2022 Fierce Urgency of Now Festival

Event Details

Wednesday, Sept 14 – Saturday, Sept 17

The Fierce Urgency of Now Festival brought Boston’s diverse young professionals together with business leaders, organizations and their peers to build connection, advance careers, and ignite positive change.

With dozens of events held throughout the city, the festival offered opportunities to engage in peer networking and intimate discussion, expert-led professional development, and inspiring talks from today’s thought leaders.

Tickets

Explore all of the events below & register individually through Eventbrite.
For 2022, the festival will offer a mix of virtual and in-person experiences that adhere to local safety protocols.

Connect today.
Transform tomorrow.

Be Heard

Share your story, offer your unique POV on relevant topics, and engage with a wide range of people and perspectives.

Be Seen

Build connections with businesses and organizations to help grow your career.

Be Inspired

Hear from a diverse lineup of thought leaders, experts and voices from our business, civic and local communities.

Be Together

Connect with others while celebrating community and culture.

DAY 1: September 14, 2022

9:30AM – 11:00AM | Fierce Urgency of Now: Opening Ceremony featuring Brandon P. Fleming (In Person)

LOCATION: TD Garden; 100 Legends Way, Boston, 02114
HOSTED BY: The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce

The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and TD Bank co-hosted the opening ceremony to kick off the four-day Fierce Urgency of Now Festival. This was an In Person event.

Thank you for joining us as we celebrated our 5th annual Fierce Urgency of Now Festival Opening Ceremony, that featured Brandon P. Fleming, a nationally-acclaimed educator, award-winning author of MISEDUCATED, former debate coach at Harvard University, and Founder & CEO of The Veritas School. Fierce Urgency of Now Festival’s mission is about connection and how connections open doors to lasting change. This mission resonates with Mr. Fleming’s work on changing the narrative through transformative programs that amplify access and equity to minoritized individuals. An at-risk youth and college dropout turned award-winning educator, Fleming’s story of struggle, success, and service has inspired millions around the world.

11:00AM – 1:00PM | Do You See Me? A Metaverse Experience Where We Challenge Your Perception vs. Reality (In-Person)

LOCATION: Procter & Gamble; 1 Gillette Park, Boston, 02127
HOSTED BY: Procter & Gamble

For centuries people of color have had to endure the negative misperceptions unfairly placed on them by a world that oftentimes chooses to see then as different and unequal. As a result, many have developed positive compensation behaviors which have been passed on for generations, with the sole purpose to survive. Over time, this immense feeling of inadequacy and invisibility takes a massive mental and emotional toll on communities of color. Thank you for joining P&G Gillette for this interactive experience where explored racial bias, discrimination, and the misrepresentation of people of color in American society. Following the virtual reality experiences, participants came together for an engaging panel discussion where we questioned how one sees themselves, others, and sometimes the dichotomy that is created between the two. Registered participants enjoyed free lunch, visitor parking, and product giveaways!

11:30AM-1:15PM | Mission to Motion (In-Person)

LOCATION: MassChallenge; 10 Fan Pier Boulevard, Floor 3, Boston, 02210
HOSTED BY: The Castle Group

Leveraging your business’ mission to move Boston forward.

Thank you for joining this networking lunch. Hope you had a chance to hear from inspiring local leaders who help us put our missions in motion in order to advance our city. This networking lunch allowed attendees to network, meet local leaders, and learn how to leverage your business’ mission to move Boston forward.

1:00PM – 2:30PM | Social Strategies for Networking (In-Person)

LOCATION: Columbia Threadneedle Investments; 290 Congress Street, Boston, 02210
HOSTED BY: Columbia Threadneedle Investments

Thank you for joining this event where the participants had a chance to gain confidence in their networking and business etiquette skills. During the session, participants were also able to enhance these skills, develop their brand and network in-person and virtually, making new connections with Columbia Threadneedle employees and each other.

