By Megan Sayles AFRO Business Writermsayles@afro.com East Baltimore native Chris Simon is not only a real estate investor and the co-owner of Harbor East’s urban fine dining restaurant BLK Swan, he’s an innovator in the mental health space. His company BTST Services is on a mission to become a leader and trailblazer in mental health and […]
Author Archives: Megan Sayles AFRO Staff Writer
Megan Sayles is a business reporter for The Baltimore Afro-American paper. Before this, Sayles interned with Baltimore Magazine, where she wrote feature stories about the city’s residents, nonprofits and initiatives. Her love of music inspired her to be a writer. At a young age she realized it was not the melody that she was so infatuated with, but the lyrics that made up the song and connected with listeners. Sayles grew up in Pasadena, Maryland, and is a 2021 graduate of the University of Maryland, where for her senior capstone project she reported on how the coronavirus and inequality intersected in Baltimore. She also worked as a staff writer and copy editor for campus publications, including Stories Beneath the Shell and The Black Explosion. Sayles teamed up with a partner to report on how the pandemic had put many more responsibilities on the oldest child in families. The Associated Press and other news organizations picked up her story.
Posted inTechnology
Ken Washington named Black Engineer of the Year
By Megan Sayles AFRO Business Writer msayles@afro.com For the first time in nearly a decade, the annual Becoming Everything You Are (BEYA) STEM Conference will take place in Baltimore on Feb. 15 to 17. The multicultural event, put on by Baltimore-based Career Communications Group (CCG), assembles more than 10,000 students with corporate, government and military […]
Posted inMayor Brandon Scott
Mayor’s Business Recognition Awards honor 14 firms demonstrating civic leadership in Baltimore
By Megan Sayles AFRO Business Writermsayles@afro.com Mayor Brandon M. Scott, in partnership with the Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC) and Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC), hosted the 49th annual Mayor’s Business Recognition Awards on Dec. 13. The ceremony celebrated 14 firms with an active presence in Baltimore, exemplary leadership and a commitment to improving Baltimoreans’ quality of life. […]
Posted inMedia
AFRO ranks 81 in the Inner City 100 Awards
By Megan Sayles AFRO Business Writermsayles@afro.com The AFRO ranked 81 in the 2023 Inner City 100 (IC100) Awards, a recognition given by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC). The organization celebrates the 100 fastest-growing businesses in underserved communities across the country. The ceremony took place during ICIC’s Annual Conference, which was held in Miami […]
Posted inGovernor Wes Moore
Governor Moore announces ‘UPLIFT’ to accelerate homeownership in historically redlined communities
By Megan Sayles AFRO Business Writermsayles@afro.com Maryland residents living in historically redlined communities may now get a new chance at homeownership, thanks to a new program announced by Gov. Wes Moore on Dec. 4. Managed by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), Utilizing Progressive Lending Investments to Finance Transformation (UPLIFT) will tackle appraisal […]
Posted inHBCU
Meet Endia DeCordova, Morgan State University’s vice president of institutional advancement
By Megan SaylesAFRO Business Writermsayles@afro.com President David K. Wilson named alumnae Endia DeCordova vice president of institutional advancement for Morgan State University (MSU) and executive director of the Morgan State University Foundation last March after leading a national search. The former vice chancellor for advancement at Rutgers University returned to her alma mater in July […]
Posted inEducation
Chizel It Transformation Center to host health seminar in the new year
By Megan Sayles AFRO Business Writermsayles@afro.com As the new year draws nearer, so does the time to make resolutions—many of which include eating healthier and getting back to the gym. Chizel It Transformation Center, located in Owings Mills, Md., is set to host a health seminar on Jan. 20 to help people make good on […]
Posted inBaltimore News
AFRO publisher participates in panel on ‘cultivating a vibrant and winning workplace culture’
By Megan Sayles AFRO Business Writermsayles@afro.com Towson University’s Dr. Nancy Grasmick Leadership Institute hosted a free workshop entitled “Cultivating a Vibrant and Winning Workplace Culture” on Dec. 6 for professionals who have an impact on their workplace’s culture. Executive Director Erin Moran led a panel discussion with Julie East, vice president of talent and human […]
Posted inBaltimore News
District judge denies motion to dismiss Baltimore’s lawsuit against Hyundai and Kia
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com As Baltimore grapples with a 227 percent spike in auto thefts, Mayor Brandon M. Scott shared updates on the city’s ongoing lawsuit against Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) and Kia America (Kia) on Nov. 20. Central California District Judge James V. Selna sided with the city and denied the […]
Posted inBUSINESS
Comcast RISE Day celebrates 100 Baltimore small business owners
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com On Nov. 16, telecommunications giant Comcast celebrated entrepreneurship and business at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum for Comcast RISE Day. In August, 100 Baltimore small business owners secured comprehensive grant packages courtesy of Comcast RISE, a program that equips entrepreneurs with business coaching, capital and marketing and technology […]
Posted inBUSINESS
AFRO inside look: meet the husband-and-wife team behind Boyd CruWines, the first Black family-owned wine company in Maryland
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com Husband and wife Jon’ll and Matthew Boyd have opened the first Black, family-owned wine company in Maryland. The two created Boyd Cru Wines last spring, after years of sharing and appreciating wine together. According to the Association of African American Vintners, less than 1 percent of wineries in […]
Posted in!Front Page
Meet Endia DeCordova, Morgan State University’s vice president of institutional advancement
By Megan Sayles AFRO Business Writer msayles@afro.com President David K. Wilson named alumnae Endia DeCordova vice president of institutional advancement for Morgan State University (MSU) and executive director of the Morgan State University Foundation last March after leading a national search. The former vice chancellor for advancement at Rutgers University returned to her alma mater […]