Los Angeles Business News

(Left to right) Damien Halliburton, and Isaac Lowery, President and Vice-President, respectively, of the Gentleman’s Society | Photo credit: Rhonesia Perry The National Black MBA Association - Los Angeles Chapter recently held its prestigious annual Awards Gala, a highly anticipated event that honors influential business leaders, investors, and equity change-makers. This year’s gala, which raised more than $30,000 in scholarships for students at different stages of their academic journeys, highlighted the chapter’s commitment to fostering future business professionals. One of the most notable moments of the evening was the recognition of Isaac Lowery , Vice President of the Gentleman’s Society, as Chapter Member of the Year. This award is a rare honor, given only to individuals who demonstrate a servant’s heart and a deep commitment to the organization’s mission. Lowery’s dedication to serving in various roles within the chapter was highlighted as a prime example of selfless leadership. One of the awardees and notable speaker, venture capitalist Arlan Hamilton , left a lasting impression on the crowd of MBA professionals with her empowering message. “Be yourself so other people can find you,” Hamilton told the audience, sharing her personal journey and her inspiring goal of cultivating and funding 100 millionaires. Hamilton’s words resonated deeply, especially with those who are pursuing entrepreneurial ventures. Her mission to invest in diverse entrepreneurs emphasized the importance of organizations that actively support personal and professional growth. Damien Halliburton , President of the Gentleman’s Society, also shared his thoughts, recognizing the gala as a powerful platform for building lasting partnerships. The event stood as a reminder that collaborations between leaders and rising stars are essential for sustaining the progress and success of the Black business community. This year’s gala was not just a celebration of individual achievements but a reflection of the collective effort to elevate Black professionals in business, while making significant contributions to the next generation of leaders. The event was an inspiring testament to the impact that intentional community building and advocacy can have in shaping a brighter future. For more information on how to join the National Black MBA - Los Angeles Chapter go: https://nbmbaa.org/joinnbmbaa/ To learn more about Gentleman's society contact: Join@GoTGS.org

Kerry Washington Invests in Black-Owned Social Platform, Spill

Dawn Patton, a proud resident of View Park in Los Angeles, is the visionary founder of Try MY T—a gourmet, fresh-brewed iced tea brand she established in her neighborhood. Patton's achievements are notable, and she speaks of them with well-deserved pride. "There are only a handful of African American women-owned iced tea beverage manufacturers in the U.S., and I happen to be one of them," Patton shared. When Try MY T first entered the retail scene, it was available in six Whole Foods Markets and a select number of Sprouts Farmers Markets. Today, Patton's iced tea can be found in 65 Whole Foods stores across Arizona, Hawaii, and Las Vegas, as well as in 93 Sprouts locations throughout Southern California. In fact, Try MY T has expanded into three revenue streams: warehouse clubs, retail, and foodservice. "Foodservice includes restaurants and corporations," Patton explained. "Then we have warehouse clubs like Costco. We're gearing up for roadshows because Costco invited us to showcase our products in five of their Southern California clubs."

Delphine Pruitt, PhD From a woman-owned construction company to a community-focused café, Delphine Pruitt is here to help Southern California businesses and communities flourish. With more than 25 years of financial industry experience and acumen Delphine Pruitt knows, and is known by, just about everyone serving Black-owned businesses in Southern California. But, more importantly, she is trusted and respected by them too. With a generous heart for helping others and an easy-going grace that helps her to move from community events to corporate boardroom without missing a beat, her efforts have garnered prominent recognition, including the recent honor of a Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from the Biden administration. The recognition is bestowed upon individuals who exemplify unwavering integrity, outstanding accomplishments, and exceptional contributions to serving the public good. She also received an honorary doctorate degree from Leaders Esteem Christian Bible University for her outstanding commitment to humanitarian causes throughout her career. “The Lifetime Presidential Achievement Award is an incredible honor,” said Pruitt. “But what I know for sure is that being able to help small business owners achieve their dreams is the gift of a lifetime.” In 2023, Pruitt joined U.S. Bank Chief Diversity Officer Greg Cummingham to accept a recognition from the Greater Los Angeles African American Chambers of Commerce, which honored U.S. Bank as the Banking and Financial Corporation of the Year, a relationship that Pruitt helped to nurture and strengthen. “Delphine is helping people to pursue their dreams. She’s opened doors for U.S. Bank to provide support in our communities of color and has transformed the lives of countless individuals while propelling economic growth and amplifying voices in marginalized communities across the country,” said Cesar. This small business month, U.S. Bank is celebrating the entrepreneurs who power small businesses across the country, and Pruitt and her peers the Business Access Advisors serve as important ambassadors of U.S. Bank Access Commitment , the bank's long-term approach to help close the wealth gap for underserved communities, including communities of color, which launched in 2021 , and expanded to include bilingual Business Access Advisors in 2024 . A typical week in the life of Pruitt provides a glimpse of the depth of her connections with clients across the community. First, she headed to downtown Los Angeles to visit U.S. Bank client O2EPCM, Inc. dba O2 Engineering, Projects & Construction Management, an award-winning company founded in 2016 by Omoné O. Livingston. While already a U.S. Bank client, Livingston didn't actually meet Pruitt until years later at a community event and they immediately hit it off.

