Join us to hear Mayor Michelle Wu’s inaugural speech to the Greater Boston business community.
09/29/2022
9:45am - 11:00am
Sheraton Boston Hotel
Join us for our fourth Future of Work event of the year for a discussion with regional leaders assessing where we are now with the current workforce and where the Commonwealth is heading.
10/06/2022
9:00am - 10:00am
Well-B Innovation Center
The educator will lead you through an approachable tasting experience using The Urban Grape’s Progressive Scale.
10/25/2022
5:30pm - 7:30pm
Urban Grape
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.
We are now recruiting for our 2022 fall DEI cohort! We hope you’ll join us in our mission to increase DEI fluency and change in the Boston business community – starting with you.
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.
The Fall Seminar for Women in the Workplace created to ensure accessibility and affordability for small businesses
Our Economic Inclusion Committee provides strategic support around research, policies, and programs that are focused on building equal opportunity.
We are developing an ecosystem of corporations and partners with the influence and buying power to transform economic inclusion for minority business enterprises (MBEs).
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.
09/14/2022 -
09/17/2022
Greater Boston
City Awake empowers young professionals in a variety of ways that encourages these rising leaders to stay invested in the region’s future success.
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.
For more than 25 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.
Through MITX (the Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange), we’re building valuable connections between the people and ideas behind technology and its impact on the future of customer experiences, all to create a community that’s finding tomorrow’s solutions together.
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.
Explore our mission and values to better understand how we are leading the business community forward.
Our member directory is your resource to discover, connect, and engage with Boston’s businesses from every industry and sector.
PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Casey Baines cbaines@bostonchamber.com
September 13, 2022
BOSTON, MA- The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce (GBCC) and City Awake are pleased to announce the fifth annual Fierce Urgency of Now Festival, a four day festival that convenes diverse young professionals together with their peers, business leaders, and organizations to build connections, advance careers, and ignite positive change. This year, the festival will feature more than 30 virtual and in-person events from September 14 through September 17.
In 2018, the GBCC and City Awake launched the first Fierce Urgency of Now festival to highlight the voices of the next generation and to inspire action, answering the call to action posed by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s at the March on Washington: “We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism.”
The most recent national and global reckoning on systemic racism continues, and the Greater Boston region and the business community have a responsibility in transforming inequities into opportunity and abundance. The festival’s opening event on September 14 features 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. Fleming, an at-risk youth turned award winning leader, will share his journey that continues to inspire millions around the world. This free event will convene 200 young professionals and their friends, colleagues, and allies at TD Garden’s 1928 Club for transformative networking and an inspiring keynote.
James E. Rooney, the President and CEO of the GBCC, describes the sustained impact of The Fierce Urgency of Now festival, “Since the festival’s launch, more than 10,000 people have attended the festival’s keynotes, events, and workshops. The convening power of this festival – and the empowering results of the transformative connections – makes Greater Boston’s future brighter. Ensuring that the next generation of diverse leaders find their community and career is critical to our region’s success.”
“Gillette is proud to be a partner again to help uplift City Awake’s mission to inspire the next generation in Boston. The Fierce Urgency of Now Festival is dynamic and energizing not only for the young professionals, but for everyone in the city looking to advance equity and amplify the voices of people of color,” said Gary Coombe, CEO, P&G Gillette.
“The Fierce Urgency of Now festival convenes and connects communities throughout Greater Boston, and the Barr Foundation is looking forward to supporting the festival again this year. We are proud to be champions of equity and partner with City Awake to advance the region so that every voice is uplifted and included,” said Kimberly Haskins, Barr’s Senior Program Officer for Sector Effectiveness.
“John Hancock’s partnership with City Awake and the Fierce Urgency of Now festival helps forge meaningful connections and advance equity for the region, furthering our commitment to driving inclusive economic opportunities to create a more even playing field for all. As we enter the fifth year of the festival, it is exciting to reflect on its continued impact not only for diverse young professionals, but also the future of Greater Boston,” said Annie Duong, US Lead, Community Investment, John Hancock.
The hybrid in-person and virtual 2022 Fierce Urgency of Now festival is supported by many, including Presenting Sponsors the Barr Foundation, John Hancock, and P&G Gillette; Platinum Sponsor T.D. Bank; and Gold Sponsor National Grid.
The festival’s 2022 event hosts represent a variety of industries and sectors, corporations, non-profits, and government entities:
About City Awake City Awake empowers the next generation of Greater Boston leaders through programming that builds community and engages young professionals to collectively address the most pressing issues facing our region. Through this work, we deepen their connections to the broader business and civic communities and recognize their important contributions to our thriving economy. Learn more at CityAwake.org.
About the Greater Boston Chamber We are the convener, voice and advocate of our region’s business community, committed to making Greater Boston the best place for all businesses and all people to thrive. We help our members and Greater Boston succeed by convening and connecting the business community; researching, developing and advocating for public policies that contribute to our region’s economic success; and providing comprehensive leadership development programs designed to grow strong business and civic leaders. Learn more at BostonChamber.com.
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