♪ [JAZZ MUSIC PLAYS] ♪ CALLIE: WELCOME TO "BASIC BLACK."

SOME OF YOU ARE JOINING US ON OUR BROADCAST AND OTHERS OF YOU ARE JOINING US ON OUR DIGITAL PLATFORMS.

I'’M CALLIE CROSSLEY, HOST OF "UNDER THE RADAR," 89.7.

TONIGHT, THE ECONOMIC GROWTH OF SEAPORT BOSTON.

WE ARE ON LOCATION AT GRACE BY NIA, A NEW BLACK-OWNED SUPPER CLUB IN BOSTON'S SEAPORT DISTRICT.

FROM WHAT WAS 1000 ACRES OF SCRUBBY VACANT LAND AND PARKING LOTS, THE SEAPORT DISTRICT HAS DEVELOPED INTO A SPARKLING PRIME LOCATION FOR RETAIL, HOUSING, AND ENTERTAINMENT.

BUT BUSINESSES OF COLOR HAVE STRUGGLED TO GAIN A FOOTHOLD IN THE AREA THE BOSTON GLOBE'S SPOTLIGHT TEAM ONCE DESCRIBED AS, "A BRAND NEW BOSTON, EVEN WHITER THAN THE OLD."

THAT WAS SIX YEARS AGO.

WHAT'S CHANGED?

AND, WILL THE FUTURE BRING MORE DIVERSITY?

JOINING US THIS EVENING TO DISCUSS, NIA GRACE, OWNER GRACE BY NIA, AND BOARD MEMBER, MEET BOSTON.

RICHARD TAYLOR, MANAGING DIRECTOR, NUBIAN SQUARE DEVELOPMENT, LLC AND CHAIRMAN, TAYLOR SMITH GROUP, PART OF THE JOINT VENTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THE OMNI BOSTON HOTEL AT THE SEAPORT.

AND COREAN REYNOLDS, DIRECTOR OF NIGHTLIFE ECONOMY, CITY OF BOSTON.

WELCOME TO YOU ALL.

ALL RIGHT.

TWO OF YOU HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL GETTING A FOOTHOLD IN THE SEAPORT DISTRICT, THE LIVING PART.

I WILL START WITH NIA:, BECAUSE WE ARE IN YOUR SPACE.

IT IS GORGEOUS.

AS YOU SAY, YOUR JOURNEY STARTED IN 2021.

NOW I WILL HIGHLIGHT A FEW BITS OF THE JOURNEY SO WE CAN KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING, BUT SUFFICE IT TO SAY, YOUR FIRST INTRODUCTION TO A PLACE HERE WHERE YOU THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LAND NOT WORK OUT WELL.

NIA: DID NOT WORK OUT WELL.

[LAUGHTER] CALLIE: SO YOU KEPT GOING AFTER THAT AND ENDED UP HERE.

GIVE US JUST A LITTLE BIT OF HOW IT CAME TOGETHER.

NIA: ABSOLUTELY.

ASK AGAIN FOR HAVING ME.

-- THANKS AGAIN FOR HAVING ME.

IT STARTED WITH A PHONE CALL FROM MY CURRENT PARTNER AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE THINGS WE LOVED AND WHERE WE WANTED TO BE AND WE FOUND THE SPACE WE THOUGHT WAS A PERFECT INTERSECTION, ANOTHER SPACE IN BOSTON WITH HIGH TRAFFIC, HIGH VISIT RATES, BUT NOT AS MUCH DIVERSITY, AND DEFINITE BLACK-OWNED RESTAURANTS AT THAT POINT.

WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GREAT SPACE AND INTERSECTION.

THEY WERE EXCITED ABOUT IT AT FIRST THEN WE PITCHED OUR IDEA COLLECTIVELY AND THEY SAID NO.

AND THAT KINDA BROUGHT US TO YOU KNOW, WE REALLY GOT DETERMINES THAT WE HAVE TO FIND A SPACE AND WE WANT TO BE ON THE SEAPORT SO LET'’S MAKE SOME PHONE CALLS.

THAT WAS THE SHORT PART OF THE STORY, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO SPEAK TO WS DEVELOPMENT AND MAKE THIS MAGIC HAPPEN.

