Mayor Karen Bass delivered an inspiring keynote address at the Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce (GLAAACC) 29th Economic Awards Dinner. The annual gala honors individuals, small businesses and corporations who have contributed to the economic growth and development of the African American small business community.
Photo: (L-R) GLAAACC President Angela Gibson-Shaw, Mayor of Long Beach Rex Richardson, Mayor of Los Angeles Karen Bass and GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale. (Courtesy of GLAAACC)
Bass spoke about her first 100 days in office, particularly the progress made on her homeless initiative. Actions initiated by Mayor Bass account for roughly 1,000 Angelenos being housed so far.
“It was an honor to have the City of Los Angeles’ first female and second African American mayor as our keynote speaker for the evening,” GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale said. “She is a shining example of what we can all aspire to be. She is meeting the challenge and is literally changing the face of Los Angeles in the process. As someone on her transition team, I couldn’t be prouder.”
California State Controller and prior GLAAACC award recipient Malia Cohen was a special guest, presenting the Corporation of the Year Award to T-Mobile Vice President, Policy & Advocacy Clint Odom. T-Mobile was recognized for their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as their investment in education through the Magenta Scholars program, which has grown to $3 million in scholarships and programs.
Cohen applauded GLAAACC for its efforts to continue expanding job development, securing subcontracting opportunities, supporting mentorship and providing student scholarships. GLAAACC has distributed close to one million dollars in scholarships to local students from underserved communities in Los Angeles for more than 20 years.
Utility Company of the Year was presented to Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) CEO Scott Drury. Over the past two years, SoCalGas increased its supplier expenditures with African American-owned businesses by more than 50%.
Photo: (L-R) GLAAACC President Angela Gibson-Shaw, Clint Odom of T-Mobile, California State Controller Malia Cohen and GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale. (Courtesy of GLAAACC)
Photo: (L-R) GLAAACC President Angela Gibson-Shaw, Tunua Thrash-Ntuk of The Center by Lendistry and GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale. (Courtesy of GLAAACC)
Photo: (L-R) GLAAACC President Angela Gibson-Shaw, Scott Drury of SoCalGas and GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale. (Courtesy of GLAAACC)
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson received the Public Service Award. Richardson became the youngest person in history elected to the Long Beach City Council in 2014. In 2016, he was elected to a two-year term as Vice Mayor, also the youngest in city history.
The President’s Award was presented to Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, president and CEO, The Center by Lendistry. Thrash-Ntuk is responsible for scaling the nonprofit’s local footprint and expanding access to capital initiatives for underserved small business owners, leading economic development strategies and developing affordable housing finance products at the national level.
“Each year we gather to recognize those that have made a difference in the success of Black businesses in greater Los Angeles,” Hale said. “We are proud to recognize these exceptional businesses and individuals who have gone above and beyond in providing resources, assistance and a pathway to prosperity for small Black-owned businesses.
For more information on GLAAACC and a complete list of GLAAACC 29th Economic Awards honorees, visit glaaacc.org.