2:30PM – 4:00PM | Entrepreneurship: Mentors & Mentees and Forging Authentic Connections (In-Person)

LOCATION: Echelon Seaport; 135 Seaport Boulevard, Boston, 02210
HOSTED BY: The Capital Network

The mentor – mentee relationship is one that can be very beneficial and transformative. BUT many entrepreneurship programs don’t address the quality of mentors or how to think about creating meaningful relationships. Women and founders of color often are matched with mentors not from their backgrounds of points of reference. If you are a mentor and want to support New Majority founders, how do you create authentic relationships, address bias and DEI? From a mentee perspective how do you understand (and address) some of these micro- aggressions and build trust with mentors and advisors?

4:00PM – 6:00PM | Intersection of Cannabis and Equity (Virtual)

LOCATION: Online
HOSTED BY: Cannabis Control Commission

Thank you for joining this event. hope you had a chance to learn about the state’s cannabis equity program and connect with representatives who shared helpful resources for entering the legal, adult-use cannabis marketplace, highlighting the nation’s first statewide Social Equity Program.

5:30PM – 9:00PM | Cocktails & Coastlines: Planning a Downtown Waterfront for All (In-Person)

LOCATION: Central Wharf, Boston, 02110
HOSTED BY: New England Aquarium

Through Cocktails & Coastlines: A Downtown Waterfront Visioning Session, hope you had a chance to engage Boston’s young professionals with a strong emphasis on working with young professionals of color from diverse neighborhoods such as Chinatown, Mattapan, Roxbury and Hyde Park–traditionally excluded neighborhoods in accessing the downtown waterfront.

6:00PM – 7:00PM | Your Financial Journey: How to Leverage Credit (Virtual)

LOCATION: Online
HOSTED BY: Chase Bank

Thank you for joining this event. This workshop session mainly focused on you and your money, your money habits and how to leverage credit to reach your goals.

7:00PM – 8:30PM | Untold Stories from Behind the Line (Hybrid)

LOCATION: Roxbury Innovation Center; 2300 Washington Street, Floor 2, Boston, 02119
HOSTED BY: Afrimerican Culture Initiative Inc.

As a result of redlining in Boston, research shows a 33-year life expectancy gap between the neighborhoods of Roxbury and Back Bay. Hope you had a chance to witness the cultural artifacts in our community that perpetuate the legacy of redlining in Boston.

DAY 2: September 15, 2022

9:00AM – 10:00AM | Intro to Venture Capital: Investing In and Building Startups (In-Person)

LOCATION: Glasswing Ventures; 275 Newbury Street, Floor 4, Boston, 02116
HOSTED BY: Glasswing Ventures

Hope this event provided a introduction to the venture capital industry and hope you had a chance to learn about its role in financing startups and early-stage and emerging companies with high growth potential. We explored different entry points and career paths and provide the inside scoop on how to get started in this exciting field.

In an industry that relies heavily on networking and connections, Glasswing team members shared successful strategies to break through barriers to access and secure a seat at the table.

11:00AM – 12:00PM | People, Place, & Power: A Tour of Chinatown’s Legacy of Resistance & Joy (In-Person)

LOCATION: Asian Community Development Corporation; 38 Oak Street, Boston, 02111
HOSTED BY: Asian Community Development Corporation

An interactive outdoor tour of Chinatown’s historical landmarks, notable community organizations, and ACDC’s public art installations.

Thank you for joining this event.

We hope that you had a chance to get involved and discover the Chinatown beyond the restaurants, bakeries, and bubble tea shops through this interactive tour. Hope this event helped you learn about the various community initiatives and the current fight against gentrification, displacement, and resistance. The Tour included ACDC’s public art installations, and guidance on how attendees can leverage their skills and resources to support efforts to mobilize residents to use art, culture, and play to advocate for affordable housing and expansion of and more accessible public spaces.
This is a free event!

1:00PM – 2:30PM | Creating Your Personal Brand: From Core Values to Cover Letter (In-Person)

LOCATION: Emerson College; 80 Boylston Street, SPC Black Box (Lower Level), Boston, 02116
HOSTED BY: Emerson College – Strategic Marketing Communication (SMC) Graduate Program

In this interactive workshop, Creating Your Personal Brand: From Core Values to Cover Letter, attendees were introduced to the ingredients of memorable and successful brands. Leveraging tools for branding, participants explored and created the foundation of their own personal brand, including identifying their core values, skills, and personal aesthetics. In the second half of the workshop, participants learned how their personal brand translates into writing a “Kick Ass Cover Letter.” Rounding things out we wrapped up with a discussion of career tips for the current market.

