MEET THE SPEAKER & HONOREES
A Virtual Interactive Event
The Black History Virtual
Empowerment Recognition Breakfast
Thursday, March 13, 2025
FREE & OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC WORLDWIDE
1pm GMT (1300) • 9am EST • 8am CST • 7am MST • 6am PST
BRAVE, BOLD, BUOYANT:
IN DEFENSE OF DEI
DISTINGUISHED KEYNOTE SPEAKER
SEGUN IDOWU
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Segun Idowu is a proud product of the Boston Public Schools. Following his graduation from Boston Latin Academy, he earned his Bachelor of Arts in History from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, with honors from the Phi Beta Kappa and Golden Key Society.
A lifelong advocate, Segun organized the Boston Police Camera Action Team (BPCAT) with his colleague, Shekia Scott, which fulfilled its mission by securing the permanent use of body-worn cameras by Boston Police. From 2018 to 2021, he also served as the first President and CEO of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts, Inc. (BECMA), the chief advocacy organization for Black businesses across the Commonwealth. In this role, he helped transform the organization by growing its budget, membership, and staff exponentially; expanding the footprint of the organization across the Commonwealth; establishing dozens of partnerships with key stakeholders; and advancing key pieces of state legislation that secured millions more in contracts as well as grants for Black businesses. Every year since 2021, Segun has been recognized by Boston Magazine as one of the "100 Most Influential People in the City of Boston." In 2020, the Boston Globe recognized him on the front page of their Sunday edition as a "Man of the Moment" and a "Bostonian of the Year." Segun stepped down from his role as BECMA's CEO in December 2021 to join the administration of BOSTON Mayor Michelle Wu as the Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion. In this position, he manages five city departments and over 100 full-time employees who are focused on making Boston a resilient, economically equitable, and vibrant city that centers people and creates opportunities to build generational wealth. |
DISTINGUISHED HONOREES
DR. IBRAM X. KENDI
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DR. IBRAM X. KENDI is a National Book Award-winning author of sixteen books for adults and children, including ten New York Times bestsellers—five of which were #1 New York Times bestsellers. Dr. Kendi is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities at Boston University and the Director of the BU Center for Antiracist Research. He is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a CBS News racial justice contributor. In the summer of 2025, he will join Howard University as Professor of History and Director of its newly established Howard Institute for Advanced Study.
Dr. Kendi is the author of Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction, making him the youngest author to win that award. He also authored the international bestseller How to Be an Antiracist, which was described in the New York Times as "the most courageous book to date on the problem of race in the Western mind." Dr. Kendi's other bestsellers include How to Raise an Antiracist and Antiracist Baby, illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky. In 2020, Time magazine named Dr. Kendi one of the 100 Most Influential People in the world. He was awarded a 2021 MacArthur Fellowship, popularly known as the Genius Grant. His next book is Malcolm Lives! It is the first major biography of Malcolm X for young readers in more than thirty years, appearing in May 2025 on the centennial of Malcolm's birth. |
REV. MARTHA FLORESTAL
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Rev. Martha Florestal was born in the island nation of Haiti, raised in a Christian family, accepted Jesus Christ as a teenager, and received the power of the Holy Spirit at age 17. At age 23, she relocated to the US and made Massachusetts her home. She attended Northeastern University and earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration and Social Work. Later. she earned a Clinical Master of Social Work and a Certificate in Urban Leadership from Simmons College, School of Social Work.
Rev. Martha accepted her call to ministry at St. Paul AME Church, Cambridge, under the pastoral leadership of Rev. Dr. Leroy Attles, Sr. Her ministerial training included the Ministerial Training Institute, New England Annual Conference, and an earned Master of Divinity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. She was ordained as an Itinerant Deacon in 2004 and an Itinerant Elder in 2006. Her first pastoral charge was at People's AME Church in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Pastor Martha Florestal founded New Life In Christ International AME Church (New Life) on August 11, 2019, at her home in Randolph, Massachusetts. In June 2020, God blessed the ministry with its own physical location in Randolph. Since its humble beginnings, New Life has grown spiritually and numerically. New Life is known as a loving, bilingual, multicultural, and racially vibrant congregation where all are welcome. A most accurate description of Pastor Martha Florestal is that she is a woman of God, born again, spirit-filled, highly devoted, favored, dedicated leader, teacher, and preacher. She is also an intercessor and prayer warrior who has seen the power of God manifest in her life and others through prayer. Her training as a social worker and a heart of compassion has opened the doors for her to work with diverse populations, including children, youth, and adults. Rev. Florestal is fluent in French and Haitian Creole, which are assets as she interacts with migrants from her home. She is very compassionate in serving and working with God's people and His Church. Her secular employment includes years of providing individual, family, couple, and group psychotherapy at various agencies. She currently works at High Point Treatment Center, dealing with men challenged by addiction. |
COSTCO
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In an era where corporate values are constantly tested, Costco has stood firm in its commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)—a decision that has earned the company a well-deserved place among the Distinguished Honorees at the upcoming Black History Virtual Empowerment Recognition Breakfast on March 13, 2025.
