Building on Success
The Board of the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce (AACC) announced the formation and the co-chairs of the new 2046 Commission. The 2046 Commission, named to highlight the next 25 years of progress for Black Businesses in the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky region, will explore innovative ways to strengthen the foundation of current Black businesses while preparing the ecosystem to be competitive and welcoming to the next generation of Black entrepreneurs. The Commission will consist of 15 regional leaders from the economic, financial, purchasing and investing sectors, as well as policy makers.
“The African American Chamber is celebrating its 25th anniversary,” said Eric H. Kearney, AACC president and CEO. “The 2046 Commission has been formed to make certain our businesses and our ecosystem are strategically positioned to thrive for the next 25 years.”
The 2046 Commission was formed as the result of a groundbreaking study in partnership with the UC Economics Center. The study shows the Greater Cincinnati Black businesses included in the analysis support more than $1.4 billion of operations expenditures and are responsible for directly employing 8,680 people with $540 million in earnings throughout the Cincinnati Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).
“As we continue to build on the legacy of our founders, it is our responsibility to position Black businesses as a conduit to foster innovation, analyze and develop new policies for economic equity and promote the abilities of Black-owned businesses to compete in the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky Region and beyond. We will do this by working with the right individuals and top organizations to develop recommendations and comprehensive regional alignment,” added Jason Dunn, AACC Board chair and co-chair of the 2046 Commission.
The inaugural co-chairs of the 2046 Commission are
Stacey Browning is managing director at CincyTech, an Ohio-based venture capital firm making seed-stage investments in digital and life sciences companies with ties to the Cincinnati region. She serves as a Board member of the Health Collaborative, is a co-founder of Cincinnati’s Flying Pig Marathon, Committee of 200 member, a YWCA Career Woman of Achievement and received The Circuit’s 2019 Technology Visionary Award. Additionally, she sits on the Board of Directors for Al. Neyer LLC and is a Board Advisor for InfoTrust. Stacey lives in Madeira with her husband, Chris, and two children.
Jason Dunn is the group vice president, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau , Co- Chair of The Events Industry Council’s Global Equity Taskforce and Immediate past chairman of the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals. He has served as chair of the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, chair of Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce, and chair of the Cincinnati Police Foundation. He is a graduate of Leadership Cincinnati Class 39 and the Urban League’s African American Leadership Development Program Class 20. Jason lives in Bond Hill with his wife, Tiffany, and their two children.
Larissa England is the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion partner for The E.W. Scripps Company and is responsible for managing, developing, and implementing EDI strategies. She also serves as vice chair on the board of directors for the African American Chamber of Commerce. She earned a B.S. in Agribusiness and Applied Economics from The Ohio State University and is a native of Youngstown, Ohio. Larissa lives in West Chester with her husband, Justin, and their two children.
John A. Moore is the president of Moore Air, a second generation, minority-owned heating ventilation and air conditioning service provider serving Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Air Conditioning Contractors of Ohio, African American Chamber of Commerce, Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Main Street Ventures. He is the past president of the Air Conditioning Contractors of Greater Cincinnati and past Board chairman of the African American Chamber of Commerce. John lives in Springdale with his wife, La Costa, and their two children.