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.

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Oakland Post: Week of December 18 – 24, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of December 18 – 24, 2024

Published

2 days ago

December 20, 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.

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BWOPA Honors Black Leadership and Legacy at 2024 Ella Hill Hutch Awards Dinner

On Dec. 5, BWOPA held its Annual Ella Hill Hutch Awards Ceremony, at the Fairmont Claremont Hotel in the Oakland/Berkeley Hills. At the event, the group comprised of Black women from various professional backgrounds, honored distinguished local and state leaders whose contributions have shaped civic engagement and advanced critical social issues impacting Black communities.

Published

4 days ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

L-R: BWOPA State Executive Director LaNiece Jones; State Asm. Mia Bonta; BWOPA 2024 Man of The Year/Urban League SFBA CEO Ken Maxey; BWOPA State President Hon. Dezie Woods-Jones; State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas; Rowena Brown, Oakland Councilmember At-Large, Elect; BWOPA State Regional Director Vashone Huff. Courtesy photo.

By Oakland Post Staff

Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA) is a statewide non-profit advocacy and membership organization committed to solving problems affecting Black Californians.

On Dec. 5, BWOPA held its Annual Ella Hill Hutch Awards Ceremony, at the Fairmont Claremont Hotel in the Oakland/Berkeley Hills.

At the event, the group comprised of Black women from various professional backgrounds, honored distinguished local and state leaders whose contributions have shaped civic engagement and advanced critical social issues impacting Black communities.

The evening was hosted by Dr. Shawna Charles, founder of The Charles Communications Group (CCG) headquartered in Los Angeles. Charles served as mistress of ceremonies.

With a track record of elevating voices and empowering communities, Charles’ leadership and insight brought a certain dynamism to the celebration.

“Each year, this event not only celebrates the enduring legacy of our beloved BWOPA founding member, Ella Hill Hutch, but also reaffirms and amplifies our unwavering commitment to building and sustaining Black political power across California,” said Dezie Woods-Jones, BWOPA founding member and State president.

“Ella Hill Hutch’s trailblazing leadership continues to inspire us as we forge ahead, empowering Black women to lead, advocate, and shape a more equitable future for all,” added Woods-Jones.

This year’s event introduced the DWJ Rising Star Award, honoring young leaders like Solano County Board Supervisors-elect Cassandra James, Danielle Motley-Lewis, Naomi Waters and newly elected State Assemblymember elect Rhodesia Ransom (D-Stockton).

According to organizers, the awardees all exemplify “the next generation of changemakers.”

Other awardees included:

Lifetime Achievement Awardees: Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-12) and Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson
Man of the Year: Kenneth Maxey, CEO of the Greater SF Bay Area Urban League
President’s Corporate Award: Yvette Radford, Kaiser Permanente
In the Spirit of Ella State and Chapter Awards: Dr. Carolyn Greene, Dr. Marcella K. Smith, Dr. Carolyn Drake, Tinisch Hollins, Jackie Jones, Gloria Burgess Johnson, Tamika L’Ecluse, Ellen Nash, Betty Reid Soskin, and Ay’Anna Moody.

BWOPA also celebrated local champions across its chapters, including leaders in voter education, healthcare, criminal justice reform, and community advocacy.

In a statement, BWOPA said, “Honoring Ella Hill Hutch’s legacy, BWOPA recognizes her pioneering efforts as the first Black woman elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Her tireless work amplifying underrepresented voices continues to inspire BWOPA’s mission to build Black political power across California.”

“We extend our heartfelt thanks to our members, partners and allies who believe in BWOPA’s vision to invest in building power for Black women’s leadership,” said LaNiece Jones, BWOPA State executive director. “Your support ensures that Black women have a voice at decision-making tables locally, regionally, statewide, and nationally, advancing diversity and equity in leadership spaces.”

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Council of Islamic Relations Applauds Alameda County Decision to Divest $32M from Caterpillar

The divestment from Caterpillar, a company criticized for its human rights abuses globally—including the destruction of Palestinian homes, infrastructure, and agriculture, as well as in the U.S. prison-industrial complex, border militarization, and immigration detention centers—is a significant step in ensuring that Alameda County’s financial resources do not perpetuate harm.

Published

1 week ago

December 14, 2024

Oakland Post

CAIR-SFBA Policy Coordinator Musa Tariq. Courtesy photo.

Special to The Post

The San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, this week welcomed the Alameda County Board of Supervisors’ decision to divest $32 million in public funds from Caterpillar and unanimously commit to adopting an ethical investment policy.

The Board’s decision follows months of advocacy by Bay Area Divest!, a coalition of community organizations calling for accountability in public investments.

In November, CAIR welcomed the reported freeze on the delivery of bulldozers to Israel as an “implicit admission” by the Biden Administration that the far-right Netanyahu government is using that equipment in the ethnic cleansing of Gaza.

CAIR-SFBA Policy Coordinator Musa Tariq said:

“This is a historic moment for Alameda County, demonstrating the power of community advocacy and the County’s leadership in ethical governance. The decision to divest from Caterpillar sends a clear message that public funds should not support corporations complicit in human rights violations.”

In addition to divesting from Caterpillar, the Board voted to move forward with developing a comprehensive Ethical Investment Policy, recommended by District 5 Supervisor Keith Carson.

This policy will include criteria to exclude “investments in industries, corporations, or governments that perpetuate harm to communities and the planet,” such as fossil fuel extraction, weapons production, and entities involved in war crimes, apartheid, and other severe human rights violations.

Alameda County has a proud legacy of socially responsible investment. In 1985, the County divested from South Africa to protest apartheid, and in 1996, it barred investments in companies doing business with Burma due to human rights abuses.

“This forward-thinking policy positions Alameda County as a leader in socially responsible investing,” added Tariq. “By committing to craft the policy within 90 days and implement it within six months, the County has set an ambitious and commendable timeline.”

CAIR-SFBA is an office of CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.