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          Join us for our installment of the Pacesetters Doing Business series featuring Mass General Brigham on August 7, 2025.

          08/07/2025

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          2025 BIMA Summer Sizzler

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          08/14/2025

          6:00pm - 9:00pm

          Fenway Park

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          Skills for the Future: How to Upskill Early Talent for Success

          Join Boston’s leading educators and industry experts to explore career-aligned high school programs, in-demand workplace skills, and innovative school partnerships driving student success

          07/17/2025

          9:00am - 11:00am

          Omni Boston Hotel Seaport

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          In this highly interactive workshop with Strategic Career & Leadership Coach Carole-Ann Penney, you’ll define your professional identity and develop strategies to confidently navigate workplace dynamics.

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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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          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.

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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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Boston Chamber
  • Events
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          • New Chamber Event Series
        • ...
          Pacesetters
          Doing Business with Mass General Brigham

          Join us for our installment of the Pacesetters Doing Business series featuring Mass General Brigham on August 7, 2025.

          08/07/2025

          1:00pm - 2:00pm

          Virtual

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          BIMA
          2025 BIMA Summer Sizzler

          The BIMA Summer Sizzler is a chance to network with your digital media industry peers from the agency, publisher, and adtech community!

          08/14/2025

          6:00pm - 9:00pm

          Fenway Park

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Talent
          Skills for the Future: How to Upskill Early Talent for Success

          Join Boston’s leading educators and industry experts to explore career-aligned high school programs, in-demand workplace skills, and innovative school partnerships driving student success

          07/17/2025

          9:00am - 11:00am

          Omni Boston Hotel Seaport

          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

          In this highly interactive workshop with Strategic Career & Leadership Coach Carole-Ann Penney, you’ll define your professional identity and develop strategies to confidently navigate workplace dynamics.

          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
  • 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

          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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Omari Jahi Aarons Shares Powerful Words on Effective Equity | Black History Month

Sherline Heriveaux

As a Workplace Inclusion Consultant, how far has Boston come in equity for all, and what changes would you like to see our city implement to obtain more diversity, equity, and inclusion?

The conversations before and after George Floyd’s murder are markedly different, even though we had the Federal Reserve’s Color of Wealth report and The Globe’s Spotlight series on race and racism in Boston. The hesitancy to talk about diversity and inclusion experiences is still there but people are pushing past their fear and starting to engage. The most visible change has been in our elected leadership among a number of historic firsts. Boston has certainly made progress, but progress is still at the 10,000 foot level where people aren’t feeling change in their everyday experience. So we must keep pushing past our discomfort and open our eyes to what people are experiencing in every sector of the city and region, and focus on efforts there.

How has Black entrepreneurship and creativity contributed to Boston’s growth and cultural shift?

Black entrepreneurship has been the center of change in the city. We can look at Boston While Black as an example of intentional community building and the New Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund as an example of individuals leveraging their Corporate America roles to lead change in and outside of their company walls. On the creative scene, people like Michael Bobbitt, Catherine Morris and Harold Stewart are ushering in a new way of thinking and elevating how art nurtures the soul of the city and creates opportunity for connection. There are lots of efforts, big and small, that people and organizations can support.

We must keep pushing past our discomfort and open our eyes to what people are experiencing in every sector of the city and region, and focus on efforts there.

Black History Month celebrates the great history of African-American contributions to American society, what does an equitable future look like, where Boston’s Black community can reap those prior contributions, and have the space and power to contribute more?

Representation is first on my list where we can make progress toward an equitable Boston. We’re making strides in the number of Black elects in political office, but still need work in places like the State Senate, school boards, city councils in and around Boston, and on appointed state boards and commissions. We need more racial diversity on non-profit and corporate boards of directors to lead from having a seat at the table and guiding organizational strategy that is culturally relevant and responsible. In looking around at the C-suite and senior manager pipeline in Boston’s corporate sector, racial diversity has made progress mostly in the hiring or elevation of chief diversity officers, but not as much in P&L lines of businesses that lead to the CEO or COO role. If we start there – which is very doable in the short term, we’ll see the effects show up quickly in the economic growth of the city. It’s time for Boston to write a new around race and this is the moment to do it.

What would you say is best practice for supporting the city’s current, and next generation of Black leaders?

First, get to know the city’s current and next generation of leaders. We’re all on social media and LinkedIn – we’re not hard to find. True story: even after the nod from the Chamber as a 2020 TOYL, I didn’t have anyone reach out from the Boston-area and learn more about me, how I could help and how they could help me. I did from other cities. We know better than this. There are incredible people doing amazing things and you should know them and nurture opportunities to keep us here. The talent drain in Boston of people we push out the city from a lack of connection or not seeing a future here is incredible. Secondly, support Black spaces and organizations. Join your associated industry DEI organization – (brace for the acronyms) NBMBAA, NAAIA, NSBE, NABA, IABA, NAAAHR. We’re all here and need your support to keep growing and making Boston a more inclusive place to live, work, play and worship.

There are incredible people doing amazing things and you should know them and nurture opportunities to keep us here. The talent drain in Boston of people we push out the city from a lack of connection or not seeing a future here is incredible.

Omari Jahi Aarons is the the Managing Partner of Aarons Group LLC., a workplace inclusion consulting firm. He is a Howard Thurman Fellow, MDiv Candidate, and President of the Association of Black Seminarians at Boston University.

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