LOS ANGELES, CA June 18, 2024 / Lendistry announces today that Everett K. Sands of Lendistry was named an Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2024 Greater Los Angeles Award winner. Entrepreneur Of The Year is the preeminent competitive awards program for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies. Sands was selected by an independent judging panel made up of previous award winners, leading CEOs and other business leaders. Candidates were evaluated based on their ability to create long-term value through entrepreneurial spirit, commitment to their purpose and the demonstration of growth and substantial impact, among other key indicators. "As a small business lender, I see every day how much uncertainty and faith goes into becoming an entrepreneur, especially when your business was opened to disrupt a centuries old industry," Sands says. "This recognition from EY and our home region of Los Angeles means a great deal to me and to my team. To my fellow entrepreneurs, I say be delusional about your dreams and pragmatic about your execution." Sands founded Lendistry, a small business lender and fintech, in 2015 to provide opportunities no lender like this had before with a leadership team that doesn't look like any other financial institutions in the country-more than half people of color, and more than half women. Using technology as the key to opening access to capital in underserved communities, Lendistry has deployed nearly $10 billion to more than 630,000 businesses. Looking forward, Lendistry plans to make a greater impact for small businesses entering the clean energy industry, supporting renewable energy projects, and making the green transition. Entrepreneur Of The Year recognizes many different types of business leaders for their ingenuity, courage and entrepreneurial spirit. The program celebrates original founders who bootstrapped their business from inception or who raised outside capital to grow their company; transformational CEOs who infused innovation into an existing organization to catapult its trajectory; and multigenerational family business leaders who reimagined a legacy business model to fortify it for the future. About Lendistry B.S.D. Capital, Inc. dba Lendistry (lendistry.com) is a minority-led fintech that provides innovative lending products for small businesses and administers grant programs for government agencies nationwide. Headquartered in a Los Angeles Opportunity Zone, Lendistry uses technology and community partnerships to overcome systemic barriers to capital access. In 2024, Lendistry CEO Everett K. Sands was an Entrepreneur Of The Year® Greater Los Angeles award winner. Lendistry has both Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and Community Development Entity (CDE) certifications and is a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco. Lendistry SBLC, LLC is an SBA Preferred Lender and the nation's only African American-led SBA designated Small Business Lending Company. In collaboration with The Center by Lendistry, a nonprofit business education organization, Lendistry provides economic opportunities and progressive growth for underserved urban and rural small business borrowers and their communities. About Entrepreneur Of The Year ® Founded in 1986, Entrepreneur Of The Year® has celebrated more than 11,000 ambitious visionaries who are leading successful, dynamic businesses in the US, and it has since expanded to nearly 80 countries and territories globally. The US program consists of 17 regional programs whose panels of independent judges select the regional award winners every June. Those winners compete for national recognition at the Strategic Growth Forum ® in November where National finalists and award winners are announced. The overall National winner represents the US at the World Entrepreneur Of The Year® competition. Visit ey.com/us/eoy . About EY EY exists to build a better working world, helping to create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets. Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate. Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today. EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. EY member firms do not practice law where prohibited by local laws. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com . Sponsors Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards include presenting sponsors PNC Bank, Cresa, Marsh USA, SAP and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. In Greater Los Angeles, sponsors also include Edelman, Cooley, Los Angeles Business Journal, Vaco, ADP, Big Picture, and Rutan & Tucker.

On Thursday, June 29, 2023, the California African American, Asian Pacific, and Hispanic Chambers of Commerce hosted the 2023 California Diversity Awards to celebrate the remarkable leaders and organizations across California who champion diversity, equity, and inclusion at the Sheraton Hotel, downtown, Sacramento. This year’s awardees included: the 2023 Community-Based Organization, California Farmworker Foundation; the 2023 Corporate Steward, Banc of California; and the 2023 Public Official, Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis.

