showcased more than 50 businesses from across the Commonwealth, providing attendees with opportunities to discover products, support local entrepreneurs, and build valuable relationships.

We sincerely thank our speakers, exhibitors, sponsors, community partners, and volunteers for helping make this year's Expo possible. Most importantly, we thank every attendee who joined us, supported our participating businesses, exchanged ideas, and contributed to the conversations shaping the future of Black wealth in Massachusetts.

In the words of BECMA President & CEO Nicole Obi:

"The businesses are ready. The opportunities are here. What's missing is the capital to fuel them."

The 2026 Mass Black Expo may have concluded, but our commitment to expanding economic opportunity, strengthening Black-owned businesses, and building generational wealth continues. Thank you for being part of this year's Expo and the work ahead.

10/12/2026

10/06/2026

The Mass Black Expo is kicking off in two minutes with our morning host, Latoyia Edwards of NBC10 Boston! Please make your way to our main stage!

10/05/2026

We’re happy to announce Frank Poindexter Jr., Director/Partner with Student Music Project and Wally's Cafe Jazz Club, as a panelist at the 2026 Mass Black Expo!

A Boston arts leader, nonprofit director, and jazz advocate, Frank’s work is connected to one of the city’s longstanding spaces for music, culture, and community.

His experience with Wally’s Cafe and the Student Music Project brings a perspective grounded in what cultural institutions can mean beyond entertainment alone. Spaces built around Black art and business can also become places where relationships are formed, talent is developed, and community is sustained.

That connection makes his perspective particularly relevant to a conversation about the historical and present-day role of Black businesses as gathering places.

At this year’s Expo, Frank will join “The Green Book: Black Business, Safe Spaces & Economic Opportunity,” alongside Clarrissa Cropper and Nia Grace, moderated by Lisa Joyner.

The conversation will examine how Black-owned businesses and cultural spaces have created economic opportunity while serving as places of connection, belonging, and community.

General Admission is sold out, but the John Hope Bryant VIP Experience is still available and includes Expo admission, a meet-and-greet, refreshments, and a pre-signed copy of Capitalism for All. Reserve your spot: https://bit.ly/mbe2026tickets

10/05/2026

We’re happy to announce Randy Beltre, Chief of Policy at BECMA, as one of our moderators at the 2026 Mass Black Expo!

At BECMA, Randy leads policy strategy and government engagement focused on economic equity and expanding opportunities for Black businesses, entrepreneurs, and communities across Massachusetts.

His work centers the relationship between public policy and economic opportunity, including how business, civic, and government stakeholders can work across sectors on issues affecting communities throughout the Commonwealth.

At this year’s Expo, Randy will moderate “Senator to Senator: A Fireside Chat with U.S. Senator Markey & State Senator Edwards,” featuring U.S. Senator Edward Markey and Massachusetts State Senator Lydia Edwards.

The conversation will bring federal and state perspectives to a day centered on business ownership, economic opportunity, and building Black wealth across Massachusetts.

Hear Randy guide the conversation at the 2026 Mass Black Expo on October 6.

General Admission is sold out, but the John Hope Bryant VIP Experience is still available and includes Expo admission, a meet-and-greet, refreshments, and a pre-signed copy of Capitalism for All. Reserve your spot: https://bit.ly/mbe2026tickets

10/05/2026

We’re happy to announce Justin Merrick, Managing Director of Communities and Partnerships at the Boston Ujima Project, as a panelist at the 2026 Mass Black Expo!

Justin’s work centers the relationships, partnerships, and community participation that make collective economic models possible.

At the Boston Ujima Project, that work sits within a broader cooperative ecosystem focused on building community power around business, arts, investment, and ownership.

That perspective adds an important layer to conversations about Black wealth. Wealth building does not have to begin and end with individual accumulation. It can also include the ways communities share resources, organize capital, support locally owned businesses and build structures designed to keep economic power circulating.

At this year’s Expo, Justin will join “Rewriting the Black Wealth Playbook: Cooperative Economics, Real Estate & Financial Healing,” alongside Luther Pinckney and Preston Price, moderated by Naima McQueen.

The conversation will bring together different approaches to ownership and wealth building while asking what becomes possible when community and collaboration are part of the strategy.

General Admission is sold out, but the John Hope Bryant VIP Experience is still available and includes Expo admission, a meet-and-greet, refreshments, and a pre-signed copy of Capitalism for All. Reserve your spot: https://bit.ly/mbe2026tickets

10/05/2026

We’re happy to announce Stephen Walter of The Hope Group as a speaker at the 2026 Mass Black Expo!

Stephen is a core architect behind The Hope Group’s AI tools and the technical lead behind Project Lookout, an AI-powered platform designed to make searching for RFPs, grants, and other opportunities more efficient.

That technology powers BECMA Compass, connecting the possibilities of artificial intelligence to a challenge Black-owned businesses face every day: finding the contracts, capital, and resources that can help them grow.

Stephen’s work brings the technical side of that process to life. Rather than talking about AI as an abstract trend, his work focuses on building tools around specific problems and making the technology useful to the people who actually need it.

At this year’s Expo, Stephen will join Rev. Chris Hope and BECMA Program Manager Abdullateef Lawal for the BECMA Compass Unveiling.

Attendees will get a closer look at how the tool works and how AI can help make opportunity discovery more accessible for entrepreneurs.

General Admission is sold out, but the John Hope Bryant VIP Experience is still available and includes Expo admission, a meet-and-greet, refreshments, and a pre-signed copy of Capitalism for All. Reserve your spot: https://bit.ly/mbe2026tickets