nsbe-hae.org

Call to Order: 6:50 pm
Reciting of NSBE Mission

•  What is the State of Black Houston?  What is the Outlook for Black Houston? What can NSBE do to help?
  • Opportunities are great for Black Houston although there is much room for improvement. 
  • With 26% of the population, African Americans receive <5% of public contract dollars.
  • NSBE and NSBE members can help with mentoring programs, offering internships, exposing youth to careers, getting together and starting businesses, participating civically, and continuing to strengthen ourselves as a collective body.
• What can we [Black professionals] do to show [to youth] the value of participating civically?
  • Teach that anything worth getting is worth waiting for.
  • Show the nice things you have and explain how you waited for it.
  • It is a mistake to play into the impatience of youth.
  • Mentor to parents.
  • Collectively get together and participate politically.  (Be an example)
• Outside of campaign seasons, how can we [the community] use electronic energy [and social media] to help public officials?
  • Respond somehow whether by participating yourself or by forwarding.
  • Center involvement and social media around programs [outside of campaign season]. (Mentoring Program)
• What is the process to break into the public contracts realm?  What is the method to the madness.
  • There are seminars on becoming a Minority or Woman Owned Business with the City of Houston.
  • Network for business purposes, not just socially.
  • Start engineering firms.
  • When you bid on a city contract, call someone on council and let them know.
  • The organization can possibly create a site where the city can post contract information and seminar details.
  • Check out www.blackbiztech.com