business

A new partnership between Cambridge College, Mel King Institute for Community Building and Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation (MGCC) has formed a program to educate small business development officers throughout the commonwealth.

City of Boston officials last week announced changes to the procurement process through which the city purchases goods and services, aimed at expanding the number of minority- and women-owned businesses contracting with city departments.

Standing in a newly-built, state-of-the-art greenhouse in Hyde Park last week, Mayor Martin Walsh and other city officials joined the owners and staff of We Grow Microgreens to cut the ribbon on the firm’s 37,000 square-foot urban farm.

On October 4, a bicameral group of Capitol Hill lawmakers wrote a letter to federal regulators, making clear the need for CRA to be strengthened — not weakened — under the guise of modernization. The letter also requests hearings on the issue in both the House Financial Services Committee and in the Senate Banking Committee.

The Banner caught up with Celina Barrios-Millner, the director of Equity and Inclusion in the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development, to discuss the disparity study, which will include community meetings in Dorchester, Jamaica Plain and Dudley Square next week. The following answers have been edited for brevity.

Denise O’Marde relied on city, nonprofit and federal assistance transforming a Mattapan storefront into a state-of-the-art juice shop.

The consulting firm Msaada Partners was founded to help foster growth in small businesses, entrepreneurs and nonprofits working in underserved communities.

The well-intentioned aims of the state law have run into conflict with the interests of some people who live or work near what will become the Pure Oasis marijuana store.

For seven years, chef Ernie Campbell has sold Jamaican food from his Jamaica Mi Hungry food truck, building up a loyal following. This fall, he’s looking to build on his success with a brick-and-mortar location at 225 Centre St.

With the recent celebration of the 35th anniversary of McKenzie & Associates P.C., Boston’s black business community reached a new benchmark. Founded in 1984, McKenzie & Associates is now New England’s oldest African-American-owned law firm.

In September 2018, Nia Grace brought Darryl’s Corner Bar & Kitchen. Since then, the restaurant has been thriving with great food, live music and a good environment.

Mayor Martin Walsh, city officials and community members gathered in Dudley Square last week for the ribbon-cutting of the Community Caring Clinic, a behavioral health clinic founded by pharmacists Abdifatah Ahmed and Mohamed Abdullahi.