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With an eye toward improving economic equity for Black-owned businesses across the state, NAMC-OR and the Portland Business Alliance have played an instrumental role in launching the Black Business Association of Oregon (BBAO) and hiring its executive director, Lance Randall.

BBAO is rooted in a powerful response to the police killing of George Floyd in May 2020. PBA board members Sam Brooks, Janet Campbell, Andrew Colas, Alando Simpson and Charles Wilhoite on June 9, 2020, issued a call to action and statement on 鈥淭he Invisible Knee.鈥�

The following day, NAMC-OR and PBA created the Regional Black Economic Prosperity Agenda, a multiyear plan focused on utilizing public-private partnerships to influence policies that improve and promote economic prosperity and resiliency for Black-owned businesses. BBAO was developed as a direct result of this effort and is informed by a strategic plan that addresses multiple factors of economic inequality.

Randall said the Regional Black Economic Prosperity Agenda specifically focuses on creating intergenerational wealth improvements for Black Oregonians; increasing the number of jobs and business growth within the Black community; increasing philanthropic investment into the Black community; and expanding the tax base of Black residents.

鈥淢ost of the response to George Floyd鈥檚 death and most of the investment of dollars went to social justice organizations, and that was nationwide,鈥� Randall said. 鈥淲e are an economic development organization that is focused on the other spectrum, which is very important to making sure social justice happens, and that is economic justice.鈥�
BBAO is obtaining IRS status as a nonprofit organization, has established its logo and branding, and is developing a robust, interactive website that should be active by the end of June. It is also acquiring a customer relationship management system that will allow it to track and monitor all of the Black-owned businesses in the state.

In addition, BBAO is developing a dashboard that will allow it to evaluate the economic development status of Black-owned businesses, and measure improvements that are outlined in the Regional Black Economic Prosperity Agenda, said Randall, who was selected to head BBAO after a national recruiting effort led by Tigard-based Motus Recruiting.

鈥淢otus is honored to have served as the search partner for such an important initiative to build capacity and sustainability among Black businesses in Oregon,鈥� said Orlando Williams, president and CEO. 鈥淚 am confident the organization will make significant strides toward economic justice in the region under Lance鈥檚 leadership.鈥�

Randall is a seasoned relationship-builder, small business owner and champion in the fields of economic and community development. During his career, his work in economic development has generated more than $47 million in investments by local businesses and created and preserved nearly 1,300 jobs.

鈥淎s a founding member of the Black Business Association of Oregon, I am thrilled to welcome Lance Randall as its new executive director,鈥� said Colas, who also serves as president of NAMC-OR鈥檚 board as well as a PBA board member.

鈥淟ance鈥檚 strong background in economic development throughout his career made him the clear choice. We believe that he will create a blueprint that will eventually become a national model for Black economic development and entrepreneurship,鈥� he added.

Spearheaded by NAMC-OR and the PBA, the effort to develop BBAO was a true public-private partnership which has raised nearly $1 million in grants and contributions from businesses, philanthropic institutions and public-sector partners.

The Black Indigenous People of Color Caucus of the Oregon Legislature and Meyer Memorial Trust have each committed large investments toward this initiative, and additional seed investments have been contributed by Google鈥檚 Tidewater Foundation, Prosper Portland, the City of Portland and others.