FILM FESTIVAL. BUT BEFORE WE GO TO THE MOVIES, WE’RE HIGHLIGHTING SOME BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BENEFITED FROM SOCIAL IMPACT INVESTMENTS FOCUSED ON REMOVING BARRIERS FOR ENTREPRENEURS. FIRST UP, TAKING ON THE FOOD AND DRINK INDUSTRY. WITH THE HELP OF THE CHASE COACHING FOR IMPACT PROGRAM. CLASSIC DISHES FROM ACROSS THE WEST AFRICAN DIASPORA MIXED WITH CARIBBEAN CUISINE FLAVORS FAMILIAR AND FAR REACHING FOR THE GREATER LOWELL COMMUNITY. MEET MUNA LOPARDO, THE OWNER OF INFUSE AFRO FUSION, FOR THE RESTAURANT. I TOOK DIFFERENT STAPLE DISHES FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF WEST AFRICA AND PUT IT IN A MENU AND PUT IT ALL TOGETHER AND STAPLE DISHES FROM JAMAICA AND HAITI AND PUT IT ALL TOGETHER TO INFUSE THAT FLAVOR. STAPLES LIKE EGUSI SOUP AND FUFU AND TILAPIA SERVED WITH OKRA AND A PEPPER SAUCE AND JOLLOF RICE, ARE AMONG HER MOST ORDERED DISHES. I HAVE WATCHED FROM GHANA, WHICH IS A RICE AND BEANS DISH. WE CALL IT A DRAMA QUEEN HERE BECAUSE IT HAS LIKE FIVE DIFFERENT TOPPINGS ON IT. EGG, SPAGHETTI, EVERYTHING. BORN IN LIBERIA, MUNA IMMIGRATED FROM GHANA TO THE UNITED STATES AND HAS BEEN LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR THIS AMERICAN DREAM FOR SEVERAL YEARS IN THE COMMUNITY. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE VERY EXCITED THAT WE ARE HERE. THEY ARE HAPPY THAT THEY HAVE FLAVORFUL AFRICAN FOOD RIGHT? IN THE CITY OF LOWELL, WE DON’T HAVE TO DRIVE TO MANCHESTER. WE DON’T HAVE TO DRIVE TO WORCESTER. YOU’RE RIGHT HERE IN LOWELL. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEEDED. THIS IS OUR SPACE. THAT’S WHAT THEY CALL IT. LIKE MANY CHEFS, MUNA’S LOVE OF COOKING ALL THINGS COMES WITH AN INABILITY TO CHOOSE A FAVORITE DISH ON THE MENU. IF I HAVE TO SAY IT, I WILL SAY WATCHING THE DRAMA QUEEN RICE, THE RICE AND BEANS BECAUSE IT HAS SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS GOING ON TOP OF IT. AND WHEN I’M DONE MAKING IT, I’M LIKE, OH WOW, IT CAME OUT NICE. YEAH. OVER AT BOSTON LANDING IN BRIGHTON, A SECOND LOCATION OF THE SOUTH BAY HIT RESTAURANT, THE PEARL, IS PROOF THAT OWNERS MIKA AND MALIK WINDER HAVE CREATED A REAL GEM, CREATING A VIBE KIND OF COMES NATURALLY FOR US. A SPACIOUS DINING ROOM SERVING UPSCALE SOUTHERN SEAFOOD DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM THE COUPLE’S TRAVEL AND DINING EXPERIENCES AROUND THE WORLD. WE FREQUENT NEW ORLEANS, AND THEY’RE THE HOME OF THE CHAR GRILLED OYSTER. AND SO MALIK CAME BACK AFTER ONE OF OUR TRIPS AND STARTED TO MAKE THEM AT HOME FOR OURSELVES AND FOR FRIENDS THAT WERE HAVING BARBECUES LIKE, THAT’S OUR THING. YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY BRINGS A POTATO SALAD. WE ALWAYS BRING THE CHARGRILLED OYSTERS, A ROBUST RAW BAR MENU ACCOMPANIES CLASSIC NEW ENGLAND FARE LIKE CLAM CHOWDER AND THE CREATIVE CHARCOAL AND GUAVA GLAZED BLACK MISO RIBS ARE AMONG THE STARTERS THAT PAIR WITH INVENTIVE COCKTAILS LIKE THE JUNGLE MEET TIGHT BEING MIXED HERE BY TY LAW. NOW WE DO THIS, THE BUTTERFLY SHAKE. YES, THAT’S FORMER NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS PLAYER AND HALL OF FAMER TY LAW LEARNING TO MAKE A COCKTAIL WITH HIS SIGNATURE VODKA IN HIS POST-FOOTBALL DAYS, LAW HAS BECOME A SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEUR. I’M DOING THIS. VODKA. THIS IS ME. