Black Enterprise Profiles

In 2007, SILC sought to implement a campaign of education and awareness among entrepreneurs of color. The intent of the diversity communications campaign is education and awareness and included four areas of focus:

  • Documentation and dissemination of break-through organizations led by entrepreneurs of color
  • Convey the importance and relevance of socially responsible practices to communities of color
  • Promotion of entrepreneurs and organizations which have been successful in building social and economic justice
  • Heightening awareness of economic justice initiatives and reports (e.g. The Business Collaborative’s “Enhancing Minority Business Development”)

The campaign targeted the African American market, our richest resource for case examples of successful socially responsible businesses.

Facilitated by Ibis Communications, SILC partnered with Black Enterprise, the premier business, investing, and wealth-building resource for African Americans, to promote socially responsible business to the African American entrepreneur. A multimedia company, BE also produces radio and television programming, business and lifestyle events, Web content, and digital media.

The campaign featured monthly profiles of black-owned socially responsible businesses on SILC site pages linked to Blackenterprise.com.  Each profile included a teaser intro on the BE.com/smallbusiness web portal. The partnership yielded over 1,000,000 visitors to the SILC site over a 9-month campaign.

As an added value to the partnership, several SILC member businesses were given premiere editorial coverage, including the cover, in the first ever Green Issue of Black Enterprise.  SILC continues to be a resource to the editorial department providing information and network support for upcoming editorial and events on the subject of sustainable business.