Baltimore’s “A Taste of Summer” Long Table Dinner Series, founded by Nailah Queen and James Dickey, uses food, fashion and fellowship to celebrate community, culture and local entrepreneurship. With a vibrant outdoor dining experience and spotlight on Black and minority-owned culinary talent, the event transforms a shared meal into a powerful symbol of connection and creativity.
Category: BUSINESS
Posted inFinancials
Innovation in fraud: How scammers are targeting Americans in new and evolving ways
Money scams are becoming more sophisticated, with fraudsters targeting more consumers with cryptocurrency investment scams, fake online relationships and deceptive remote job postings. In 2024, Americans lost over $12.5 billion to fraud, with investment scams accounting for $5.7 billion of those losses.
Posted inBUSINESS
Businessman who scammed ex-NBA star Dwight Howard in fake bid for WNBA team gets 12 years in prison
Former NBA star Dwight Howard is an example that even celebrities can become victims of fraud. Howard lost $7 million in a fake bid to buy the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream.
Posted inBaltimore News
Baltimore Community Lending celebrates opening of new headquarters
Baltimore Community Lending (BCL) celebrated the grand opening of its new headquarters at 301 N. Calvert St. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring local leaders, investors, and community supporters. The event honored BCL’s mission to uplift underserved communities and small Black-owned businesses, including a tribute to late lending officer Frank Coakley.
Posted inBUSINESS
Target under fire after private diversity meeting with Black Caucus goes public
Target is facing growing backlash and declining sales as a national boycott continues, intensified by a private meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus going public. The CBC and Black leaders condemned Target’s rollback of diversity efforts, while the company’s CEO downplayed the boycott’s impact amid sharp drops in revenue and market value.
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Free Independence Day Lyft rides offered throughout Greater Washington to prevent drunk driving
To reduce drunk driving during one of the deadliest holidays for traffic fatalities, the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) will offer free Lyft rides on July 4 from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. on July 5 across the D.C. metro area. The SoberRideⓇ initiative, which covers up to $15 of a Lyft fare, aims to prevent impaired driving and save lives during Independence Day celebrations.
Posted inFinancials
Detecting fraud before it’s too late: Clever Girl Finance founder talks red flags and warning signs
Credit card fraud is on the rise, with millions of Americans falling victim to unauthorized charges every year. Bola Sokunbi, founder of Clever Girl Finance, shares expert insights on how to spot and prevent fraud before it spirals out of control, offering practical advice to protect your financial information in an increasingly digital world.
Posted inBUSINESS
Baltimore City Small Business Advancement Conference highlights paths to capital for entrepreneurs
At Baltimore’s 2025 Small Business Advancement Conference, entrepreneurs gathered to explore solutions to one of their most persistent challenges: access to capital. The event highlighted both traditional lending and emerging models like grassroots investment crowdfunding, giving small, minority- and women-owned businesses new tools to grow and scale.
Posted inGovernor Wes Moore
Gov. Moore announces first Road to Careers funding recipients to promote high-skill workforce development
Gov. Wes Moore has announced the first $4 million in Road to Careers grants, aimed at training nearly 1,200 Marylanders for high-demand construction and transportation jobs. The initiative targets historically underserved communities, offering wraparound services to support career development and help close the racial wealth gap.
Posted inBaltimore News
Port of Baltimore could see tariff impacts in June
Shipping containers stack up at the Port of Baltimore, as officials await the delayed impact of the United States’ President’s tariffs on Chinese goods.
Posted inFinancials
AARP’s Fraud Watch Network: Supporting older adults in the fight against scams
AARP’s Fraud Watch Network works to educate older adults about the risks of fraud, offering resources and emotional support to victims of scams. Kathy Stokes, director of fraud prevention programs for AARP, emphasized the importance of reframing the narrative around fraud, urging society to recognize that scams affect everyone, not just older adults.
Posted inBUSINESS
How Washington, D.C.’s unbanked population compares to the rest of the US
Despite a decline in unbanked Americans since 2019, millions—especially those in marginalized communities—still lack access to traditional banking due to barriers like minimum balance requirements, distrust and limited physical access.