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? TO BE ABLE TO SIT DOWN AND HAVE A DRINK WITH YOU, TELL YOU ABOUT MY STORY. YOU KNOW, I HAVE TWO UNIQUE FLAVORS. I’M THE ONLY GRILLED PINEAPPLE ON THE MARKET. I’M GOING TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND SOMETHING THAT MEANS SOMETHING TO ME. GROWING UP, EATING GRILLED PINEAPPLES, CARRYING PRODUCTS FROM BLACK MAKERS IS A PRIORITY FOR THE PEARL RESTAURANT. IF WE CAN MAKE THESE PRODUCTS RELATABLE AND PART OF PEOPLE’S EVERYDAY LIFE, THEN I THINK THAT OVERALL IT HELPS TO EXPAND THEIR BRANDS LIKE AND IT HELPS TO CREATE GENERAL GENERATIONAL WEALTH THROUGHOUT THE BLACK COMMUNITY. FOR THEM TO LOOK AT MY BRAND AS SOMETHING THAT WILL FIT IN THIS BEAUTIFUL PLACE AND HAVE A SPECIALTY COCKTAIL, IT MEANS A LOT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES WE DON’T ALWAYS HAVE REPRESENTATION, YOU KNOW, AND FIND ESTABLISHMENT OR IN THE INDUSTRY THAT I AM OTHER THAN BEING A FACE, NOT A TRUE OWNER. AND SO IT MEANS A LOT TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER LIKE THAT. WHEN I’M WORKING SEVEN STATES RIGHT NOW, PRETTY MUCH BY MYSELF, BUT I’M WILLING TO PUT THE WORK IN SO THAT COOLER GOT A LOT OF MILES ON IT. BECAUSE I WALKED IN THE CITY. I WALK IN THE CITY A LOT AND IT’S LIKE, HEY, YOU LOOK LIKE TY LAW. YOU KNOW, WHEN I WANT PEOPLE GETTING IT NOW BECAUSE THEY SEE ME SO MUCH. BUT IN THE BEGINNING IT WAS LIKE, HEY, YOU LOOK LIKE TY LAW. AND HEY, I GET THAT A LOT. AND I JUST GO KNOCKING ON THE NEXT DOOR TO SEE IF SOMEBODY GIVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO, YOU KNOW, TRY MY VODKA. ONCE A PLAYER WHO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING NOW, A BUSINESSMAN HITTING THE PAVEMENT TO TAKE HIS BRAND INTO THE END ZONE. CHEERS. AND A PORTION OF THE PROCEEDS OF EACH BOTTLE OF THAT DELICIOUS BEVERAGE GOES TO THE NFL HALL OF FAME PLAYERS ASSISTANCE FUND. BOSTON’S BLACK ECONOMIC COUNCIL IS OUT WITH A NEW IMPACT REPORT CALLED BUILDING BLACK WEALTH. AND JOINING ME NOW IS NICOLE OBI. SHE’S PRESIDENT OF THE BLACK ECONOMIC COUNCIL OF MASSACHUSETTS. AND JADA TURNER, SENIOR MANAGER OF DEVELOPMENT FOR BELMONT AND FOUNDER OF BLACK OWNED BOSS. HOW ARE YOU BOTH? GREAT. THANKS FOR HAVING US. NICOLE. WHY DID YOU COMMISSION THIS REPORT AND WHAT WERE SOME OF THE KEY FINDINGS? SURE. YOU KNOW, WE FEEL THAT IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THE OUTCOMES OF THE SUPPORT THAT WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH, BECAUSE WE DO A MYRIAD OF THINGS, FROM ADVOCACY TO PROGRAMS TO EVENTS, AND WE KNOW THAT OUR WORK IS HAVING AN IMPACT. AND THE IMPACT REPORT IS REALLY FOCUSED ON THE RESULTS OF THAT SUPPORT. NOW, BEEKMAN HAS HAD A LOT OF SUCCESSES, AND WORKING WITH LEGISLATORS. YOU HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN MAKING SURE THAT MORE LIQUOR LICENSES HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO BUSINESSES IN EAST BOSTON, JAMAICA PLAIN IN DORCHESTER. EXPLAIN WHY THESE ADDITIONAL LICENSES ARE SO CRITICAL. THESE LICENSES ARE IMPORTANT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES TO BE ABLE TO SELL MORE EXPENSIVE ITEMS. THAT HELPS TO INCREASE THEIR MARGINS, TO INCREASE THEIR PROFITS. AND OVER THE LAST FEW DECADES, THE BLACK AND BROWN NEIGHBORHOODS IN BOSTON IN PARTICULAR, WEREN’T ABLE TO ACTUALLY GET ACCESS TO THOSE BECAUSE OF THE MARKET RATE WAS WELL BEYOND WHAT THEY COULD AFFORD. SEVERAL SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A LIQUOR LICENSE TO TO BUY IT ON THE ON THE MARKET. SO NOW BEING ABLE TO HAVE THESE 225 NEW LICENSES THAT THEY CAN JUST PAY THE FEE FOR THEM AS OPPOSED TO PAYING A MARKET RATE FOR THEM, WILL MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. AND WE’VE ALREADY SEEN DOZENS OF THOSE LICENSES BEEN