Baltimore, MD. February 23, 2021
Baltimore Community Lending (BCL) received the Stakeholder Award from the Greater Baltimore Black Chamber of Commerce during their 15th Anniversary Gala and Annual Meeting this past Saturday. The award is in recognition of the organization’s “support and promotion of Black Businesses in the Baltimore Region and working with the Greater Baltimore Black Chamber of Commerce and its efforts to address systemic racism by creating and sustaining opportunities for Black Business Owners to enrich and empower our community through jobs and economic development.” BCL reduces barriers for Black entrepreneurs by providing loan capital to those in Baltimore City who have no relationship with or are unable to get a loan from a bank, and may not have collateral.
BCL’s President and CEO, Watchen Harris Bruce, accepted the award, saying, “We very much appreciate the recognition and we want to thank you for selecting us. We will continue doing what we do best, which is serving the City of Baltimore with the type of financing they need to meet their business needs as well as to grow and expand their businesses. That is what we are all about – technical assistance, capacity building, and access to finances.” Watch the video of Ms. Bruce’s speech.
Host Kelvin Boston shared that the purpose of the event was to celebrate GBBCC’s 15th anniversary and “highlight the success of the black entrepreneurial spirit of of the Baltimore region and the accomplishments of so many brilliant and hard-working individuals and companies that comprise the chamber.” The entire event recording can be viewed on GBBCC’s YouTube page.
