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NBMBAA Conference 2019 Recap

A Message From the President
Greetings:
On behalf of the Executive Board of the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) Houston Chapter, I would like to thank everyone who volunteered for, and attended, the 2019 NBMBAA Conference in Houston! All week long I have fielded thanks and well-wishes from our out-of-town guests and the common theme they expressed was the amazing hospitality that the people of Houston shared with them.
I would like to congratulate our local volunteer coordinators, Dr. Tisha Rowe and Mr. Brian Glaude, on a job well done leading our local volunteer team to recruit a total of 1,081 eager volunteers, one of largest-ever number of volunteers recruited at an NBMBAA conference. Special thanks to our University partners from Prairie View A&M, Texas Southern University, and University of Houston-Downtown for their partnership and contribution to this figure.

One of our main goals for the conference was to leave an economic impact on Black businesses in the city. To aid in that, we released our Black Houston Guide to the conference attendees, providing visitors with recommendations of African American-owned businesses to patronize during their visit, including restaurants, nightlife, personal care services, and community-specific tourist attractions, such as The Ensemble Theatre, Buffalo Soldiers Museum, and the Houston Museum of African American Culture. Special thanks to our sponsors, CBRE, Chevron, University of Houston - CT Bauer College of Business, Waste Management, and SoLCIETI. The guide is available at www.BlackHoustonGuide.com and serves as an enduring legacy of the 2019 NBMBAA Conference to the city of Houston.

The main highlight of the conference for the Houston Chapter was winning the 2019 NBMBAA Channel Award for Entrepreneurship. This award was presented in recognition of our Pro-Bono Consulting Workshops and other entrepreneurship programs. We also had the honor of having our Pro-Bono Consulting Workshop included in the conference schedule as a community service activity with the City of Houston and the Mayor's Turnaround Entrepreneurship Program.

As we move on from a successful conference and into 2020, which marks the 50th Anniversary of the NBMBAA, the Houston chapter will place a renewed focus on our 800+ members. I invite you to join us for our next General Body Meeting (GBM) on Thursday, October 10, where we will provide updates on the chapter's progress and allow members to learn about and join our special-interest committees.
Thank you, Houston! Here's to a successful 2019 and looking forward to a ground-breaking 2020!

Regards,
R. Leigh Johnson
President, NBMBAA - Houston Chapter