LIAACC Celebrates Minority Business Success A Minority Enterprise Development Month Kicks Off Oct. 8th, 2026

MED Month Opening Will Highlight Access to Capital, Procurement, Supplier Diversity and Entrepreneurship While Celebrating the Achievements of Minority-Owned Businesses

GARDEN CITY, NEW YORK — September 2026 — The Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce, Inc. (LIAACC) is preparing to launch its 2026 Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Month, bringing entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, government representatives, procurement professionals, financial institutions and community stakeholders together to celebrate minority business achievement and create pathways to greater economic opportunity.

FIRST DAY OF MINORITY ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT MONTH 2026

Thursday, October 8, 2026
6:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M.
Town of Hempstead Pavilion
One Washington Street
Hempstead, New York 11550

The 2026 celebration continues LIAACC's commitment to using Minority Enterprise Development programming as more than just recognition of minority entrepreneurship. The Chamber's goal is to connect business owners with the relationships, information, capital, contracts, technical assistance and strategic resources needed to build sustainable enterprises and long-term wealth.

Register for this year’s 1^st Day of Activities of Minority Enterprise Development Month and join us in celebrating the Barber & Beauty Institute of New York (BBINY) by clicking on link here: https://tinyurl.com/MedMonthOct82026

CELEBRATING A LOCAL MINORITY BUSINESS SUCCESS STORY

As LIAACC prepares for MED Month, the Chamber is also celebrating the recent accomplishments of the Barber & Beauty Institute of New York (BBINY), a Hempstead-based career training institution that represents the type of entrepreneurship, workforce development and community impact that Minority Enterprise Development Month seeks to highlight.

In September 0f 2026, the Barber & Beauty Institute of New York was named one of two Long Island grand-prize recipients through the Optimum Business and LIA Foundation L.O.C.A.L. Small Business Grants Program, receiving a $20,000 grant along with a $5,000 television advertising campaign from Optimum Media. The Institute plans to use the grant to support professional training equipment, student resources, instructional technology and expanded community outreach.

The achievement comes during another important milestone for the Institute: its 20th anniversary in 2026.

Founded in 2006 by Christopher D. Felder, with Co-Founder Cynthia Felder, the Barber & Beauty Institute of New York has spent two decades providing career education and helping individuals pursue professional licensing, employment and entrepreneurship in the barbering and appearance-enhancement industries.

The Institute reports that it has trained and supported thousands of students during its history and has developed community and workforce partnerships, including programs supporting high-school students, veterans and community organizations. Its story demonstrates how education, entrepreneurship, workforce development and community partnerships can work together to create economic opportunity.

“The recent achievement of the Barber & Beauty Institute of New York is exactly the type of success story that Minority Enterprise Development Month should celebrate,” said Phil Andrews, President of the Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce, Inc. “When our businesses gain access to resources, capital and strategic partnerships, they are able to invest in their organizations, serve more people, create opportunities and strengthen the communities where they operate. Our goal is to help create more success stories like this throughout our region.”

ABOUT: MINORITY ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT

Minority Enterprise Development has a long national history of recognizing the contributions of minority-owned businesses to the American economy. Since the early 1980s, MED observances have provided opportunities to highlight minority entrepreneurship and promote business development, contracting, procurement, access to capital and economic opportunity.

LIAACC has built upon that tradition by expanding its activities into Minority Enterprise Development Month, creating additional opportunities during October for entrepreneurs to learn, connect, develop relationships and gain exposure to organizations that can assist their businesses.

MED Month 2026 will focus on areas critical to sustainable business growth, including access to capital, government contracting, MWBE certification, corporate supplier diversity, procurement, capacity building, business education, technology, professional networking, entrepreneurship, ownership and generational wealth.

OCTOBER 8 OPENING PROGRAM

The October 8 kickoff at the Town of Hempstead Pavilion is expected to bring together minority- and women-owned businesses, emerging entrepreneurs, established companies, corporate representatives, government officials, financial institutions, procurement professionals and community organizations.

·Business and professional networking

·Minority business recognition

·Access-to-capital information

·Government contracting and procurement education

·MWBE and certification information

·Corporate supplier-diversity resources

·Business-development and technical-assistance connections

·Strategic partnerships and relationship building

·Entrepreneurship and economic-empowerment discussions

Confirmed speakers announced for the opening program include Dilip Chauhan, Deputy Chief Business Diversity Officer and Senior Advisor for MWBE Business Opportunities, NYC Mayor's Office of MWBE; Jason M. Clark, Esq., Executive Vice President, Division of Minority and Women's Business Development, Empire State Development; Jimmy Alty, Manager, Supplier Diversity, PSEG Long Island; and Nancy Soko-Askew, Executive Director, The Women's Venture Fund.

FIFTEEN YEARS OF CHAMBER IMPACT

Founded in 2010, the Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce, Inc. has grown into one of the region's leading organizations dedicated to supporting African American, minority-owned, small and emerging businesses.

During its first 15 years, the Chamber expanded its reach across Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, Brooklyn and the greater New York metropolitan region while developing programs focused on entrepreneurship, business education, procurement, access to capital, networking, advocacy and economic development.

The Chamber reports that it has assisted more than 1,500 businesses and entrepreneurs and presented hundreds of workshops, conferences, networking programs, business clinics, recognition programs and economic-empowerment initiatives.

Among its signature initiatives are Minority Enterprise Development programming, National Small Business Week activities, Black History Month programs, Ladies of LIAACC initiatives, business-development workshops, MWBE and procurement programs, leadership development and regional networking activities.

A CALL TO ENTREPRENEURS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS

LIAACC invites entrepreneurs, MWBEs, small-business owners, young professionals, corporate supplier-diversity representatives, government agencies, financial institutions, procurement officials, colleges and universities, nonprofits, business-development organizations and community stakeholders to participate in the October 8 opening program.

Registration for MED Month activities is listed here as well as the chamber's Year-Round Events: liaacc.org/events-list/

ABOUT: LONG ISLAND AFRICAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, INC.

The Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce, Inc. (LIAACC) was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in Garden City, New York. The Chamber works to strengthen African American, minority-owned, small and emerging businesses through business education, advocacy, networking, technical assistance, access-to-capital information, procurement opportunities and strategic partnerships.

LIAACC's mission includes creating stronger connections between entrepreneurs and the corporate, government, nonprofit and community institutions capable of helping businesses start, grow, compete and build sustainable economic impact.

MEDIA / ORGANIZATIONAL CONTACT

Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce, Inc.
Garden City, New York
Email: info@liaacc.org
Website: liaacc.org