By Uriah Williams
Serial entrepreneur and future Blue Origin astronaut Aisha Bowe will headline the Broward and Beyond Business Conference as the keynote speaker as the event is expected to draw about 800 aspiring business owners and those seeking growth.
The Broward County Office of Economic and Small Business Development’s one-day free event is scheduled for Friday, June 2 from 8.m. to 430 p.m. at the Signature Grand, 6900 W. State Road 84, in Davie, Florida.
Also headlining the event is former local news anchor person Neki Mohan who is vice president of Multicultural Business and Community for Visit Lauderdale.
The event is an opportunity for local, regional and nations businesses, nonprofits and government agencies to learn from industry experts and peers strategic plans for business growth, how to start a business and align themselves with a coalition of sponsors.
Bowe is the founder and CEO of STEMBoard, an engineering powerhouse recognized by the Inc. 5000 as one of America’s fastest-growing companies, and LINGO, a self-paced coding kit for learning technical concepts at home.
“You can make money with a laptop, with technical skills and a dream, and people need to understand that,” said the aerospace engineer formerly of NASA. “As a small business owner, or just as a person in life, you’re going to encounter NO, often. I want to encourage you to reframe, how you think and how you feel when you hear NO,” said Bowe, adding, “I want to encourage you to take a NO as a yes in progress.”
Mohan, a longtime Broward County resident, said she’s an advocate for diversity in her community and creating opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Born in New York and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, Mohan was a broadcast journalist for over 20 years, working for local NBC-6 News and Miami’s Channel 10 News.
In 2020, Mohan launched her own media company, shining a spotlight on things she loves about her community in South Florida and the Caribbean community.
She served as an ambassador for the Caribbean community on arts and culture, health news, education and empowering women.
Mohan has been named one of the top Caribbean Influencers in South Florida by Legacy Magazine.
She also serves on an Arts in Action advisory board at the Broward Center for the performing arts.
“This year, our theme is Innovate, Collaborate and Celebrate, and our focus is how to do business with local, state and federal governments, but just as important, to demonstrate and celebrate the WINS that small businesses are making,” said Broward County Office of Economic and Small Business Development Director Sandy-Michael E. McDonald. “BBBC2023 is an ideal atmosphere to stoke the engagement of small businesses and promote the economic prosperity of Broward County. Business owners and others will also hear from Bowe and realize she is where she is today, because of steps she took and her willingness to get up after falling and continue making more strides. Her launching multi-million-dollar businesses from the ground floors of concept to profitability is her story of resilience that offers real world wisdom to help others in their business pursuits.”
For more information, call (954) 357-6400 or visit Broward.org/BizBeyond.
