Forest City (now Brookfield Properties) Hosts Strictly Biz for Third Straight Year
Collaboration with Denver Black Pages and Black Business Initiative Held at The Cube
By: Tracy Williams, President TradeWinds Communications
For the third year, Forest City (now Brookfield Properties) was proud to host the Denver Black Page’s (DBP) Strictly Biz networking event, re-branded this year as part of the #blackbusinessmatters series.
DBP and the Black Business Initiative (BBI) worked to bring together business leaders, entrepreneurs, and other community partners for an evening of business-building opportunities, vendor presentations, networking, refreshments and entertainment.
Held January 17th at The Cube, Central Park’s newest event venue in Conservatory Green, more than 50 budding and established entrepreneurs arrived for a lively panel discussion about African American businesses and the importance of exemplary customer service.
DBP’s founder Carla Ladd and Forest City’s (now Brookfield Properties) Director of Marketing, Tasha Jones, welcomed guests, as well as Jice Johnson, Managing Partner of the BBI and B2B Thrive.
“We are so excited to sponsor this important event again,” said Jones. “It is such a pleasure to help foster a gathering that brings people together in the name of economic and community empowerment and prosperity. We welcome you and offer our support of you and your enterprises.”
Jones also invited guests to learn more about Central Park’s Business Now offerings and amenities, as well Central Park as a diverse and welcoming community for residents from all walks of life. She also had the pleasure of awarding the evening’s drawing prize (a Business Now cell phone battery pack) to attendee DeVante Mathis of Right Now Real Estate.
Jeannie Davis, award-winning author and president of Now Hear This, Inc., moderated the panel discussion, which featured Dexter Nash, CEO and Principal of Human Resource Alliance, Inc., April Denmon, real estate expert and owner of Denmon Realty, and Samantha Halliburton, Esq., attorney and member of Denver’s Halliburton Law Firm.
Each shared their professional experiences and perspectives, and spoke about the importance of being 100% there for customers and clients, as well as the value of a solid work-life balance. Guests were also provided an opportunity to ask questions and debate the pros and cons of business-to-business discounts and pro-bono work, as well as what it takes to correct mistakes and maintain a loyal client base.
“I’m, once again, appreciative of Forest City’s (now Brookfield Properties) support of the Denver Black Pages and the Black Business Initiative,” said Ladd. “Tonight was such a success and our partnership with them has been rewarding for us, and for this community. I’m encouraged by their appreciation of what we’re trying to build in this community and their commitment to Black businesses in general.”
