By Kit Moore
Newburgh YouthBuild and SNUG Newburgh held their first Black Excellence in Entrepreneurship Dinner & Discussion on Thursday, Feb. 26, at the Highpoint at 245 Liberty St. The event introduced attendees to Black entrepreneurs from the Hudson Valley area.
Newburgh YouthBuild is an education and job training program focusing on youth ages 16-24. The program helps Newburgh students earn GEDs and certifications in construction or nursing, as well as connecting students with job opportunities. SNUG Newburgh is a gun violence prevention organization that uses conflict mediation, community outreach, and linking residents to employment and education resources to reduce gun violence.
Nicole Gonzalez, a program coordinator at Newburgh YouthBuild, said she put the event together because she has students who are interested in entrepreneurship. “What better way to celebrate Black History Month than by connecting so many Black entrepreneurs we have in the area with our youth,” she said.
The food was provided by An Artistic Taste, whose owner, Andre Robinson, was also one of the featured entrepreneurs. The music was handled by Tommmydidit, a DJ based in Peekskill, N.Y., and another one of the entrepreneurs who spoke at the event.
Other featured entrepreneurs included Tiffany McPhail, who owns the newly opened Happy Tree Dispensary; Milford Jacobs, who runs Life Lava’s Kennel, which breeds bulldogs; CoMoe Murphy, who owns Krispy Fresh Cutz; Makaya Williams, who started MW Plumbing & Heating; Jacqueline Lewis, who owns a catering service; and Omar Harper, who leads Team H.A.R.T. at Epique Realty.
The event started with a series of short introductions from the entrepreneurs, who spoke about their businesses and how they got started. Afterward, the entrepreneurs dispersed among the tables to speak more directly with attendees and answer questions.
Damon Finch, owner of Success Protective Services and one of the featured entrepreneurs, said the event went well. “Just the fact that people are working on, thinking about how to move their ideas, their opportunities into opportunities to make money is outstanding,” he said. “What was good about this program was the diversity of different types of organizations that were here to talk to the youth.”
Finch said many of the people he spoke with at the dinner were interested in starting their own businesses or looking for an opportunity to turn their skills into a career. He described one attendee who had previously been involved in fighting. “We started to talk to her about using that same energy, whether it’s WWE or getting into UFC or boxing,” he said. “That’s something she’s considering, to turn that negative opportunity into something positive.”
Former YouthBuild student Siarra said the event was inspiring. “I love all the people here talking about how they came up in life,” she said. “I think it’s just heartwarming to watch all the people get together and talk.”
Safe Harbors board member Candyce Young said the event should be repeated. “I think they should do something like this a couple of times a year, so that the community and the surrounding towns can get to know who’s local and who’s doing what,” she said.
Gonzalez said she hopes to host more events like this one in the future.
“Absolutely, I want to continue doing this, whether it’s for Black entrepreneurship or women entrepreneurs, different diverse backgrounds,” she said. “Showing people what is out there and connecting them with our youth, with our community.”
