The African American Business Leaders Council

10/24/2026

10/23/2026

We spent the morning at Gems & Joe for Empower Black! Thank you to everyone who came out and spent their dollars with our community 🤩💸. Your support makes a real difference. Stay tuned for our next one!

📸Photo credit: McKinney Media

10/20/2026

Join the African American Business Leaders Council for Empower Black this Friday! Enjoy networking while making an impact on our local Black-owned business community. There is no formal programming, so feel free to stop by at any time during the event to support 🩵

📍 Gems & Joe (1019 Hamilton St., Allentown, PA 18101)
📅 Friday, October 23, 2026
🕗 8:00 to 10:00 AM

Free to attend, but we encourage you to support by purchasing coffee, tea, or a pastry. Register here: https://bit.ly/4ruc65T
- page: https://www.facebook.com/share/19wDxUK8Mx/
- LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/events/7508992702831767552?viewAsMember=true

10/13/2026

📣 We are excited to reintroduce Dr. Jeff Bullock as the African American Business Leaders Council Board Vice Chair!

Dr. Jeff Bullock is a visionary leader and the driving force behind PRISM AI Consultants, a firm dedicated to helping entrepreneurs and businesses unlock the transformative potential of artificial intelligence. With a background in pharmacy and a career spanning multiple industries, he combines technical expertise with a passion for innovation. He has guided countless professionals in leveraging AI tools to streamline operations, enhance productivity, and gain a competitive edge. Dr. Bullock is also an advocate for ethical AI practices, ensuring organizations navigate the digital age responsibly and effectively.

10/10/2026

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

Teisha Jones was serving as interim director before being appointed CEO

10/06/2026

Last week, we spent the morning learning about angel investing from our experienced and insightful panelists. 💸 Panelists, Max Aggrey, Aaron Fisher, and Itbaan Nafi, and moderator, Ngozi Bell, answered the questions: What is it? What do angels look for in a pitch? Where does it fit between creating the initial idea and VCs?

Thank you to all who attended in person in Bethlehem and those who joined us online!

09/30/2026

We are thrilled to unveil our 2026 African American Business Leaders Awards honorees! These individuals are shining bright in our community and are making a lasting impact in the Lehigh Valley and beyond 🎉

Please join us in congratulating:
💎 Hasanna Birdsong
💎 Dr. Isaac Jamison
💎 Officer Jamil Newsome
💎 Andrene Nowell

You won’t want to miss the Diamond Gala happening on Tickets are on Friday, November 20, 6:00 pm at the Aster Event Center in Allentown. Tickets are $160 for one and $285 for two. Register here: https://bit.ly/3VQhSms
- Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/share/1FxFisiNNr/
- LinkedIn event page: https://www.linkedin.com/events/7509353663144853505?viewAsMember=true

09/25/2026

The African American Business Leaders Council presents their 10th Annual Awards Gala on Friday, November 20, 6:00 pm at the Aster Event Center, Hyatt House Allentown.

Join us for 💎 Decade of Brilliance…The Diamond Gala 💎, an awards dinner to honor African American achievements in the Lehigh Valley paired with live entertainment, elegant style, and a fundraiser to benefit the African American Business Leaders Council Scholarship Fund.

The 2026 African American Business Leaders Awards will also be presented. This award is presented to an individual or a company who is a community icon, has made significant contributions to the community, and has distinguished him/herself in the business world and the community. Stay tuned for announcements on our 2026 awardees!

🩵 Tickets are $160 for one and $285 for two. Register here: https://bit.ly/3VQhSms
- Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/share/1FxFisiNNr/
- LinkedIn event page: https://www.linkedin.com/events/7509353663144853505?viewAsMember=true

09/24/2026

Join the African American Business Leaders Council for Empower Black on Friday, October 23, 2026, from 8:00 to 10:00 AM at Gems & Joe (1019 Hamilton St., Allentown, PA 18101) for networking and make an impact on our local Black-owned business community. Free to attend, but we encourage you to support by purchasing coffee, tea, or a pastry!

There is no formal programming, so feel free to stop by at any time during the event to support 🩵

Register here: https://bit.ly/4ruc65T
- page: https://www.facebook.com/share/19wDxUK8Mx/
- LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/events/7508992702831767552?viewAsMember=true

09/24/2026

We’re excited to highlight Itbaan Nafi as a panelist for Angel Investing 101: Insights from the Investors' Table 💸

Itbaan Nafi is an entrepreneur passionate about human-centered design and national economic development. He designed his bachelor’s degree at Stanford University, called Software, Policy, and Design Engineering, by combining human-computer interaction, design thinking, and political science, and served as a teaching assistant in the master's departments for Management Science & Engineering and Sustainability. Itbaan was selected as an inaugural Obama-Chesky Scholar where he created Design for Bangladesh, an entrepreneurship accelerator for students in his home village, which served as the inspiration for Breakthrough. "Working with Roman Scott, he built Breakthrough, America's largest accelerator for student founders. In just under two years, they've advised more than 60 students building in AI, health, sustainability, and infrastructure, helping them raise over $100M in venture capital, and hosted the largest demo day in Stanford history, drawing over 1,000 investors to date. Itbaan’s ultimate career goal is to create an institution to uplift kids from his home village with STEM and entrepreneurship education.

Join Itbaan for an insightful morning on access to funding next week on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, from 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM at the Fowler Family Southside Center. Tickets are $25 for in-person and $20 for virtual access. Register here! https://bit.ly/4qiJ2Oh
- Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Dj5UYVtj4/
- LinkedIn event page: https://www.linkedin.com/events/7494897907582590976?viewAsMember=true