Black Excellence Business Exchange

March 4, 2024

The College partnered with Roxbury Main Streets to host the Black Excellence Business Exchange, a fun and informative on-campus event for students, faculty, and staff. The event kicked off with a panel of Black entrepreneurs offering advice about how to balance professional success with good mental and physical health.

“You have to get out there and learn,” said Haris Hardaway, President of Roxbury Main Streets and co-owner of Final Touch Boutique. “Find the people who are going to support you. Running a business, it’s lonely at the top. So make sure you surround yourself with people who are going where you’re going.”

All of the panelists also stressed the importance of seeking help when you need it, including professional therapy, and the value of being kind to others. Ricardo Christie, owner of RIC’s Home Improvement, said he has launched a group for men of color to gather and talk and support each other. “It’s okay to tell people about your issues,” he said. “Holding it in is not ok.”

Jameail Beckett, a student in the HVAC&R Technology program, said he appreciated the panelists’ advice. “They talked about mental health and being okay with therapy,” he said. “Being able to show kindness and love really resonated.”

The event also included a terrific lunch spread from Maxine’s on St. James, the chance to check out products and services from local Black-owned small businesses (including Suya Joint All African Cuisine, Final Touch with Class Boutique, Fire Code Design, Include Web Design & Development, Talbots Art LLC, DEO Enterprises Inc., and Conduit Computing), as well as a representative from the City of Boston’s Office of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion-Small Business Development Office.

The panel was moderated by Dean of Students Jackie Cornog and Assistant Director of Admissions Kweisi Johnson. The business-owner panelists were: