The African American Business Leaders Council

09/08/2026

Congratulations to our Board member, Tiffany Polek! We are so proud of you 🥰🤩

We are thrilled to announce our Honoree for our 2026 Great Futures Celebration is Tiffany Polek! As a former Boys & Girls Club of Allentown Club kid, Tiffany brings the life lessons learned here at the Club into her work and community every day.

Tiffany Polek is a proud lifelong resident of Allentown. She currently serves as the Executive Director of Instructional Leadership for the Allentown School District, leading the Inspire Learning Network and drawing on over 24 years of experience in education.

Join us on November 12th at the Aster Event Center as we honor Tiffany, and celebrate all of our Club kids accomplishments from this past year! Sponsorships and tickets are available here: https://givebutter.com/gfcel26

09/02/2026

We’re excited to highlight Ngozi Bell as the moderator for Angel Investing 101: Insights from the Investors' Table 💸

With a foundation in physics and engineering, Ngozi Bell is an accomplished leader with extensive experience across technology, private capital, public policy, and board governance. She is a steadfast advocate for leadership development, financial inclusion, and cross-sector collaboration within emerging markets. Leveraging her broad industry insight, Ngozi serves as an expert moderator, utilizing a systems-level approach to guide critical dialogues on the future of key sectors, including healthcare, AI, and platform technologies.

Join Ngozi for an insightful morning on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, from 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM at the Fowler Family Southside Center. Tickets are $25 per person. Register here! https://bit.ly/4qiJ2Oh
- Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Dj5UYVtj4/
- LinkedIn event page: https://www.linkedin.com/events/7494897907582590976?viewAsMember=true

08/31/2026

According to Center for American Progress, Black Americans make up 14.4% of the U.S. population, but Black-owned firms are just 3.3% of employer businesses.

Closing that gap starts with where we spend our dollars. Though today marks the end of Black Business Month, you can help our community thrive all year! Support Black-owned. Tell a friend. Leave a review. Show up 🖤

Visit https://www.lehighvalleychamber.org/black-owned-businesses.html to support and/or to add your business to the list!

08/28/2026

One of our favorite evenings of the year is coming! We're gearing up to celebrate this year's African American Business Leaders Award recipients at our Annual Awards Gala where we are honoring individuals and companies who've made a lasting impact in business and in our community 💎

Take a look at some of the incredible past honorees who have been recognized for their leadership in and impact on our community!

Know someone who deserves recognition at this year’s gala? Nominate them by Monday, August 31, 2026: https://forms.gle/9ShkjFt5AiGCoW8B7

08/26/2026

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 Annual Business Survey, if Black-owned businesses were a country, they generate enough revenue to rank as a top 55 global economy. 🌍 Ahead of 160+ countries.

Imagine what's possible when we keep investing in each other. Shop Black-owned, invest Black-owned, and support Black-owned. ✨ Visit https://www.lehighvalleychamber.org/black-owned-businesses.html to support our community!

08/20/2026

🎉 We are proud to congratulate African American Business Leaders Council Board Members Andrea Grannum-Mosley and Jacinth Headlam for being recognized as Lehigh Valley Business LVB 300 honorees!

Please join us in also congratulating Melanie Kohler and Andrew Lawler, LVB 300 honorees who serve on our sister councils.
• Dr. Andrea Grannum-Mosley – AABLC and VMC Board Member, MosAL Consulting LLC
• Jacinth Headlam - AABLC Board Member, InnaStar
• Melanie Kohler – 26-27 LV Women’s Summit Co-Chair, Meals on Wheels Greater Lehigh Valley
• Andrew Lawler - VMC Advisory Member, Barry Isett & Associates, Inc.

Learn more about the honorees here: https://lvb.com/lvb300/all-profiles/

08/17/2026

This year, we’re celebrating the 10th anniversary of our African American Business Leaders Council Annual Awards Gala 🎉

We look forward to honoring more incredible members of our community. The African American Business Leaders Awards recognize individuals and companies who have made significant contributions to the community and distinguished themselves in the business community.

💎 Nominations are open for the 2026 awards! Know someone who deserves recognition? Nominate them by Monday, August 31, 2026: https://forms.gle/9ShkjFt5AiGCoW8B7

08/17/2026

This past Thursday, our African American Business Leaders Council Board met for their annual planning session to discuss the 26-27 year! We can't wait to share all that we have in store. From initiatives to our upcoming Annual Awards Gala, stay connected with us for more info 💙

📸: Courtesy of McKinney Media

08/16/2026

Kickoff your morning with us and learn more about angel investing! 💸 Join the African American Business Leaders Council for Angel Investing 101: Insights from the Investors' Table on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, from 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM at the Fowler Family Southside Center (511 E. Third St., Bethlehem, PA 18015).

Hear from experienced angel investors for a candid conversation on what they really look for and what "investment-ready" looks like. They’ll also share insight into what it takes to be an angel investor.

Tickets are $25 per person. Register here! https://bit.ly/4qiJ2Oh
- Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Dj5UYVtj4/
- LinkedIn event page: https://www.linkedin.com/events/7494897907582590976?viewAsMember=true

08/10/2026

Did you know? According to the Center for American Progress, the U.S. gained about 132,000 new employer businesses between 2017 and 2022. Over 70,000 of those businesses were Black-owned.

This month (and all year), shop Black-owned, invest Black-owned, and support Black-owned. ✨ Visit https://www.lehighvalleychamber.org/black-owned-businesses.html to support our community!