Business

Norfolk And NSU Partner On Downtown Presence For University

NEW JOURNAL AND GUIDE — Norfolk State University (NSU) has emerged as an important cog in the city of Norfolk’s and the region’s educational and job creation machinery. Members of NSU’s business school faculty and administration joined Norfolk city leaders recently to put that reputation on dismay as they cut the ribbon on the new Norfolk State University Innovation Center (NSUIC) – On the Main.

Published

6 years ago

March 28, 2019

Oakland Post

By Leonard E. Colvin

Norfolk State University (NSU) has emerged as an important cog in the city of Norfolk’s and the region’s educational and job creation machinery.

Members of NSU’s business school faculty and administration joined Norfolk city leaders recently to put that reputation on dismay as they cut the ribbon on the new Norfolk State University Innovation Center (NSUIC) – On the Main.

The new center is an example of a partnership and collaboration between Norfolk to enable the HBCU to create a presence in the city’s main business corridor.

Also, it brings NSU’s resources to the city’s revitalized downtown, with anticipation of developing and promoting, educational and employment opportunities for NSU students and Norfolk and Hampton Roads residents, in general.

According to NSU leaders and city officials, the center’s prime location will allow NSU to engage with local and national firms located downtown such as Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP), a human resources management company. ADP alone has created 2,000 of the thousands of new jobs in Norfolk over the past three years.

“Since becoming mayor, I have been trying to get NSU to have a better presence downtown,” said Norfolk Mayor Kenneth C. Alexander.

“This center will provide opportunities for NSU graduates and grad students. We want the school to engage the business, banking, legal, retail, and community downtown to illustrate its track record of producing talent and what NSU has to offer.”

NSU’s main campus is located in the central Brambleton section of Norfolk, just two miles from its NSUIC. The new center is easily accessible by car, the city’s light rail, and the traditional public bus system.

“We are hoping to foster partnerships for innovation, planning, for the business sector and the students,” the Mayor said. “We are also talking about internships, apprenticeships, and future employment. NSU has a good track record at creating energetic and competent entrepreneurs.”

Calling it “inclusive growth and development,” the Mayor also said the city hopes the NSUIC will help in expanding the number of Small, Female, and Minority and Black-owned and operated firms downtown and other parts of the city and region.

According to the city and NSU, the center’s immediate service will be as a business incubator to develop business competitiveness, jobs creation, investment opportunities, infrastructural improvements, global inclusion and participation within the Hampton Roads community.

NSU is leasing the space for the NSUIC Commercial Place Building at 520 E. Main Street in a city-owned building which houses a garage and street-level retail space.

It is across the street from a row of taller buildings that house banking giants PNC, BBBT, and it is two blocks from the new ICON apartment complex (formerly Bank of America), the MacArthur Center Mall, and the Slover Library.

Bright and open space with the NSU green and gold colors, the center features several private offices, a kitchenette, a few sitting areas with televisions capable of video-conferencing, and a conference table that can be separated from the rest of the space with panels.

Students can use the co-working space for free. Non-students may acquire a one-time day pass or pay $60 a month to use it.

Glenn Carrington has been Dean of the NSU School of Business since 2017. He said the role of the NSUIC is part of the school’s effort to create a bridge to the greater business community.

He graduated from NSU in 1977, after enrolling on a basketball scholarship.

The UVA Law School graduate said the center will be used as space for business incubation, where traditional university business classes, seminars, forums and a speaking series can be held in the space.

The various events will enable the city to create an inclusive and accessible location addressing the needs of business start-ups and small businesses.

Carrington said one of the first significant tasks for the center will be conducting a survey to determine the problems entrepreneurs have and find solutions to them.

From 1980 until he retired in 2016, Carrington crafted a varied and stellar career after law school including counsel and other executive positions with the IRS, Caplin and

Drysdale, Arthur Andersen, Deloitte and Touche Partners and at Ernst and Young LLP.

He said one of the problems facing entrepreneurs and small businesses is the inability to secure stabilizing capital.

He said that while white women typically receive about 2 percent of so-called “angel” investment capital, African-American women receive .02 percent.

He said the center will invite successful business people “to tell their stories to people “who use the center during forums to educate entrepreneurs on how to cultivate and secure investment dollars.

Carrington said he wants to establish partnerships with existing agencies such as the Small Business Administration and Old Dominion University to access their expertise and resources so “we will not have to reinvent the wheel.”

This article originally appeared in the New Journal and Guide.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Census 2020 Vital for Nation and Various Media Campaigns

Don't Miss

Historic Noir Coffee Group: Three Men and a Dream

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of October 30 – November 5, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of October 30 – November 5, 2024

Published

20 hours ago

November 1, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Business

Chevron Reports Progress in Flaring, Emissions at Community Town Hall

At the first in a series of community town halls on Oct. 16, Chevron Richmond reported a reduction in year-over-year flaring incidents, both in number and duration, and detailed new technologies and processes that will further drive down emissions and heighten community awareness about operations. Chevron employees also answered questions from the community and listened to concerns at the town hall, which was hosted by Ceres Policy Research and held at CoBiz in downtown Richmond.

Published

5 days ago

October 28, 2024

Oakland Post

Community member Kathleen Sullivan speaks at the Chevron town hall. Photo courtesy Richmond Standard.

By Mike Aldax

The Richmond Standard

Chevron employees also answered questions from the community and listened to concerns at the town hall, which was hosted by Ceres Policy Research and held at CoBiz in downtown Richmond.

Similar town halls will be held twice per year over the next five years as part of a settlement agreement with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD).

The goal is to increase transparency about flaring and increase opportunities for the community to get answers to their questions about potential impacts to the community.