DISTRIBUTED. THAT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE, BECAUSE WHEN YOU GO TO A RESTAURANT, SOMETIMES YOU JUST WANT TO HAVE A DRINK, RIGHT? AND YOU NEED A LIQUOR LICENSE TO DO THAT, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY. IT HELPS TO CREATE A THIRD SPACE FOR COMMUNITIES TO GATHER AND CONNECT. JADA, YOU HAVE A DUAL PERSPECTIVE HERE. YOU OWN YOUR OWN BUSINESS AND YOU ALSO WORK WITH BECKMAN MEMBERS. WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT DO SMALL BUSINESSES LIKE YOURS NEED? I THINK THE FIRST THING THAT WE HEAR A LOT OF IS ACCESS TO CAPITAL. THAT’S A BIG THING. BUT THEN ALSO KIND OF THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT GO ALONG WITH THAT, PROGRAMING AROUND THE BACK OFFICE SUPPORT SERVICES, WHICH IS A BIG COMPONENT OF OUR PROGRAMING HERE AT BECKMAN, BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE RESOURCES AROUND BOOKKEEPING, LEGAL SERVICES, ALL OF THOSE THINGS TO ENSURE THAT YOUR BUSINESS IS RUNNING PROPERLY. AND WHEN YOU’RE READY TO MEET THE MOMENT, WHETHER FOR INVESTMENTS OR OPPORTUNITIES FOR LENDING, ETC., YOUR BUSINESS IS PREPARED FOR IT. NOW, OUR SMALL BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES GETTING ENOUGH SUPPORT FROM THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY OVERALL, I THINK I THINK MORE CAN ALWAYS BE DONE. I THINK WE’VE SEEN A LOT OF GREAT WINS AND BECKMAN IS GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO BE A PART OF THAT ECOSYSTEM. WELL, TELL ME ABOUT BLACK OWNED BOSS. YEAH, SO BLACK OWNED BOSS IS A PLATFORM THAT STARTED IN MARCH OF 2019 TO CREATE SPACE FOR BLACK BUSINESSES THROUGH SALES AND MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES. WE HOST VENDOR MARKETPLACES, HAVE AN EXTENSIVE DIGITAL DIRECTORY OF BUSINESSES IN MASSACHUSETTS, AND WE DO A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS TO CREATE SPACE FOR THOSE SALES AND MARKETING FOR THOSE BUSINESSES. VERY MUCH NEEDED SERVICE. NICOLE LAST YEAR, SIX BUSINESSES RECEIVED OVER $600,000 IN LOANS FROM BECKMAN’S COMMUNITY INVESTMENT LOANS, AND ONE OF THESE BUSINESSES IS CALLED LET ME GET THIS RIGHT, PIONEERS. YES, A PERFORMANCE STREETWEAR BRAND. IT WAS FOUNDED BY DORCHESTER NATIVE SIDNEY BAPTISTA, WHO IS PROBABLY BEST KNOWN FOR STARTING THE PIONEERS RUNNING CREW IN 2017. THAT’S RIGHT, WHICH OF COURSE NORMALIZES RUNNING IN BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES. HOW WERE THESE AWARDS USED AND WHAT WERE THE BUSINESS OWNERS ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH? SO THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF CREATING BECKMAN COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS AS A LOAN PROGRAM IS THAT WE FOUND THAT A LOT OF OUR ENTREPRENEURS, EVEN IF THEY HAD CONTRACTS LIKE SIDNEY, WEREN’T ABLE TO GET THE FINANCING THAT THEY NEED TO EXECUTE ON THOSE CONTRACTS. AND SO WE DECIDED THAT WE WOULD CREATE A LOAN PROGRAM TO SUPPORT THOSE BUSINESSES. WE WERE ABLE TO LEND SIDNEY MONEY SO THAT HE COULD FULFILL A PURCHASE ORDER WITH REI AND GET HIS PRODUCTS MADE AND PUT INTO THE STORES. AND HE WASN’T ABLE TO SECURE THOSE FUNDING. THAT FUNDING FROM ANYONE ELSE. HE WAS ABLE TO GET THE LOAN, FULFILL THE ORDER, AND HAS ALREADY PAID US BACK TWICE. SO HOW DOES THE LOAN PROGRAM DIFFER FROM SOMEONE WHO MIGHT WALK INTO A BANK AND TRY TO GET SOME FUNDS? WELL, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD LOVE FOR ALL OF OUR BUSINESSES TO WALK INTO A BANK AND GET LOANS, BUT THAT IS NOT THE REALITY THAT WE’RE FINDING. AS I SAID, FOR THOSE MEMBERS THAT WE CAN SUPPORT WITH GRANTS, WE CERTAINLY