This provided young professionals with an experience that empowers them to uniquely position themselves in their industry and discover the power of communicating their personal brand.

2:30PM – 4:00PM | Creating the Next Generation of Nonprofit Leaders (In-Person)

LOCATION: Breaktime; 170 Portland Street, Boston, 02114
HOSTED BY: Breaktime

This event was aimed at inspiring young people to believe they can create change, to give insight into what it was like to start a nonprofit and motivate young people to get involved with nonprofits and their communities. Connor Schoen shared his journey of creating a rapidly growing nonprofit as an undergraduate student.

4:00PM – 7:00PM | Building Community Wealth and Ownership Through the Solidarity Economy (In-Person)

LOCATION:Roxbury Innovation Center; 2300 Washington Street, Floor 2, Boston, 02119
HOSTED BY: Boston Impact Initiative

Thank you for joining this event that explored the tools of the solidarity economy — i.e. cooperatives and community ownership and control of land — for wealth generation for communities of color.

5:30PM – 7:00PM | The SWITCH Up: Transforming Obstacles into Opportunity (In-Person)

LOCATION: Deloitte; 200 Berkeley Street, Floor 10, Boston, 02116
HOSTED BY: Big Sister Boston

Significant time has been given to the challenges of the last two years. This event was dedicated to women of color who are turning the tables and switching it UP!

From college students to career professionals to entrepreneurs to working moms to the once unemployed, women of color are thriving. Hope you had a chance to Network, hear stories and share yours. Hope you left the event with energy, strategy, and support to take your life and career to the next level.

This event was hosted by the Diversity Board of Big Sister Boston as part of their long-running discussion series – Conversations Among Women. The purpose of the discussion series was to discuss issues that are important to both women and girls of color.

5:30PM – 6:30PM | Backyard Bash on Boston Common (In-Person)

LOCATION: Parkman Bandstand; 139 Tremont Street, Boston, 02108
HOSTED BY: Friends of the Public Garden and Boston Parks & Recreation Department

The Common is often referred to as “Boston’s Backyard” and we have seized that theme. For this event, we had music with a DJ and games like Giant Jenga, Corn Hole, Bocce, croquet, and other fun outdoor group games with a facilitator to help everyone engage. We also brought in a food truck and offered the opportunity to move on to enjoy adult beverages in the neighborhood with the new friends attendees will meet with. We had also included an information table providing resources to visit all three parks in the future, whether an individual wants to explore a botanical garden, participate in Parks Department events, follow the Black Heritage Trail up to the Shaw 54th Memorial, include the Boston Women’s Memorial on a scenic jog, or simply enjoy this special urban green space. The groundbreaking for King Boston’s The Embrace made this the perfect time to bring more people to the Common and the rest of the #threeparks downtown.

DAY 3: September 16, 2022

9:00AM – 10:00AM | The Power of Now: Combating Health Inequity (In-Person)

LOCATION: The Record Co.; 960 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, 02118
HOSTED BY: Boston Medical Center (BMC)

Thank you for joining this event.
Boston Medical Center’s Health Equity Accelerator launched in mid-November 2021 to be an engine for change towards health justice. We are interrogating health inequities with an aim to course correct quickly. We convened this panel to address the urgency of:

-Combating race-based health disparities in Boston
-Harnessing the power of community and partnership
-Breaking down inequities in mental and maternal health

Young professionals of Boston were invited to embrace the urgency of now in addressing health inequity.

10:15AM – 11:15AM | Coalition for a Resilient and Inclusive Waterfront Summit & Day of Service (In-Person)

LOCATION: Roxbury Community College; 1234 Columbus Avenue, Building 3, Student Common Space, Boston, 02120
HOSTED BY: Coalition for a Resilient & Inclusive Waterfront

The Coalition for a Resilient and Inclusive Waterfront hosted its first ever Waterfront Summit, on Friday, September 16, bringing together elected officials, advocates, community leaders, students, young professionals and other stakeholders to explore and engage around a collective vision for the future of our waterfront.

The event featured a keynote address to be announced later this month, and focused on the central theme of public health and community wellness in connection with our public spaces and the waterfront.

