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What's Next? | Elevating Black Businesses: Access, Empowerment, and Community Wellness

On today’s episode, we welcome back Shantelle Patton, the Founder of That Brown Bag, an annual directory that highlights all the Black-owned businesses in Western New York, Central New York, and Toronto. She also has a plethora of experience in business accelerators and pitch competitions. She sits down with Jay Moran to discuss how to create better access to the directory portal, which has access to over 1000 MWBEs, how to empower minority business owners to their potential, and how to create better mental health resources for the black community.

What's Next? 2025
Latest Episodes
  • On today’s episode, we welcome back India Walton, and we take a look at Buffalo State’s Post-Production Diversity Initiative, which aims to increase representation in the post-production media field.
  • On today’s show we welcome back two familiar voices from Niagara Pride: President and Co-Founder Ronald Piaseczny, and Programming Chair Sherry Fossett. Niagara Pride is a nonprofit dedicated to uplifting the LGBTQIA2S+ community across Niagara County and Western New York. Their mission? To create a region where everyone, individuals and families alike, can feel safe, supported, and celebrated in every space they occupy, from home to workplace, places of worship, and beyond. This grassroots organization is working hard to make Pride more visible and more accessible, especially in rural communities that often get overlooked. Ronald and Sherry join Jay Moran to share what’s coming up — including the Pride Flag Raising Across Niagara County on May 30, and Niagara Pride’s participation in the Buffalo Pride Parade on June 1.
  • This week, we are proud to bring you special programming on remembering the May 14th Tops Massacre. In our final installment, we bring you a conversation on the future of social justice by listening to both the voices of elder advocates, and younger ones beginning to take up the mantle of taking on issues.
  • This week, we are proud to bring you special programming on remembering the May 14th Tops Massacre. In today’s installment, we take a deep dive into policy, advocacy, and systemic change through two conversations.
  • This week, we are proud to bring you special programming throughout the week on remembering the May 14th Tops Massacre. In today’s installment, we break down economic empowerment on the East Side of Buffalo and food injustice throughout the region.
  • This week, we are proud to bring you special programming throughout the week on remembering the May 14 Tops mass shooting. In today’s installment, we analyze mental health and healing from the tragedy, as well as processing trauma and building resilience.
  • This week, we are proud to bring you special programming throughout the week on remembering the May 14th Tops Massacre. In today’s installment, we focus on remembering the lives lost and reflecting on the East Side Community.
  • On this edition of Producer’s Picks of the Week, we revisit two standout conversations: one with Hamadi Ali, Markets Manager at Providence Farm Collective, and Executive Director Kristin Heltman-Weiss, and another with Emmanuel Kulu, an African Historian and Author.
  • On today’s episode, we bring you two new conversations. First, we welcome John Masiulionis, the author of “Walking Each Other Home”. Next, we welcome back Deja Middlebrook and LaShawn Davis of Walking Through Solutions LLC.
  • On today’s episode, we discuss the importance of African history and the gaps seen in education on the topic. We welcome Emmanuel Kulu, an African historian and author.