A Blueprint for MWBE Success Workshop in Albany

By Jeffery Kazembe Batts
IG: @kazbatts
Elected officials, community leaders, business owners, social agency directors, activists, and more gathered upstate, in Albany, from Valentine’s Day on February 14th through Presidents’ Day on February 17th to participate in the “54th Annual NYS Black & Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislators Caucus 2025.” During the three-day gathering, 75 workshops were scheduled with topics on health, gun violence, food policy, housing, marijuana & opioids, environment, museums, education, racial profiling, criminal justice, and yes business!

One of the well-attended business workshops was held in the LOB Building Hearing Room C entitled “A Blueprint for MWBE Success: Future-Proofing Strategies for Growth & Resilience.” Presenters sat in a semi-circle in the front of the theater-like room to share their expertise. CEO of R. F. Wilkins Consultants, Inc. and AYO Labs Francilia Wilkins Rahim, and Founder and CEO of Coaxum Connects and Host of the Coaxum Report Dr. Teri Coaxum sat on the left and co-facilitated the workshop. In the middle of the ten presenters sat Chief Business Diversity Officer of MWBEs Michael J. Garner. Other participants included Executive Vice President NYS Division of Minority & Women’s Business Development Jason M. Clark and NYC Small Business Services Commissioner Dynishal Gross.

At the start of the workshop, the audience of about 100 people was asked to raise their hands if they owned businesses and were MWBE certified. Most people did not raise their hands. Mr. Gardner shared that the Eric Adams administration has a record amount of investment and business with MWBE, especially through the Metropolitan Transit Authority and the New York School Construction Authority. The mayor issued an Executive Order to facilitate the increase in MBWE-owned businesses contracted with the city.

A Centralized Mentoring Program and an effort to make payment within 10 days are two ongoing aspects of the administration’s engagement to help foster more business opportunities. Seven billion dollars of MTA construction focused on making the subway and other public transportation facilities more accessible for the elderly and handicapped people is planned, and construction companies should strive to get a piece of the action. Beyond construction companies, other professional services businesses like IT, engineering, and architecture are needed.

Jason Clark explained the historic role of Carver Bank in making loans and how Webster Bank joined that role. He also discussed the aggressive attack on DEI by the new Trump administration and how DEI differs from MWBE which legally needs to be narrowly tailored and have a compelling interest to be implemented. Dynishal Gross proclaimed “There no longer is a moral imperative, we have to make the business case” to the attentive audience. She urged participants to take care of Insurance, bonding, and accounting.

To have their paperwork in order. Other panelists suggested that Black businesses must be prepared to “open the books” so that collaboration and partnerships between entities can lead to growth and scale.

Taking turns CEOs, Francilia Rahim and Dr. Terri Coaxum efficiently engaged the eight other panelists. They then patiently allowed numerous questions from the audience after they lined up to express themselves. Some asked for specific help for their business or business idea while others spoke about the historical and contemporary undermining of Black business in NYC and the United States. After the last audience question was answered most people did not rush out to the next workshop but stayed, networking with new friends and engaging the panelists who came off the stage to mingle.