Following the Summit, a Day of Service will be on Saturday, September 17, bringing communities and organizations together to clean up public parks and gardens along Boston’s harbors and rivers.

11:30AM – 12:30PM | Racial Wealth Gap Series | Housing and Wealth-building (Virtual)

LOCATION: Online
HOSTED BY: Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce

Thank you for joining this virtual event!

In partnership with The Boston Foundation, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, The Barr Foundation, and the Eastern Bank Foundation, the Chamber is a founding funder and partner in relaunching critical research to discover economic, policy, and community solutions that will successfully address the barriers that hinder the creation of generational wealth for communities of color.

This event included highlighting stable, long-term strategies for building home equity in Massachusetts. The informative discussion explored current high-impact work and investments and how the business community can lead the charge in urgently closing the racial wealth gap.

1:00PM – 2:30PM | Emerging Young Entrepreneurs in Boston (In-Person)

LOCATION: Echelon Seaport Innovation Center (B Street Entrance); 135 Seaport Boulevard, Boston, 02210
HOSTED BY: Innovation Studio

Thank you for joining this panel to celebrate and learn from emerging young entrepreneurs in Boston who break barriers, support their communities, and make their dreams come true.

3:15PM – 5:00PM | A Tour of the State House (In-Person)

LOCATION: Massachusetts State House; 24 Beacon Street, Boston, 02133
HOSTED BY: SPARK Boston

SPARK Boston, Mayor Wu’s volunteer civic engagement council for 20- to 35-year-old Bostonians, were pleased to bring F.U.N. Festival attendees to the Massachusetts State House via guided tour. Structured around the Secretary of State’s guided tour program, attendees met at 3:30 PM inside the State House for a 45-minute tour with special guest visits from legislators and cocktail hour directly following at one of Beacon Hill’s many local pubs. We hope everyone had a chance to meet other young professionals and learn more about the history of Massachusetts’ state government!

5:30PM – 6:30PM | Cocktails & Conversation with Boston’s Young Nonprofit Professionals (In-Person)

LOCATION: WPI Seaport; 303 Congress Street, Floor 5, Boston 02210
HOSTED BY: Young Nonprofit Professionals Network

Our communities are facing serious social and economic challenges. As the nonprofit sector races to keep pace, young professionals are often left behind without the resources and training to reach their full potential for impact. If young talent is left uncultivated, the Boston nonprofit sector as a whole suffers. YNPN Boston was created to fill this gap by providing professional development training, resources, and networking opportunities for diverse, young nonprofit professionals to learn, grow, and connect.

This event connected young professionals of color to information about nonprofit management shared by our panelists and also connected with them personally during the networking session.

6:00PM – 7:30PM | The Time is Now – Grad School Can’t Wait (In-Person)

LOCATION: Leadership Brainery; 266A Beacon Street, Boston, 02116
HOSTED BY: Leadership Brainery

At this event, participants connected with representatives from an array of graduate schools affiliated with Leadership Brainery in the Greater Boston area and other young professionals from various industries. In this way, we hope we could inspire those who are not considering a master’s or doctoral degree, to actively seek out these opportunities and learn how to leverage Leadership Brainery’s support programs to assist with the application and matriculation processes.

DAY 4: September 17, 2022

9:00AM – 11:00AM | 2022 Northeast Fall Regional Student Symposium (Virtual)

LOCATION:715 Albany Street, Boston MA 02118
HOSTED BY: ALPFA

On September 17th, the ALPFA Boston Chapter, along with ALPFA New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pittsburg, DC & Baltimore, proudly hosted the first in-person regional student symposium in 3 years. The symposiums brought together Latinx students in all career majors for a day of insight, guidance, leadership skills and professional development opportunities, which provided an edge in today’s competitive job market.

The objective of this year’s symposiums is to have students take a proactive approach to defining and plotting their career paths, while developing flexible skillsets adaptable to various industries. Through a series of interactive sessions, participants will learn how to discover their potential, find their niche, market themselves, and secure an internship or job offer.

