As we near the end of February and the celebration of Black History Month, we were delighted to be a sponsor of and in attendance at the 19th annual A.G. Gaston Conference. Participation in events like this are just part of our commitment to support the more equitable distribution of opportunities, to ensure that access to expertise is increased, and to help empower today the entrepreneurs of tomorrow.
We wrote about A.G. Gaston on the blog last year, and today we’ll talk about his legacy and the conference held annually by the A.G. Gaston Business Institute and the Birmingham Business Resource Center.
Born in 1892 in Demopolis, A.G. Gaston led a business empire that eventually was worth more than $40 million and his being named Black Enterprise magazine’s “Entrepreneur of the Century” in 1992.
Speakers challenged attendees to emulate Gaston, who, as embodied by his service as the president of the National Negro Business League in 1947, “showed up for his community’s needs.”
Attendees were encouraged by learning that the fastest-growing segment of entrepreneurs today is Black women and by hearing from successful Black entrepreneurs who are following in A.G. Gaston’s footsteps.
The businessmen and businesswomen in attendance were empowered by hearing from a slate of speakers and panelists that included entrepreneurs, executives, and political leaders on a variety of topics and challenges important to Black entrepreneurs today.
We look forward to taking part in the 20th A.G. Gaston Conference in 2024.
Equal Housing Opportunity Lender