1. We Can Smell the Coffee:  www.christinescoffee.com is live and quite active.  The initial orders will start shipping next Monday.  Have you made your Thanksgiving order yet?  We congratulate our newest distributors and invite all entrepreneurs and associations that are looking to create funding through the sale of this specialty coffee from Kenya to join the new team (contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for wholesale/distributor info.).   If you just like premium coffee and/or are looking for an excellent gift item for someone else please visit the website and place your order.  This is a collaboration between the NBCC and the Kenya Chamber of Commerce.

2. New Board Members:  The following entrepreneurs were unanimously voted onto the NBCC Board of Directors during the recent Board Meeting at the Negril, Jamaica Summit:  Timothy Adams, Oxnard, CA; Nicholas Brown, Delaware; Anthony Robinson, Baltimore; Gail Jackson, Jamaica; Gene Hale, Los Angeles; Prosper Adabla, Ghana.  Prosper becomes our first African Board Member and Gail will represent the Caribbean.  This brings us to a total of 19 Board members and we will complete the 21 seats (2 more) during our next meeting in the first quarter of 2005.

3. Building Wealth Tour:  Our partnership with Lord Abbett and New York Life will launch our “Building Wealth Tour” beginning in December.  This tour will take us throughout the United States and will target small businesses as well as the Black middle class.  It will be an intensive seminar on how to prudently plan and invest for the future.  There is no fee but participants must register via our website:  www.buildingwealthtour.com.  The first three venues are Dec. 1, Washington, DC, at the Ritz Carlton-Pentagon City; Dec. 3, Chicago, at the Office of the Honorable Danny Davis (Congressman); Dec. 10, Los Angeles, Sheraton-Universal Studios.  You should RSVP now as seating is limited to the first 150 registrants for each venue.  A breakfast will be provided for the DC and Los Angeles venues.  Chicago will have a lunch included. 

4. Durham, NC Seminars:  Lord Abbett will be separately hosting two seminars at the Marriott Civic Center, Durham, NC on December 2.  The times are 8:00AM and 5:00PM with breakfast and a dinner respectively.  The topic is “The Perfect Storm” – helping business owners take advantage of recent and important tax law changes.  Those wanting more information or to RSVP should contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

5. Strange Journalism:  The NBCC takes exception to a very negative and misleading article printed in the current issue of Black Enterprise Magazine.  Our formal response to the owner of this magazine is on our website (here).

6. The People Have Spoken:  The elections are done and it is time for us to charge forward.  One bright light is the fact that champions such as Secretary of HUD Alphonso Jackson; SBA Administrator Hector Barreto; Director of OPM Kay Cole James and GSA Administrator Stephen Perry can continue doing what they have been doing for the last four years.  That is to create the greatest amount of opportunity that has caused our constituents to receive more federal contracts and hire more employees than ever in the history of this great nation.  God bless America!!!

Until next week, enjoy the coffee;

Harry C. Alford

President/CEO

Fred Jordan

Chairman