How to Read the Report
The Domain Reports broken into 5 major sections.
- The Overview
- The Relevant Context
- The Ideas
- The Analysis
- The Recommendations
SUCC3SS Report Preliminary Resource Plan & Overview
This is a brief overview of the first phase of resources that are needed to empower the Berkshire Black Community. They will provide the most impact based on the research that has been done so far. Our next steps are to do a full resource & reparations plan, as well as pursue funding in these areas. We’re looking to raise a 4 million dollar investment over the next 5 years so we can approach the Federal Reserve with a 20% matching grant opportunity for a total of 20-50 million . The following are rough estimates of the resource needs to make significant economic impacts across the county.
Resource Planning and Procurement Phase 1
Berkshire Black Economic Council
Staffing
Executive Director $50k
Executive Assistant $30k
Legal Services $10k
Setting up 501c3’s for Berkshire Black Economic Council
Blackshires Community Empowerment Platform
Staffing
Executive Director $50k
Executive Assistant $30k
Technical
Directory Platform $50k
Educational Platform $30k
Legal Services $10k
Impact Fund for Black Businesses, similar to the Boston Impact Initiative
Neighborhood Revitalization
Housing Idea Jam $20k
Narrative Development $50k
Ongoing Documentary of Berkshire County creating the vision
Educational Programming
Skill’s based media training programs $30k
ROPE/Sessions $30K
Leadership Programs $30k
Black Community
General Community
Arts & Culture
Creating an Arts Collective $20k
Internships $20k
Supplier Diversity Program
Research & development 20k
Consultant 10k
Estimated Financial Cost Total of Funding Phase 1
$500,000 over 6 months.
Estimated Return on Investment
$2,000,000
Domain-Specific Investment Opportunities
Research and Data Collection
More funding to continue to collect race-based data for the county
More time for research and strategy development
More Idea Jams in areas of Housing, Tourism, and Recruitment
And Emerging Sectors of the report
Entrepreneurship
Digital Place-Based Marketing, Media, and Commerce
Marketing and Media Platform for Black Business and Black Culture
Economic Justice–Supplier Diversity Program
Business Impact Funding and Investment
Full Finding of Black Economic Council Operations Staff
Leadership Development
Black Community Empowerment Leadership Accelerator
Funding support of the Blackshires Platform
Inclusive Economy Leadership Accelerator
Recruitment and Retention
Black and African American Welcoming Committee
Funding research into the unique experiences of Black and
African-American youth in Berkshire County
Fund and sponsor events that offer alternatives to existing social and cultural events, celebrate Black History, and offer safe spaces for the enjoyment of outdoor recreational activities
Blackshires Digital Empowerment platform
Resource and Funding for continued Innovative Pipeline Development
To recruit Black talent to the region
Neighborhood Revitalization
The City of Pittsfield formally recognizes the detrimental impact housing segregation and Urban Renewal projects have had on Black residents of the Westside, and establishes a Reparations Commission
Full start-up funding for a Westside Land Trust and Westside Community Development Corporation
Design Lounge Funding a community place-based space in the Westside to plan, design, and implement neighborhood development projects and programs
Arts and Culture
Investment In Creative Economy Skills-Based Education
Establish and Fund a Black Artist Collective and Cultural Council
Funding for Exclusively African American community based arts programs
Build a Black/African American Multicultural Arts Center
Design and Market Black Cultural Heritage Tourism Program for the Berkshires
Regional Black Cultural Heritage Event
Fund Additional Research and Data Collection
Black Arts and Cultural Center Building
Education
Double down on existing DEI programs, diversity pipeline initiatives
Seed the development of hybrid online/offline educational programing and support forums run by and for our Black and African American student-families
📚 References
- MacBride, Elizabeth, and Seth Levine. “To Save the US Economy, Policymakers Need to Understand Small Business 101.” CNBC, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2020, www.cnbc.com/2020/04/14/to-save-the-economy-policymakers-need-to-know-small-business-101.html?utm_content=bufferb799a.
- https://hbr.org/2020/08/why-you-need-a-supplier-diversity-program
- BBEC SUCC3SS Virtual Idea Jam
🎥 Credits
Idea Jam Facilitators
Warren Dews Jr., Dews Management
Auric Enchill, Elegant Stitches
Alfred Enchill, Elegant Stitches
Analysts
John Lewis, R3SET
Kamaar Taliaferro, R3SET
Patrick Danahey, R3SET
Devin Shea, R3SET
Writers
Editors
Alyssa Mack, SP3AK EASY Studio
Kamaar Taliaferro, R3SET
Advisors
Segun Idawoo, BECMA
Malia Lazu, MIT
Glossary
Gap Analysis
A gap analysis is an examination and assessment of current performance for the purpose of identifying the differences between the current state of business affairs and where you’d like to be. It can be boiled down into a few questions:
Where are we now? Where do we want to go? What do we need to get there?
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
About the 2020 Berkshire County SUCC3SS Idea jam
The 2020 Berkshire County SUCC3SS Idea Jam was a community event series designed to create a holistic, collaborative framework for a successful ecosystem for Berkshire Black businesses, community members, and the Berkshire County community at large.
The community came together using an Idea Jam methodology to est a vision of establishing the Berkshires as a model for Black Economic empowerment for counties across the North East.
The jams were held at the beginning of COVID-19, after transitioning the series from an in-person experience.
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