Conference To Help Advance Business Goals for BIPOC Community
The Business Alliance for People of Color in New Hampshire has organized its inaugural Shades of Progress conference. The conference will be held May 22 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Grappone Conference Center.
The conference is designed to encourage advocacy, networking, community building and knowledge exchange between the Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) business community, those interested in launching a business, allies and other organizations.
“When we founded the Business Alliance for People of Color (BAPOC) in 2021, we felt that it was important to continuously build and create that community,” said Will Arvelo, BAPOC chairman. “Because BAPOC serves as a statewide organization for BIPOC entrepreneurs and small businesses, we felt that a statewide conference would be important for us to come together to listen, learn, share, network and generally strengthen the community.”
The conference will be a forum for in-depth discussions to develop workshop proposals that delve into the challenges, successes and aspirations of the BIPOC business community in New Hampshire.
“The conference will have exciting speakers and BIPOC business owners as well as really interesting breakout sessions that will highlight the ‘Shades of Progress’ we have made over the last several years,” Arvelo said online. “We will also highlight several of our BIPOC businesses and their products in our ‘Market Place’ venue.”
BAPOC-NH, a NH nonprofit, has organized to support, advocate for and promote businesses owned by people of color. They leverage local, state and federal resources to expand diversity, equity and inclusion. This will also include wealth building and social capital for the betterment of the state’s minority-owned businesses, underserved communities and economic vitality.
“Our BIPOC communities are here, growing, and engaged with the rest of NH,” Arvelo said online. “We love it here, and we want to contribute to the social and economic evolution and prosperity of NH.”
Registration for the event is $110 at eventbrite.com/e/shades-of-progress-a-business-alliance-for-people-of-color-conference-tickets-805964721177. Tables of 10 are also available for reservation.
This article is featured in the spring-summer 2024 issue of 603 Diversity.
603 Diversity’s mission is to educate readers of all backgrounds about the exciting accomplishments and cultural contributions of the state’s diverse communities, as well as the challenges faced and support needed by those communities to continue to grow and thrive in the Granite State.
