GWBCC Hosts Juneteenth Awards Reception Honoring DC Black Business Leaders

GWBCC honors leaders in Black entrepreneurship and community building
The Greater Washington DC Black Chamber of Commerce (GWBCC) will host its Juneteenth Awards Reception on June 30 to honor entrepreneurs for their efforts to sustain, build, and inform communities. The event will recognize Kristina Noell, Amanda Stephenson, Yusef Henriques, and others for their contributions to the economic and cultural fabric of the greater Washington region. The event is part of the chamber’s Art of Black Business series, which aims to support and recognize Black entrepreneurs.

The Greater Washington DC Black Chamber of Commerce (GWBCC) will host its Juneteenth Awards Reception on June 30. The nonprofit’s mission is to support economic development in the Black community through education, enterprise and entrepreneurship.

“This celebration is more than an awards ceremony — it is a powerful reflection of the role Black businesses play in shaping the economic and cultural fabric of the greater Washington region,” said Aisha Bond, president and CEO of the GWBCC. 

Honorees include Kristina Noell, the first African American woman to serve as a Business Improvement District executive director in Washington, D.C.; Amanda Stephenson, founder of the Fresh Food Factory, which combats food deserts in Ward 8; and Yusef Henriques, who launched a genomics startup in D.C. to advance health equity for Indigenous and African diasporic communities. Also recognized are chefs Mac McAlister and Pinkey Reddick, owners of Flavorture; B. Doyle Mitchell Jr., president and CEO of Industrial Bank; and Denise Barnes, owner and publisher of The Washington Informer.

The awards reception is a featured event in the chamber’s Art of Black Business series, which honors entrepreneurs for their efforts to sustain, build and inform communities.

The Capital Workforce Innovation Consortium, a program of the Department of Employment Services, and BuildWithin will also be recognized as the Business Partnerships of the Year. Held in the spirit of Juneteenth, the event is not only a moment of recognition but also a call to continue investing in Black entrepreneurship.

“Juneteenth reminds us of the legacy of our past, while the achievements of these honorees inspire our future,” Bond said. 

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