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  • Events
        • Events

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        • ...
          Pacesetters
          Doing Business with Columbia Construction

          This virtual event gives small business owners the chance to hear directly from procurement officers about opportunities to work with them.

          05/29/2025

          12:00pm - 1:00pm

          Virtual

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          City Awake
          Art of Connection: An Evening at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

          Join us for an exclusive networking event at the Museum of Fine Arts and enjoy self-guided tours of John Wilson and Van Gogh, showcasing the deep bond of family, friendship, and community.

          06/05/2025

          5:30pm - 8:30pm

          Museum of Fine Arts

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Series
          Transportation First | State of the Airport

          The Transportation First Series offers a platform to discuss the challenges faced by our region, with the input of experts and changemakers.

          06/12/2025

          2:45pm - 4:30pm

          Hybrid | Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce

          arrow-go
          Read More
  • Learning & Development
        • Learning & Development

          • Overview
          • Call for Nominations
          • Insights
        • Transformational DEI Certificate

          This program is in redevelopment. Click this page for DEI resources.

          Read More
          Women’s Leadership Program

          Our Women’s Leadership Program enables you to take your leadership to the next level by arming you with the most in-demand leadership toolkit.

          Read More
          Boston’s Future Leaders

          Our Boston’s Future Leaders (BFL) program provides emerging leaders with a socially conscious and civically engaged leadership toolkit, as well as the opportunity to apply their knowledge through experiential assignments.

          Read More
          Authentic Professionalism for Early Career Professionals

          Join us on June 12 for a highly interactive virtual workshop with Strategic Career & Leadership Coach Carole-Ann Penney.

          Read More
  • Economic Inclusion
        • Economic Inclusion

          • Overview
          • Pacesetters
          • Resources
        • ...
          Economic Inclusion
          City Awake

          City Awake empowers young professionals in a variety of ways that encourages these rising leaders to stay invested in the region’s future success.

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Economic Inclusion
          Pacesetters

          We are developing an ecosystem of corporations and partners with the influence and buying power to transform economic inclusion for minority business enterprises (MBEs).

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Small Business
          Small Business

          Small businesses are the backbone of the Boston economy. Learn more about the resources available through the Chamber.

          arrow-go
          Read More
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          Read More
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          Read More
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          Read More
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          Read More
          Transportation
          Read More
  • Our Networks
        • GBCC’s Networks

          • Overview
        • OUR NETWORKS

          Small Business

          Small businesses are the backbone of the Boston economy. Learn more about the resources available through the Chamber.

          Read More
          City Awake

          City Awake empowers young professionals in a variety of ways that encourages these rising leaders to stay invested in the region’s future success.

          Read More
          BIMA

          BIMA (the Boston Interactive Media Association) serves a vibrant community of like-minded professionals from agencies, brands, publishers, and ad-tech companies with business interests in the New England market.

          Read More
          Women’s Network

          For over 30 years, the Chamber’s Women’s Network has connected female professionals of all background and career levels. Today, our Women’s Network is the largest in New England, strengthening the professional networks of women each year.

          Read More
          Massachusetts Apprentice Network

          The Massachusetts Apprentice Network convenes employers, training providers, and talent sources interested in developing and implementing apprenticeship programs in occupations across industries and statewide in fields such as tech, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, and more.

          Read More
          Pacesetters

          We are developing an ecosystem of corporations and partners with the influence and buying power to transform economic inclusion for minority business enterprises (MBEs).

          Read More
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Investing in Boston’s Future Business Leaders Through City Awake

January 18, 2017

Boston is home to the largest proportion of young adults of any other U.S. city, and Greater Boston is known for having the most talented young workforce in the world. In fact, Mayor Walsh has called Boston’s young talent not only an economic engine for the Commonwealth, but also our city’s competitive advantage.

With thousands of students graduating each year from our colleges and Universities making up a huge part of our region’s workforce, at the Chamber, we see tapping into this young talent as crucial to ensuring the long term success of the city. Which is why in May, we announced an exciting new partnership between the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and City Awake, and added City Awake founder, Justin Kang as our new Director of Social Innovation. In this unique partnership, City Awake acts as the social innovation lab for the Chamber, seeking to mobilize and empower young adults as active stakeholders in the civic dialogue of Greater Boston.

We are excited to launch our first joint collaboration, a program called, City Awake Delegates. During this nine-month period, 600 delegates – diverse in gender, ethnicity and industry, and ranging in ages from 21 to 39 years old – will participate in a series of programs that will build community, discuss policy issues facing the Greater Boston community, formalize and prioritize potential solutions.

We knew there was a lot of talent in Greater Boston, but the response to our call for nominations was staggering. Within 10 days of the call, we received more than 1,600 nominations, a clear demonstration of the incredible and powerful network of young professionals in Boston. Delegates were nominated by a diverse coalition of 300 businesses, nonprofits, and elected officials.

City Awake Delegates will also include a Leadership Council which includes fifty of Boston’s most influential leaders.

We are kicking off the Delegates program on September 26, in conjunction with HUBweek, with a day-long summit at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute called, “Our Convention.” At Our Convention, delegates will hear a keynote address from City Council President Michelle Wu, and begin a dialogue about the future of Boston.

After Our Convention, delegates will remain engaged throughout the year, participating in a series of breakout retreats where smaller groups will dive into specific issues such as cultural vibrancy, healthcare, affordable housing, and public safety, among others. The program will culminate in a report that captures the process, discussions and findings of these retreats.

One of the best parts of this program? It’s free and flexible for delegates, thanks to our incredible partners including presenting sponsors the Barr Foundation and John Hancock. We’re also thankful to Bank of America, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for supporting this investment in the next generation of Boston leaders.

For more about City Awake and upcoming programs visit http://www.cityawake.org/

James E. Rooney is the President & CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.

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