In honor of Juneteen this year, The Brooklyn Bank, also known as BKBNK, hired some of the biggest, most influential wealth-building leaders and game changers to provide financial knowledge to attendees at Brooklyn’s King’s Theater. collected. The free, one-day event was hosted by the CEO of Brooklyn Bank Jude Bernard and co-hosted by The Breakfast Club Angela Yee. DJ Schatz Hip-hop provided the catchy tunes of the day to create the event’s unofficial soundtrack.
The first of its kind financial forum includes a number of panels, discussions and workshops with powerhouses such as anytime Best Selling Personal Finance Teacher Tiffany “BudgetNista” AlisheAward winning teacher Dr. Jatali Bellantonand earn your holiday podcast host, Rashad Bilal And troy millingsto name a few.
BET.com Was there for all of this. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights from this Juneteenth’s incredible forum.
From start to finish, the theater was filled with attendees from all over New York City. Most were Gen X, some sprinkled in over the millennium. There were a fair amount of couples, groups of girlfriends and even a woman carrying her month old baby. I was sitting behind a woman who had parted ways with two pre-teens. As the panelists provided advice and suggestions, she eagerly glanced at them throughout the program to make sure they were taking notes.
When I first went into the theater it was completely quiet, but as soon as Bernard took the stage, the energy in the room changed immediately. The crowd stood up and gave him a standing ovation. Since the incident also coincided with Father’s Day, Bernard shouted to all the fathers in the room. He asked half the audience to shout “real estate money” and the other half to shout “stock money”, leaving the crowd buzzing with excitement.
“Just as slaves did not know that they were free for years, we do not know that we have access to financial freedom for years,” he said.
Bernard also shared the reason why he is so focused on bringing financial literacy to the black community. “I hate being the only one in the room, I hate when I’m on a first class flight and someone asks me, ‘So what do you do,’ like it’s weird because black money isn’t common. You As many of the people as you can get the information you need, come and join me.”
you invest in the brand
As business guru Tiffany the Budgetist, Sabine Franco, Ellie Diop, Shenya Wilson, Shaquana Brooks, Tonya Rapley, And Aristotle Warner Everyone took the stage, the electricity in the room made you understand that you were the key to getting the details of a mission you’ve been assigned to complete. One of the nation’s top personal finance experts ash cash The panel was moderated as each of these brilliant minds gave valuable financial advice on how to start a business and the power to invest especially at a time when many fear a recession. The main focus of the discussion was the best way to establish credit, build generation wealth, and make your money work for you.
Ellie Diop, the founder of the YouTube show, Ellie Talks Money, stressed the importance of becoming “rich from a recession” and clarified that there is never a perfect time to start a business. “We cannot rely on jobs or a string of income. Now is the time to create that LLC, take your skills you already have and market it, build your business credit, and make sure you have multiple streams of funds. That’s how we’re going to make sure we stay above the recession.”
Aristotle Warner is a military-veteran and the founder of Aristotle Investments. He shares his advice for making smart moves with your money. “Sow seeds now…seeds become trees. You need to know which stocks are going to last during a downturn and buy when people are scared. ,
change your mindset
Real Estate Investors and Entrepreneurs Julian Gordon Encouraged people to look far deeper than their vision board if they want to reach true success and find ways to change their mindset about money.
“Your financial system is broken,” shared Gordon. “It’s not about how much money you accumulate, it’s how much you transmit. The only way to get financial freedom is to invest. Slavery isn’t over, we’re still dealing with mental and monetary slavery.” Huh.”
He also explained that while many of us are more interested in buying the most expensive shoes and clothes, many of us have never thought deeply about investing our money in something big. Bhavna nodded in agreement to the crowd.
play in the real estate game
Storm Leroy, Reshauna Scott, Welby Axley, Brian Waldron And Dr. Jatali Bellanton Entrepreneur and mortgage sat down with the banker, Matt Garland To discuss how to become a real player in the real estate game. Throughout the panel, the recurring theme was how to manage the fear of the unknown, particularly within the current state of our economy.
“Don’t listen to those who are afraid. This is what we’ve been waiting for; it’s your time. Don’t run from the fire, run towards the fire. This is where you want to be,” Welby Ackley shared, A multiple, multi-unit rental owner and house flipper.
Real estate investor and entrepreneur Storm Leroy discusses the importance of taking action rather than waiting for the market to turn.
“Work your salary. If you have $10,000, somewhere you can buy a house. If you have $20,000, somewhere you can buy a house,” Leroy shared. “You’re doing this for your legacy. It’s bigger than everyone here. It’s not about your kids. It’s about your kids’ children.”
Lessons for growing your business
One of the more popular discussions involves Earn Your Leisure podcast hosts Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings becoming wealth-building powerhouses. The hosts talked about how they’ve grown their brand and podcast, the importance of offering something, and getting people to like you, which has clearly been part of their recipe for success.
“I want to encourage everyone to do themselves a favor, take the time to use resources to educate themselves because this revolution will be monetized and you already know that this TV is going to air,” said Millings in his lessons on how to thrive and expand a business.
After Bernard thanked everyone for coming out, I got up from my seat and walked into the lobby. It was still filled with attendees who were full of knowledge on how to better secure their financial future. Like people mingled with old friends and joined with new friends. I could clearly see that everyone was moved by what they experienced that day. The hope is that with this new sense of power to Juneteenth, black people will finally be able to find freedom in every sense of the word.
Ali Macpherson is a freelancer based in New York City.