Under the theme "Brave, Bold, & Buoyant: In Defense of DEI," this powerful event will celebrate organizations and leaders who have courageously upheld DEI despite opposition. Costco, a globally recognized membership-only warehouse club, is being honored for defying pressure from right-wing organizations that demanded they abandon DEI initiatives. Instead of retreating, Costco’s Board of Directors and shareholders overwhelmingly reaffirmed their dedication to DEI, voting almost unanimously to maintain their commitment. This decision underscores the company's recognition that an inclusive workforce and equitable business practices are essential to long-term success. While other corporations wavered, Costco set a new benchmark for resilience and integrity in the corporate world. About Costco Costco Wholesale Corporation is headquartered in Issaquah, Washington, and operates as one of the largest and most successful membership-based warehouse retailers in the world. With over 328,000 employees, the company has built a strong global presence, operating more than 870 warehouses across the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Spain, France, China, and Iceland. Known for its commitment to quality products at competitive prices, Costco generates annual sales revenues exceeding $240 billion, making it a dominant force in the retail industry. Its unique business model, which relies on membership fees and bulk purchasing, has allowed it to maintain steady growth and financial strength while continuing to expand internationally. |
NICOLE OBI
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Nicole Obi is the President & CEO of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts (BECMA). Their mission is to drive economic equity and prosperity for Massachusetts to achieve inclusive growth through advocacy, programming, and strategic partnerships that enable Black-owned businesses and Black communities to thrive. She joined BECMA in 2020 as the Vice President of Member Experience & Engagement. She previously spent 12 years at Fidelity Investments, parting ways with the firm as Vice President of Customer Strategy & Engagement in 2018. She was also CEO of her own strategic consulting firm, Enterprise Advisors, after co-founding two venture-backed startup firms.
She earned two master's degrees from MIT's Sloan School of Management and the Department of Urban Studies Planning. Ms. Obi currently serves on several boards and committees, including The Alliance for Climate Transition (formerly NECEC), the Environment League of Massachusetts, the MassHire State Workforce Development Board, the Intensive Community Program of the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Women's Foundation of Boston, the Governor's Advisory Council on Black Empowerment, the Boston Local Development Corporation (BLDC), as well as Longfellow Investment Management's Board of Advisors. Ms. Obi was recently appointed to the New England Aquarium Board of Trustees, Mass Development, and as the Chair of Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Office's Diverse and Small Business Advisory Board. She is also a member of the Boston Chapter of the Links, Inc. |
TRACY BURNS
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Meet Tracy Burns, the CEO behind NEHRA since November 2010. Tracy left a two-decade-long corporate HR career, finding her perfect fit at NEHRA. In her role, she stays closely connected to the HR space, championing and developing those working to meet the challenges in today's work environment.
Tracy believes in more than just steering the largest HR organization in New England; she sees it as a duty to consistently propel HR professionals forward. For her, that goes beyond ensuring HR leaders have what they need to support their organizations; it also includes providing them with opportunities to focus on their professional development within NEHRA. Her passion for women's leadership led her to play a pivotal role in launching NEHRA's first Executive HR Women's Program, which has graduated more than 100 talented graduates over the course of 8 years. Recognizing the impact COVID had on HR professionals, in 2021, she collaborated with local business leaders to unveil NEHRA's groundbreaking Mental Wellbeing in the Workplace resource platform. During that same period, she led a collaborative effort that resulted in a comprehensive resource guide for HR leaders seeking support for DEI efforts. Tracy is the go-to expert on "all things workplace," often lending her insights to local and national media outlets, including MSNBC, NPR, and the Boston Globe. She's been featured on industry-related podcasts like The Hennessy Report, HR Rebooted, and Wellbeing Walks. Beyond NEHRA, Tracy is an active member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM). She's a supporter of fundraising efforts for The Children's Place, serves on the Work Without Limits Business Advisory Council at UMass Medical School, and actively participates in Boston's DEI community. Tracy's HR journey started early, leading her to earn a degree in business/human resources from California State University and later a master's degree in organizational development from Lesley University. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Tracy has called Greater Boston "home" for nearly three decades. Besides being a certified yoga instructor, she cherishes quality time with friends and family, especially her two fabulous sons. Tracy Burns isn't just a CEO; she's a dedicated advocate for growth, well-being, and genuine human connections. |
Thursday March 13, 2025
FREE & OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC WORLDWIDE
1pm GMT (1300) • 9am EST • 8am CST • 7am MST • 6am PST