A key output is the creation of a Community Action Plan, or CAP. The CAP aims to create a two-way dialogue between Chevron and neighbors around flaring and environmental compliance.

“Chevron’s focus in this process is one of learning and engagement,” said Brian Hubinger, public affairs manager at Chevron Richmond. “We felt the most efficient way was to bring together a broad selection of community members rather than just think about what it would take to comply with the settlement agreement.”

The first town hall drew a few dozen members of the community, including Chevron employees, representatives of fence-line neighborhoods and members of local environmental organizations.

During the event, Chevron employees reported that 19 BAAQMD-reportable flaring incidents occurred at the refinery from October 2022 to September 2023 with a total duration of 270 hours. During the same period this year, 18 flaring incidents occurred with a total duration of 159 hours, marking a 41% decrease in duration.

Further gains are expected with the implementation of Flare IQ, set to be installed this year and next on all of the refinery’s flaring systems. Flare IQ is described as a supercomputer with an algorithm that gathers data from operations and enables employees to address potential issues before they occur.

Chevron also reported a 40% decrease in particulate matter emissions since the completion of the refinery modernization project in 2018.

In addition, flare gas volume related to Chevron’s new hydrogen plant project, built as part of the modernization project, decreased by 85% since 2019. The hydrogen plant has also reportedly made the refinery 20% more efficient.

“We’re really proud about that,” said Kris Battleson, manager of health, safety and environment at Chevon Richmond.

Neighborhood council leaders joined the president of the local NAACP in lauding the effort toward transparency and accountability. Among them was Vernon Whitmore, president of the Sante Fe Neighborhood Council and member of the 15-person CAP committee.

“The way we were able to talk openly and freely with Chevron – honestly, bluntly and frankly – while developing this program was very good,” Whitmore said. “And it was something that was well-needed at this time.”

Still, residents are skeptical, including Kathleen Sullivan, a longtime community advocate who also serves on the CAP committee. But she added, “you can’t complain about something and not be involved in the solution.”

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Bay Area

S.F. Mayor London Breed Meets with Black Businesswomen Supporting Her Campaign

San Francisco Mayor London Breed met with 50 supporters at Cafe 22 in San Francisco’s Union Square hosted by cafe owner LaRonda “Sug” Smith, who is also president of the Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association. Wearing a royal blue pantsuit, Breed happily greeted the group of seniors, business owners, and longtime community members.

Published

5 days ago

October 28, 2024

Oakland Post

San Francisco Mayor London Breed addresses her supporters at a Meet and Greet at Cafe 22 on Mason Street in Union Square. Photo By Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

Wearing a royal blue pantsuit, Breed happily greeted the group of seniors, business owners, and longtime community members.

The mayor stated that the race is a close one competing with wealthy opponents, however she feels confident in her track record of accomplishments, qualifications and being a native San Franciscan.

“My opponents may have the money, but I’ve got the people,” she said .

In response to COVID-19’s impact on Black-owned and serving businesses, in 2020 Mayor Breed launched the African American Revolving Loan Fund, providing zero-interest loans of up to $50,000.

In 2022, Mayor Breed ensured the loans nade to 51 businesses were forgiven. Through her ‘Opportunities for All’ initiative she ensured all 13- 24-year-olds have access to paid internships and a career pathway. Since its launch in 2018, the program has made over 10,000 placements. Ninety-five percent were people of color and 23% were African American.

In 2022, Mayor Breed launched the Black 2 San Francisco initiative hosting HBCU, Historically Black Colleges and Universities for summer programming, a part of her downtown economic recovery and revitalization efforts.

Launched in partnership with the San Francisco Department of Public Health and Expecting Justice, Breed provided a monthly income of $600-$1000 to expecting mothers of color to reduce the economic stress that leads to racial birth disparities.

The program was the first of its kind in the nation and will expand from 150 recipients to 425. Breed helped fund a new small business hub at the City’s African American Arts and Cultural District.

In 2021, Mayor Breed proclaimed Juneteenth as an official City holiday, celebrating the Black community’s resilience and emergence from slavery.

Mayor Breed also reinvested $60 million of City funds annually to assist the City’s Black community in breaking a cycle of poverty.

Business training assisted 350 entrepreneurs,

Over 50 businesses entered or renewed leases,
1,000 residents completed workforce training,
Over 50 families and seniors secured mortgages and 6,000 households were provided nutritional support.
1,000 hours of mental health support and 38,000 young people were provided support
Nearly 1,000 youth recieved literacy and mentorship support, and nearly 40 educators were supported.

“A people that are 5% of the population, should not be 40% of the homeless population or condemned to poverty,” said Breed. “It’s not all about the numbers, but the overall disparity.”

Breed says she understands the plight of the underserved and is a mayor for all people but the data shows the African community left behind.

“When you uplift a community, you uplift the City and we invested in the Latino communities and in the Stop Asian Hate movement with resources to address those challenges,” said Breed. “Because ultimately, as mayor, it is my job to serve and protect all of the City.” “I’ve helped over 20,000 exit homelessness and increased our shelter capacity by 70%.”

The attacks Mayor Breed has experienced recently have reminded her that being a Black woman, you have to work twice as hard and yet be unfairly and overly scrutinized. However, Breed says she will continue to fight to lead San Francisco for another term.

“Mayor London Breed is for our people and all people in this city,” said LaRonda Smith who was awarded a proclamation from the mayor’s office. “This city is her community, she cares and has supported so many communities, organizations, and small businesses to prove it.” The event also served a celebration of Cafe 22’s three years in business at 325 Mason St. in San Francisco.

Attendees included business owners Del Seymour of Code Tenderloin, Velma Landers and Idella Hill of the ABWA, and Julianne Banks.