10:00AM – 11:00AM | Fit Fete (In-Person)

LOCATION: CCCA; 41 Second Street, Cambridge, 02141
HOSTED BY: Soca Fusion

Creating and holding joyous spaces for people of color in the Greater Boston Area – rooted in Soca, Caribbean, and Carnival Culture.

Soca Fusion presents FIT FETE! A class meant to leave you glowing in sweat! We started with a warm-up, testing your endurance while engaging and strengthening your muscles. Then jumped into a joyful dance workout while enjoying the sounds and vibes of Soca music. We hope we were able to support to push past your limits while encouraged to keep up with the pace and energy of the class.

Through Fit Fete, hope you were able to get exercise for both your physical and mental health while enjoying yourself, the music, and being in space with other BIPOC professionals. Fit Fete connected young BIPOC with each other, embrace their inner selves, and understand what it means to pause intentionally for joy for their overall well-being.

Thank you for joining us as we created and held joyous space for BIPOC of the Boston and Greater Boston Area – rooted in Soca, Caribbean, and Carnival Culture.

2:00PM – 8:00PM | One Day Only Fest: Presented by KickBack (In-Person)

LOCATION: Dewey Square; 600 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, 02110
HOSTED BY: KickBack Boston

In collaboration with City Awake – the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce’s premier young professional platform for next-generation leaders – we hosted our One Day Only Fest as their closing event for their Fierce Urgency of Now Festival.

One Day Only Fest was a one day music activated experience that served as a platform to amplify local and emerging artists. This outdoor all-aged event brought in live DJ sets and boldly claimed space to amplify our voices and intensify our visibility in a city that may not always feel welcoming. One Day Only Fest was created with the mission to establish a safe and radically inclusive space for BIPOC to gather publicly. In partnership with City Awake’s F.U.N. Festival we were able to secure Dewey Square Park, a space that lacked patronage from us.

This was a FREE event open to all.

2:30PM – 6:30PM | Soulful Bliss: Arts and Music Festival (In-Person)

LOCATION: Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park Ferry Center – Long Wharf North, Boston, 02110
HOSTED BY: Boston Harbor Now AfroDesiaCity

Thank you for joining us on a cruise for young professionals of color and hope you had a chance to experience enjoy, and appreciate their Harbor and Spectacle Island through programming that touches on the threats of climate change, the arts, inclusive fitness, games, food & drink, and live music. Tickets included: A round trip ferry ride to Spectacle Island Live music and arts Food & drink for purchase from Brato Brewhouse + Kitchen and Night Shift Brewing Breathtaking sunset views of the Boston skyline S’mores on the beach Cardio Dance fitness class with TRILLFIT After-hours access to the Island!

Events

Public Policy

2025 Government Affairs Forum | Ronald J. Mariano, Massachusetts Speaker of the House

Series

Transportation First | State of Mobility in Boston

City Awake

Words of Wisdom | Vivien Li

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Creating an Inclusive Workforce: LGBTQIA+ Identities

Transformational DEI Certificate

Women’s Leadership Program

Boston’s Future Leaders

Economic Inclusion

Economic Inclusion

City Awake

Economic Inclusion

Pacesetters

City Awake

Words of Wisdom | Vivien Li

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Business Climate

Climate & Energy

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Transportation

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BIMA

Women’s Network

Massachusetts Apprentice Network

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About Us

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For our members

Events

Public Policy

2025 Government Affairs Forum | Ronald J. Mariano, Massachusetts Speaker of the House

Series

Transportation First | State of Mobility in Boston

City Awake

Words of Wisdom | Vivien Li

Learning & Development

Creating an Inclusive Workforce: LGBTQIA+ Identities

Transformational DEI Certificate

Women’s Leadership Program

Boston’s Future Leaders

Economic Inclusion

Economic Inclusion

City Awake

Economic Inclusion

Pacesetters

City Awake

Words of Wisdom | Vivien Li

Policy & Impact

GET INVOLVED IN OUR POLICY FOCUS AREAS

Business Climate

Climate & Energy

Health Care

Housing & Development

Talent

Transportation

GBCC’s Networks

OUR NETWORKS

Small Business

City Awake

BIMA

Women’s Network

Massachusetts Apprentice Network

Pacesetters

Membership

About Us

Our Impact

Membership Directory

Connect today.
Transform tomorrow.