Entrepreneurship! What is your style? Is it like a non-profit; steep in traditional thinking, or fluid? Here w

Yes, information to stir the mind. Hope it has value directly or indirectly through your ability to enlighten others (smile)

@Jake
Primarily technique, strategies, and information. For Black entrepreneurs, businesses, etc., there is no viable financing stream outside side of the traditional models e.g. Bank loan, SBA, micro-lenders. And terms of investment no real models have emerge for our group. Wall Street doesn't have a model, VC's and angel investors do not have a model. We are really dependent on internal funds then banking if you can jump through enough hoops and collateralize the loan. So this is reflected in our poor showing of businesses in the industry clusters. Although, we show numbers in the service sectors e.g. Sales, marketing, we are primarily peddling someone else goods. Even in entertainment and sports, we are the show face, not the distributor, publisher, manufacturer, etc.
So in essence what Harry points out in terms of self governing has some relevance.

@Jake,
Without becoming a victim of “TMI”, the key is to utilize existing innovative tools and methodology and demographically target them.

Good Post Mr. Sanford!

James, you could ask F. E. Jordan how he did it.

F.E. Jordan Associates Named Service Business of the Year
The winner of this year's Service Business of the Year was F.E. Jordan & Associates. the firm owned by Frederick E. Jordan. Jordan should be well known to BBL readers because he has championed affirmative action in each issue of he Black Business Listings since he became one of the major affirmative action proponents during the campaign against Proposition 209. What some readers may not mow is that Jordan is the president of F. E. Jordan Associates, Inc., a consulting engineering, architectural, environmental and construction management firm headquartered in San Francisco. His firm has excelled in the engineering and consulting arena, serving as lead or consulting engineers for major projects throughout the world. It is indeed fitting that this year they were honored to be named Service Business of the Year.

Born in Washington, D.C., Jordan graduated from Howard University with a degree in civil engineering. His interest in engineering began as a freshman at Howard University. Dr. John King, the 1st general in the Texas Army Reserve and also Jordan's math course instructor noticed his talent in math and led him into the field of engineering.

After serving in the Vietnam War, Jordan then attended graduate school at Northeastern University (NU) in Boston. During his studies at (NU), he was recruited by the Bechtel Corporation and brought to Northern Ca1ifornia, where he completed his degree at Stanford University. After becoming a licensed engineer in California, Jordan joined with three other engineers to form Jordan, Johns, Mathis & Pierce in 1969. The team took on several inner city redevelopment projects including the Marcus Garvey Square housing development in San Francisco and the Watt's redevelopment project whim began after the Watts riots. Because many whites were apprehensive about working in predominately African American communities, the firm was chosen for many of the redevelopment projects in around the country. As a result, the firm managed projects in Seattle, East St. Louis and on the south side of Chicago. Mathis left the firm in 1973 to start his own company. A year later, F.E.Jordan & Associates was born in San Francisco.

Over the years, F.E. Jordan & Assoc. has directed the research, planning, design and construction management of many buildings, bridges, streets, highways, water systems, ports and harbors, airports and other projects. International trade has been a profitable and rewarding opportunity at F.E. Jordan Associates through projects in East Africa, West Africa and Central America. Some of the firm’s most significant projects include the Charles P. Howard container terminal, a design which has been duplicated worldwide, and the curved section of the Cypress freeway structure. In addition, the design and development of the Oakland/Berkeley highway 13 & 24 interchange was also a project of F.E. Jordan and Associates and has been touted as the most difficult design project in the state. Taking 10 years to design, the interchange sits on two earthquake fault lines. Most recently, the firm completed the $220 million construction management Project at San Francisco International Airport. The project includes the development of several roads, the BART bridge, and the newly opened international terminal. The project was the only one to come in under budget and before schedule. F.E.Jordan & Associates also serves as Program Managers for the expansion of the Oakland International Airport, which is a $900 million project.

In addition, Jordan's articles in support of affirmative action have appeared BBL and in major newspapers across the nation. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Bay Area Urban League, Inc., the San Francisco Black Chamber of Commerce, the Greenlining Institute, and the National Black Chamber of Commerce.

Most recently the firm completed the $220 million construction management project at San Francisco International Airport. The project includes the development of several roads the BART bridge, and the newly opened international terminal. The project was the only one to come in under budget and before schedule.
Jordan's first book, The Lynching of An American Dream tells about the systematic attempts to destroy affirmative action throughout this country
http:// www.affirmativereaction.org , Jordan is currently working on a second book, which will feature quotes, jokes and sayings from the African American culture. In the coming year, Mr. Jordan is planning on launching an e-commerce web site entitled BlackCommerceMall.com which will feature many black owned shops and services.

Jordan's commitment to his community is only surpassed by his commitment to excellence in business. It is no wonder that his company received this year's Service Business of the Year Award. We at the Black Business Listings take this opportunity to thank Fred Jordan for your continued commitment to advance the cause affirmative action, particularly on behalf of African American owned businesses.

We celebrate your commitment and salute your outstanding business accomplishments.

http://www.blackcommercemall.com/serviceWi...

http://www.fejordan.com

@Steven

Thanks for the 411 F.E.Jordon interesting story, I'll research him. There are sprinklings of such progress like Reginald Lewis of Beatrice Int'l and the book on his life "Why Should The White Guys Have All The Fun". Now, when we get to the point were this is the rule not the exception progress is being made.

I came to know about this man from my second wife who knows him personally.

http://www.blackentrepreneurprofile.com/bl...

http://www.inc.com/kathleen-kim/entreprene...

@KIng David

Interesting site -black profiles

@ Ms. Siebra Muhammad

Thank you Sista!

Here is something I found on Google. Who would've guessed?

http://blackinamerica.com/content/153217/j...

http://www.ibotoolbox.com/invited.aspx?jid...

@James, thanks for the teacing moment. (smile)