Inaugural Solutions Summit brought together leading decision-makers and experts to build consensus on actions needed to close the racial wealth gap and create sustainable economic prosperity
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 22, 2023
Contact: Ralph Mays, rmays@skdknick.com
New York, NY – (March 22, 2023) On March 21, 2023, the Black Economic Alliance (BEA), a nonpartisan coalition of Black business leaders and aligned advocates, hosted its inaugural Solutions Summit. The event featured leading decision-makers from across business, government, and philanthropy highlighting and building consensus on leading solutions to advance Black economic prosperity and wealth-building.
CEOs, policymakers, and on-the-ground practitioners discussed ways to center Black work, wages, and wealth in sessions on bolstering entrepreneurship, securing fair and affordable housing, and the critical role of workforce development. Participants also focused on the importance of state and local-level implementation and the private sector’s role in driving change.
“BEA was built on its ability to harness the firepower of Black business leaders to expand Black economic power. With our first Solutions Summit, we saw what is possible when you bring together leaders from across business, government, and philanthropy in true support of Black economic prosperity,” BEA CEO Samantha Tweedy said. “This event marks a milestone in our collaborative efforts to advance actionable, evidence-based solutions proven to expand work, wages, and wealth for Black Americans. That shared dedication to re-envisioning the systems that have historically suppressed Black economic power is at the heart of our work, and we’re committed to getting this right – together.”
The Summit’s action-oriented discussions and knowledge sharing will inform BEA’s forthcoming Architecture for Action –– a curated, data-driven framework designed to guide leading decision-makers in both the public and private sectors to assess potential economic equity interventions and investments through a lens specifically focused on long-term gains in economic outcomes for Black Americans.
The day-long Summit included insights from a coalition of prominent figures, including Ambassador Susan Rice, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan, former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, Ariel Investments Founder and CEO John Rogers, and Kwasi Mitchell Chief Purpose Officer of Deloitte, about effective strategies and policies that are improving economic outcomes for Black Americans across the country. The event was supported by Deloitte, Bank of America, Capital One Insights Center, AARP, Apple, and Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Since 2018, BEA has collaborated with leaders across sectors to drive action and investment to expand work, wages, and wealth for Black Americans. Uniting a diverse range of stakeholders and building consensus around data-driven, evidence-based solutions, the Solutions Summit carries this work forward under BEA’s new, unified structure, amplifying the organization’s impact and strengthening its ability to drive meaningful change for Black economic prosperity.
