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          10/04/2023

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          Roundhead Brewing Company

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

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          Fierce Urgency of Now Festival
          2023 Fierce Urgency of Now Festival

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

          09/12/2023 -

          09/16/2023

          Greater Boston

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          City Awake

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          BIMA

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          For nearly 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.

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          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.

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

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Bostonchamber
Boston Chamber
  • Events
        • Events

          • Overview
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        • ...
          City Awake
          Make Your Voice Heard: Reimagining Nightlife with Corean Reynolds

          Corean Reynold was recently appointed the Director of Nightlife Economy for the City of Boston, where she brings a wealth of experience and a passion for fostering an equitable and thriving nightlife ecosystem.

          10/04/2023

          6:00pm - 7:30pm

          Roundhead Brewing Company

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Government Affairs
          2023 Government Affairs Forum: State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg

          Don’t miss our upcoming Government Affairs Forum with Massachusetts State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg. Register now!

          10/11/2023

          9:45am - 11:00am

          Bank of America

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Talent
          MA Apprentice Network Fall Quarterly Event

          Learn about new ways of utilizing the professional apprenticeship model to create diverse, sustainable, and scalable talent pipelines.

          10/12/2023

          10:00am - 11:30am

          Edenred

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

          • Overview
          • Call for Nominations
          • Resources
        • EQ to Elevate Workplace Well-being

          Designed for mid-level managers and supervisors, this new certificate program addresses workplace well-being through unique, innovative, and actionable methods.

          Read More
          Transformational DEI Certificate

          Join our Transformational DEI Certificate! Our comprehensive learning & development offerings are designed to connect and grow strong leaders who lead both inside and out of the office.

          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
  • Economic Inclusion
        • Economic Inclusion

          • Overview
          • Economic Inclusion Committee
          • Fierce Urgency of Now Festival
          • Pacesetters
          • Resources
        • ...
          Economic Inclusion
          Economic Inclusion

          Our Economic Inclusion Committee provides strategic support around research, policies, and programs that are focused on building equal opportunity.

          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
        • ...
          Fierce Urgency of Now Festival
          2023 Fierce Urgency of Now Festival

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

          09/12/2023 -

          09/16/2023

          Greater Boston

          arrow-go
          Read More
  • Policy & Impact
        • Policy & Impact

          • Overview
          • Leadership Councils
          • Amicus Advisory Board
        • GET INVOLVED IN OUR POLICY FOCUS AREAS

          Business Climate
          Read More
          Climate & Energy
          Read More
          Health Care
          Read More
          Housing & Development
          Read More
          Talent
          Read More
          Transportation
          Read More
  • Our Networks
        • GBCC’s Networks

          • Overview
        • OUR NETWORKS

          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 nearly 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
          Small Business

          We support small business through public policy initiatives, events designed to connect small businesses in Greater Boston to their peers and established business leaders, professional development offerings, and free small business advising.

          Read More
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How to share stories for social impact

August 25, 2020

A Craigslist ad and a Canon camera

Seven years ago, Tariana V. Little, DrPH, sat in a graduate school class learning about how to use storytelling as an intervention for health behavior changes. Inspired by her studies, and driven by science, storytelling, and social justice, Dr. Little co-founded EmVision Productions with life partner, Jonas Meyer.

It started as an experiment. The team decided to offer their services on Craigslist for free with hopes of securing a few paid projects by the end of a three-month trial period. Before 90 days was up, they had met their goal and hit the ground running: investing in a website, buying more equipment, incorporating their business.

Her passion for “intentional creativity for social change,” (her life mantra) drove Dr. Little to begin EmVision Productions, with a vision for using what she coined “social impact storytelling™,” a method she honed during her doctoral studies at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Seven years (and more than a few Canon cameras) later, EmVision Productions has evolved into a prominent minority-led media boutique with a national reach, working with clients such as Brown University, Fiduciary Trust, Wellesley College, Mass General Brigham, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s The Jimmy Fund, and the Town of Chelsea.

Plugging into Pacesetters

Dr. Little and the EmVision Productions team first learned about Pacesetters in the fall of 2019 when Casey Baines, the Boston Chamber’s Senior Policy and Communications Manager, spoke on a panel about initiatives in Boston for businesses of color.

After the event, Dr. Little and her team immediately saw it as another way to strengthen our business leadership, connect with larger organizational clients, and align ourselves with a respected, established brand in the Boston business community.”

Since connecting with Pacesetters, EmVision Productions has worked with Mass General Brigham and has been introduced to a few other Pacesetters participating companies.

EmVision’s five-year vision is to continue scaling and creating meaningful impact. They are hopeful that the potential connections created with the Pacesetters program will help them do exactly that.

Focusing on the future and turning obstacles into opportunities

In addition to their five-year goal of scaling up, EmVision Productions seeks to grow their philanthropic fluency in order to support clients who need media assistance in order to meet development goals. Dr. Little is a Young Philanthropy Fellow with The Philanthropy Connection, a women’s collective giving group in Massachusetts.

The EmVision team created a program, Community Portraits, where they partner with solopreneurs and small non-profits for pro-bono projects. This fall, they’re looking to formalize this process by launching a grant program, EmVisionary Grants, which will offer one-time grants (valued up to $15,000) for their video production services, with hopes to serve one or two small organizations each year.

The organization also shared about the challenges of the past few months and how they are striving to create despite the chaos coronavirus has caused. Dr. Little shares, “in the midst of a global pandemic magnifying inequities among marginalized communities, and national movements promoting social justice, we asked: 

What can we, as a media agency, do to help organizations that are committed to positive social change, have the representation necessary to understand how to best support their communities, and might need some help in getting to their next level of impact?”

Their answer? Leveraging the power of storytelling to amplify work that contributes to our world. During the difficulties of COVID-19, they teamed up with GreenRoots, Inc. to produce a fundraising video that helped raise over $1.2 million in its May 2020 debut, benefiting families in Chelsea, MA affected by the virus. When they noticed a lack of inspiring content, they created the #StayHopeful series, featuring eight Bostonians (from a 6th grade artist, to an entrepreneur, to a frontline worker) on reflections and visions for themselves and for the future considering the current situation.

As Dr. Little put it, “this year has solidified our view that success is possible by turning obstacles into opportunities.”

Their story began in 2013 with an ad on Craigslist, a Canon camera, and a passion for sharing stories. Seven years later, they’re growing every day to be better than ever. Our Pacesetter Priority Suppliers truly are setting the pace for something great.

To find out what the Boston Chamber is doing to advance economic opportunity within the city of Boston, learn more here. For more information on the Greater Boston Chamber’s Pacesetters Program, visit our specific page.

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