By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business reporter, msayles@afro.com JPMorgan Chase announced a $5.3 million investment to expand career opportunities for high school students in Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia on Nov. 30. The funds will be used to support TalentReady, an initiative of the Greater Washington Partnership (GWP) and Education Strategy Group (ESG) that prepares young […]
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 inBaltimore News
Biden-Harris administration announces commitments to train and hire Baltimoreans for federal infrastructure projects
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com On Nov. 13, White House infrastructure coordinator Mitch Landrieu and Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su visited Carver Vocational-Technical High School to announce employment and workforce training opportunities coming to Baltimore through President Joe Biden’s Investing in America agenda. They were joined by Gov. Wes Moore and Baltimore […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Hometown hero Pinky Cole brings Slutty Vegan to Baltimore
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com Baltimore native Pinky Cole, the restaurateur behind Slutty Vegan, returned home in October to give the keynote address at Executive Alliance’s Women of Excellence event. Before heading to the event, Cole announced that she would be joining the Baltimore Peninsula development team, led by MAG Partners and MacFarlane […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
AFRO spotlight on Black excellence: Sweet Potato Cake turns family recipe into District staple
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com While New York is renowned for the cheesecake, a Black-owned bakery is ensuring Washington D.C. is known for the sweet potato cake. DC Sweet Potato Cake, established in 1988 relies on the sweet potato as its main ingredient for cakes and pies. Formerly known as Delectable Cakery, the […]
Posted inBUSINESS
Maryland approved for additional $3.3 million in technical assistance funding from State Small Business Credit
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com In line with President Joe Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Treasury announced $50.8 million in new funding for the State Small Business Credit Initiative’s (SSBCI) Technical Assistance Grant Program on Nov. 21. The investment will be used to provide more than 10,0000 small business […]
Posted inBaltimore News
JPMorgan Chase opens second virtual call center in Baltimore
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com JPMorgan Chase has opened its second virtual call center in Baltimore. In collaboration with the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development (MOED), the firm hired 40 Baltimore residents as customer service specialists who will assist Chase Bank customers over the phone with managing their financial accounts. The announcement builds […]
Posted inBUSINESS
UpSurge Baltimore names new CEO
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com UpSurge Baltimore, a start-up ecosystem builder and investment engine, named Kory Bailey as its CEO on Nov. 7. Bailey formerly served as the organization’s chief ecosystem and relationship officer. He replaces Jamie McDonald and is UpSurge’s first Black CEO. “It’s always a challenge to succeed the founder of […]
Posted inBUSINESS
Four ways veterans can find funding as entrepreneurs
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, veterans are 45 percent more likely than non-veterans to be self-employed. According to BLS numbers, veterans are more suited as entrepreneurs because of the discipline, tenacity and adaptability they develop while serving in the military. But, because veterans spend much of […]
Posted inBUSINESS
Spend with those who serve: four Black, veteran-owned businesses to support today
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com Veterans owned more than 1.9 million businesses and employed more than 5.2 million Americans in 2018, according to the Small Business Administration (SBA). As they have devoted their lives to serving their country, it’s only right that the country in turn patronizes their businesses. “Veterans are sometimes forgotten […]
Posted inBUSINESS
AT&T executive LaTara Harris leaves corporate America to head Crittenton Services of Greater Washington
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com LaTara Harris, the former director of external and legislative affairs for AT&T in the Mid-Atlantic region, has returned to the nonprofit sector. Harris, who previously worked for the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education (MBRT), became the CEO and president of Crittenton Services of Greater Washington (Crittenton) on Oct. […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Baltimore Development Corporation holds Baltimore Together Summit as the city makes headway in economic development
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC) hosted the second annual Baltimore Together Summit on Oct. 20. The event was a time to share the progress made on the city’s comprehensive economic development strategy, Baltimore Together, which was adopted in 2021. The plan’s overarching goals include creating an equitable economy, supporting […]
Posted inBUSINESS
Baltimore Together Summit makes the case for youth apprenticeships
By Megan Sayles AFRO Business Writer msayles@afro.com An integral component of the city’s current economic development strategy, Baltimore Together is building a stronger workforce system. To achieve this, the plan pushes for a more robust integration of the school and labor systems—advocating for greater apprenticeship and employment opportunities for youth. During Baltimore Development Corp.’s Baltimore […]