NBA icon Magic Johnson, whom Nix worked with on several community projects for over a decade, was the one who broke the news to her through a phone call. She said she almost didn't take the call since she was in a middle of a Zoom call at that time. But when she answered, she heard him say, "Hello Miss VP." "I had to pinch myself," said about what she felt upon hearing the news, according to Sports Illustrated . Nix began her career 30 years ago as a project manager at Merill Lynch and became a contract negotiator for Bank of America when the companies merged. That's when she first met Johnson and started partnering with him on community events. She eventually pursued a career as a financial adviser wherein she balances leveraging her wealthy clients' net worth with maximizing social impact. She volunteered on the bank's charitable foundation to help organize events and fundraisings. In 2015, Nix started to work as the executive director for the Community Lakers Youth Foundation wherein she initiated programs for the youth's well-being. She said she always makes sure she personally reaches out to the kids they help. "Because they get to see a lot of themselves in me, and I see myself in them. I let them know where I grew up and where I went to school because I wanted to give them some inspiration," Nix told The Los Angeles Sentinel . Along the way, she has built an impressive reputation in corporate philanthropy. Now with her recent promotion as the VP of Charitable Affairs, she plans to further expand the Los Angeles Lakers' charity work.

SoLa Impact has raised over $250 million in its fourth fund and aims to scale up affordable and workforce housing development in California's Black and brown communities. CalSTRS' commitment through Belay Investment Group represents the first real estate investment by the CalSTRS Sustainable Investment and Stewardship Strategies Team.

Los Angeles, CA - Befitting of a National Women’s History event, magazine publisher and creative design firm owner, Sarah R. Harris, will take the helm as president & CEO of the Black Business Association (BBA), the oldest active ethnic business support organization in the State of California. On Thursday, March 3, 2022, the Black Business Association will host its 2022-2024 Board Installation Ceremony to present its new leadership since the recent retirement announcement of the organization’s illustrious longtime president & CEO, Earl “Skip” Cooper II, who will transition to become Chairman of the Board. “It is my intention to offer all support to the incoming President-elect, Sarah Harris, in a way that affords her the opportunity to lead without encumbrances. From over 20 years of working with and knowing Ms. Harris, I have personally witnessed her having demonstrated a strong commitment to the BBA which makes me confident in supporting this transition,” says Mr. Cooper. The virtual presentation will take place at 3:00 p.m. PT via Zoom and streaming on the website at www.bbala.org as well as on Meta (Facebook) and YouTube pages. On program are special guests: Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Congresswoman Karen Bass and Los Angeles City Councilmember Curren D. Price, Jr. The ceremony will be officiated by Alvin D. Stafford Jr., Pastor of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church of South Los Angeles and Partner/Chief True Office of Think TRUE. As a valued and trusted friend of the BBA, the Board is pleased to have Sarah Harris, publisher of Suite Life SoCal magazine, step in as the new President-elect. To the degree that Ms. Harris has provided pivotal services for the BBA while working with Mr. Cooper for more than 20 years, the Board is confident she will help usher in the new era of the Black Business Association in a way that both honors what the previous leadership built and makes room for the next phase the organization’s evolution. Ms. Harris comes with many ideas and enjoys the full support of the Board, local business/community leaders and advocates. Regarding her appointment, Ms. Harris had this to say, “Having worked with Mr. Cooper for more than two decades and embracing the same passion for seeing Black and minority-owned businesses flourish, it is my honor to be entrusted with helping to shape the next chapter of the BBA to realize its full potential and engage with a new generation of business owners. Having the support of the Board and a host of community leaders fills me with an immense amount of gratitude. I am definitely ready to get to work to deliver some amazingly innovative programs and to be a formidable advocate leader for more equitable opportunities for minority and women small business owners.” Other officers and directors being installed are: Vice Chair - Kim Anthony-Morrow, CEO, Urban Excellence Institute; Treasurer - Rosalind Pennington, CEO, Red River Enterprises, LLC; Secretary - Denise Peoples, CEO, STEMulate Learning; Parliamentarian - Ezekiel “Zeke” Patten, President & CEO, Patten Energy Enterprises, Inc.; and Directors: Brett Byers, CEO, The Byers Group, Nathan Freeman, CEO, Figueroa Media Group, Inc., Debbie E. Lumpkin, CEO, Debbie Lumpkin Consulting, LLC, and Dr. Jan Vanderpool, CEO, DCS-Datatax. It is in the spirit of continuing to be the change we seek for minority businesses that the BBA is lifting its gaze to a glorious future. A future wherein the Board of Directors welcomes the community’s support and anticipates creating meaningful partnerships and strategic engagement. The public is invited to join in the celebration. To register or for more information, please visit the BBA’s website at www.bbala.org , email to mail@bbala.org or call the BBA’s office at (323) 291-9334.