On Friday, October 16, I was in Syracuse, New York for the 8th Annual Minorities & Women’s Business Economic Empowerment Summit, hosted by Bishop Ronald B. Dewberry and the Center of Hope International at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown. I keynoted the luncheon, and I signed copies of Capitalism for All afterward.

The theme was The Growth Summit: how to access, accelerate and amplify your business, and it lands in a region where Micron’s investment is changing the economic map. Bishop Dewberry’s organization bills the MWBEES as the largest minority-owned business summit in Central New York. Syracuse Mayor Sharon F. Owens joined the morning fireside chat. Sessions covered getting funding ready, building a brand that creates growth, crisis management and business continuity, how certification opens doors to contracts and capital, and what AI can actually do for a small business. The day closed with a Supplier Diversity Meet-n-Greet Expo.

That mix is the heart of what we pursue through 1 Million Black Businesses at Operation HOPE: put capital, contracts and knowledge in the hands of the people who are already building.

Event: 8th Annual MWBEES Growth Summit, Marriott Syracuse Downtown, 100 E. Onondaga Street, Syracuse, New York, October 16, 2026. Hosted by Center of Hope International, Inc.