2016 was an interesting year for me business-wise. I saw the launch of the highly successful STRONGER Empowerment Tour and I also had a few failures. However, one thing I’ve learned this year is that 2017 will be an even bigger entrepreneurial year of businesses for women of color. I’m planning to stand side by side with my sisters in order to learn more, share more, and become a better businesswoman in my community.
Odyssey Media, the leading brand in the empowerment of influential and affluent multicultural women, has announced the return of “IN THE BLACK,” a dynamic tour of powerful networking experiences that allows women business professionals to share insights, discover strategies and build relationships.
Building on the success of last year’s event, the “IN THE BLACK” Tour will take place November 11-18, 2016 and will host events in Newark, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Atlanta. Each event will feature a chic cocktail hour and high-energy presentations by notable business experts and speakers, including Odyssey Media founder Linda Spradley Dunn.
On the heels of one of the most polarizing elections in history, IN THE BLACK will be the nation’s largest gathering of a key voting demographic: multicultural women business owners. For the past two terms, it has been widely recognized that this important group has been instrumental in deciding who fills the White House office as President. IN THE BLACK will include frank, post-election discussion topics ranging from the influence of our vote and the business of politics to inking the important documents needed to run a successful business.
This year, to reach a broader group of women, “IN THE BLACK” will host virtual watch receptions on November 18th in twenty additional cities nationwide where guests can experience this one of a kind tour via streaming video.
“The success of last year’s tour inspired us to revamp our original concept to allow more women to join the movement that is ‘IN THE BLACK,'” says Dunn. “By expanding our reach, we will be able share more information, provide more resources, create more opportunities and overall better serve the various needs of America’s fastest-growing community of entrepreneurs – and that is multicultural women. I’m excited about the possibilities.”
Confirmed speakers for the tour are:
Newark – 11/11
Tara Setmayer Love, CNN Contributor
Jane Carter, Entrepreneur www.janecartersolution.com/
Gayle Hawkins, Prudential Financial
Becky Davis, National Speaker, Business Coach http://www.beckyadavis.com/
Mikki Taylor, Editor at Large, Essence Magazine
DC – 11/13
Twyla Garret, Entrepreneur, http://womensventurefund.org/twyla-garrett/
Silvia Tarvas, Prudential Financial
Monica Cost, Business Coach http://monicacost.com/
Mikki Taylor, Editor at Large, Essence Magazine
Chicago – 11/15
Amy Hilliard, Entrepreneur
ShirleyAnn Robertson, Prudential Financial
Monica Cost, Business Coach
Mikki Taylor, Editor at Large, Essence Magazine
Atlanta – 11/17
Sharmeen Hawkins, Entrepreneur
Lydia Reid, Prudential Financial
Becky Davis, National Speaker, Business Coach http://www.beckyadavis.com/
Mikki Taylor, Editor at Large, Essence Magazine
The tour is presented by Coca-Cola 5by20, an initiative developed to empower 5 million women entrepreneurs worldwide by the year 2020. Additional sponsors of “IN THE BLACK” include Prudential, The COTY Family of Products (COVERGIRL, Sally Hansen and Clairol) and Life Reimagined.
Launched in 2015, “In the Black” was founded on the premise that women need several tools to succeed, including: a black book (with a list of colleagues, family and friends), a black box (full of resources you’ll need to go to the next level), a little black dress (the uniform that will take you from home to office), a black bag (full of products to help you stay fit and confident) and a lot of black ink (on your balance sheet to keep your eye on profitability).
To register for the “In the Black” tour or to attend a watch party, visit www.intheblackinfo.com.