LIKE TO DO THAT, BUT WE HAVE THOSE THAT HAVE GREATER NEEDS THAT WOULD BE BETTER SUITED FOR A LOAN PROGRAM. AND BECAUSE WE’RE STILL FINDING THAT THERE’S A HIGH RATE OF REJECTION COMING FROM THE BANKS BECAUSE OF CREDIT HISTORY OR, OR THEY’RE JUST RISK AVERSE OR THEY’RE JUST RISK AVERSE, THEN WE’RE GRATEFUL THAT WE AT BECKMAN AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE FUNDING TO THESE BUSINESSES. SO LAST YEAR, WE MADE SIX LOANS TO THESE BUSINESSES. ALL OF THEM HAVE EITHER PAID BACK THOSE LOANS OR THEY’RE CURRENT WITH THEIR PAYMENTS. AND WE ARE DEMONSTRATING THAT THESE ARE GOOD INVESTMENTS. AND AND SO THAT THEY SHOULD BE PICKED UP BY OTHER LENDERS WHO HAVE DEEPER POCKETS. THAN THEORETICALLY, BECKMAN MIGHT SEE A NICHE IN A MARKET REPRESENTED BY THESE COMPANIES THAT A MAINSTREAM BANK MIGHT NOT SEE. THAT’S CORRECT. THAT’S EXACTLY THE WAY WE GO ABOUT IT. AND ONE THING I WILL SAY ABOUT BECKMAN COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS IS THAT WE ARE LENDING TO BUSINESSES THAT HAVE CONTRACTS. THEY HAVE A SOURCE OF REVENUE ALREADY, BUT THEY STILL CAN’T GET THE FUNDS THAT THEY NEED TO EXECUTE ON IT. AND WE’VE HAD MEMBERS WHO HAVE UNFORTUNATELY TURNED DOWN CONTRACTS BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T HAVE THE WORKING CAPITAL TO EXECUTE. NOW, LET’S SWITCH TO CURRENT EVENTS VERY QUICKLY. DO YOU SEE ANY IMPACT FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP’S TARIFFS ON YOUR MEMBERS? AND JADA, ARE YOU SEEING IT IN YOUR BUSINESSES? NICOLE QUICKLY. YEAH, I WILL DEFINITELY SAY THAT WE’RE SEEING IMPACTS BECAUSE NOT ALL SMALL BUSINESSES ARE BLACK AND BROWN, BUT ALMOST ALL BLACK AND BROWN BUSINESSES ARE SMALL. AND SO THESE TARIFFS, THE UNCERTAINTY, THE THREAT OF RECESSION THAT’S AFFECTING ALL OF THE BUSINESSES, IT’S ALSO HAVING A BIG IMPACT ON SMALL BUSINESSES. AND THEN BECAUSE OF WHO WE SERVE, YOU KNOW THERE’S AN ADDED LAYER OF EFFECT BECAUSE ARE YOU SAYING THE SAME THING AS WELL? DEFINITELY. AND TO YOUR POINT, IN MY OWN BUSINESS, WE HAVE A RETAIL GIFT SHOP LOCATED IN THE SOUTH END, AND WE SOURCE ALL OF OUR PRODUCTS FROM SMALL BUSINESSES. AND BEING THE KIND OF SECOND FACTOR, THEY’RE SEEING TIMELINES, SHIFT, PRODUCT PACKAGING SHIFT BECAUSE IT HAD TO. SO DEFINITELY SEEI

CityLine: Investing in Black Businesses

Successful Black owned businesses expand and scale with the help of economic empowerment programs.

Updated: 12:33 PM EDT Jun 15, 2025

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Former Patriots player Ty Law is continuing his path of entrepreneurship as owner of the vodka brand, Corvus. He along with Munah Slopidoe, owner of Infuse Afro Fusion in Lowell, and Mika and Malik Winder owners of The Pearl in Brighton are two restaurants that have benefitted from the Chase Coaching for Impact Program. Nicole Obi and Jae’da Turner of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts (BECMA) outline findings from a new impact report, and explain how their loans are helping small Black business owners succeed.

Former Patriots player Ty Law is continuing his path of entrepreneurship as owner of the vodka brand, Corvus. He along with Munah Slopidoe, owner of Infuse Afro Fusion in Lowell, and Mika and Malik Winder owners of The Pearl in Brighton are two restaurants that have benefitted from the Chase Coaching for Impact Program. Nicole Obi and Jae’da Turner of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts (BECMA) outline findings from a new impact report, and explain how their loans are helping small Black business owners succeed.