Roberts will lead the conference's plenary workshop, "Eliminating The Fear Of Failure." He will talk about what potential entrepreneurs can do to minimize the risks of business start-up and create a better opportunity for success.
The conference also features keynote luncheon speaker Willie Jolley. This dynamic motivational speaker, named "One of the Outstanding Five Speakers in the World" by Toastmasters International, specializes in exciting but practical talks that center on "Accelerating Success and Growing Businesses by Growing People, Performance and Profits." Jolley's best-selling books also center on those themes, including It Only Takes A Minute To Change Your Life! and A Setback Is A Setup For A Comeback. His books have been translated into eight languages.
Both headline speakers will be available to sign their books at the conference.
Also unveiled during the conference will be the third annual report on "The State of Black Business in Birmingham," which asks the question, "What would Birmingham's economy look like if Black-owned businesses increased five fold?" Recent Economic Census figures estimate Black business revenue is less than one-half of one percent (0.5%) of the total revenue generated in the Birmingham area.
Bob Dickerson, Executive Director of the Birmingham Business Resource Center, who co-founded the conference with Gaynelle Adams Jackson of Advanced Planning Services, says the report finally gives him some hard data on this question, which has intrigued him for years.
"We are certainly a long way from achieving parity based on our percentage of the population; however we can do a whole lot better. Increasing black business revenue to say just 2.5% is something that should be doable, if the entire community would resolve to do so," Dickerson said. "It might not seem like a lot – and we certainly should not limit ourselves to that amount – but a five-fold increase should result in a sizeable economic boost to the Black community and the local economy as a whole."
The third annual A.G. Gaston Conference begins on Tuesday, Feb. 20, starting with the workshop, "Wealth Building Strategies for Business Owners and Professionals," sponsored by Merrill Lynch. The day also features two sessions that teach Black business owners how they are affected by decisions in Congress. One is a working luncheon with Anthony Robinson, President of the Minority Business Enterprise Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MBELDEF). The second session is led by Janice Mathis, Atlanta Satellite Chief and Vice President of The Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
The first day closes with Annual Awards Ceremony and reception at the historic Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. Each year, the conference celebrates the accomplishments of Birmingham-based entrepreneurs and civic leaders from the African American community.
Roberts and Jolley are the key featured speakers on the second day, Feb. 21, during a half day of activities at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex.
"The State of Black Business in Birmingham" started in the first conference, where the report by journalist Vickii Howell, editor of Birmingham View Magazine, revealed that the number of Black-owned businesses and their generated revenues were grossly out of proportion to the general population.
The second year's report focused on how Birmingham's African American community and its entrepreneurs could position themselves to play a more prominent role in the city's business economy. In that report, Dr. Vickie Cox Edmondson, an associate professor of management at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, outlined ten potential strategies. The first called on Black churches, especially large wealthy ones, to use their collective clout to influence public policy and their own money to finance worthy businesses and community projects.
In response to last year's call to action by Dr. Edmondson, the A. G. Gaston Conference and several African American church leaders will announce the formation of a new coalition of churches. They will leverage their collective resources to support and develop economic redevelopment projects in their communities.
The conference was established in 2005 to celebrate the life and achievements of Dr. A.G. Gaston (1892-1996), one of the richest black men in America and dubbed "Entrepreneur of the Century" by Black Enterprise magazine. He overcame poverty and the lack of educational opportunities to become a virtual giant in the world of business and commerce in Birmingham, Alabama. Gaston's phenomenal accomplishments came during a period when abject and overt racial discrimination was the way of life in the City.
The conference holds up Gaston's time-honored principles and practices – "Save a part of all you earn. Pay yourself first. Never borrow anything that, if forced to it, you can't pay back." – as encouragement for other Blacks who must overcome barriers as they strive to succeed.
Conference sponsors are: Alabama Power Co., Alagasco, Merrill Lynch, the Birmingham Business Journal, Foundation Capital, the City of Birmingham, Honda Motor Manufacturing of Alabama, Bright House Networks, Citizens Trust Bank, Birmingham-Southern College's Master of Arts in Public & Private Management Program, the Birmingham Business Development Initiative, Cox Radio and FastTrac®.
Visit the website at www.aggastonexpo.com to register online and get more detailed information on the conference schedule and on speakers/presenters. Tickets for the two-day conference can be purchased for $50 online by the Feb. 1 early-bird registration deadline. Otherwise, tickets are $50 per day. The awards program and reception are free and open to the public.
For more information, contact the Birmingham Business Resource Center at (205) 250-6380, or e-mail INFO@bbrc.biz.
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