CALLIE: THIS IS THE OLD ICON THEATER, IF PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO PLACE IT IN THE SEAPORT DISTRICT.

AND AUM I WANT TO BE CLEAR IN THIS CONVERSATION THAT YOU ARE EXPENSED ENTREPRENEURS.

YOU HAVE TWO PLACES IN BOSTON, ONE AT NORTH EASTON AND ANOTHER KITCHEN AND BAR THAT IS POPULAR, SO YOU DO NOT COME TO THIS AS A NEWBIE.

YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'’RE LOOKING FOR AND WHAT WILL WORK.

AND THIS WILL BE AND IS A NEW VENTURE BECAUSE IT IS A SUPPER CLUB.

DESCRIBE WHAT A SUPPER CLUB IS?

NIA: SUPPER CLUBS ARE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUT, GET DRESSED, AND SPEND THE NIGHT WITH US.

THEY TYPICALLY WERE LIKE THAT REAL SPECIAL LOCATION OCCASION WHERE YOU WOULD WAIT WEEKS TO GO AND MAKING SURE THE KIDS ARE BEING WATCHED AND YOU'’RE OUT FOR THE NIGHT SEVERAL HOURS WITH US, STARTING WITH COCKTAILS, GOING TO FOOD, LIVE ENTERTAINMENT, AND DANCING, AND WE WANTED TO SPARK THAT RENAISSANCE FOR THAT MOMENT.

IT WAS DEFINITELY A TIME WHEN WE WOULD DRESS IN OUR NINES AND HEAD OUT TO SEE WHO WAS IN THE CITY.

CALLIE: BY MOVING TO RICHARD, BECAUSE YOU HAVE A BIG STAKE HERE.

I DON'’T KNOW HOW MANY EVENTS I HAVE GONE TO AT THE OMNI NOW.

[INDISCERNIBLE] TO GO BACK, YOU PUT TOGETHER A PLAN THAT MADE THE AMI POSSIBLE AND MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR INVESTORS OF COLOR TO BE A PART OF THAT.

TALK ABOUT THAT.

NIA: SURE, WELL --RICHARD: SURE, WELL, MY FIRM AND THE OMNI COMPANIES RESPONDED TO THAT, SOME YEARS AGO.

CALLIE: THAT IS THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL.

RICHARD: THANK YOU.

PART OF IT INCLUDED DNI AT ALL LEVELS, SO WE THOUGHT ABOUT CODEVELOPMENT, MY ROLE, DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, BUT WE HAD NEVER HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING IN MORE FOLKS IN A CAPITAL STACK, SO I WORKED WITH MY PARTNERS TO ALLOCATE SORT OF $10 MILLION WHICH WAS THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY, TO RAISE IT AND $50,000 AND $100,000 CHUNKS FOR MINORITIES AND WOMEN AND WE RAISED THAT COMFORTABLY AND ONLY HAVE ONE PERSON WHO DID NOT CONTINUE.

WE HAD A WAITING LIST AND THAT PERSON WAS REPLACED AND THAT MODEL OF CAPITAL INVESTING BITE MINORITIES IN WOMEN IS NOW EXTENDED TO THREE OTHER PROJECTS HERE IN THE SEAPORT.

WHAT WAS MISSING HOWEVER WAS OPERATIONS.

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE SEAPORT AFTER THE JOBS, CONSTRUCTION JOBS ARE DONE, AFTER THE GOVERNMENT FEES ARE PAID AND THE ARCHITECTS ARE PAID?

SO WHAT IS EXCITING ABOUT WHAT NIA: HAS IS THAT SHE'’S FULFILLING THAT LONG-TERM PRESENCE OF BLACK BUSINESSES IN THE SEAPORT.

CALLIE: NOW, COREAN, THE SEAPORT IS IMPORTANT FOR BUSINESS.

I WANT TO REMIND PEOPLE YOU ARE THE FUND NIGHTLIFE ECONOMIC GROWTH CHIEF.

[INDISCERNIBLE] SO PUT THIS IN THE CONTEXT OF WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE BLACK BUSINESSES ROOTED IN THIS AREA RIGHT NOW.

COREAN: YEAH, I MEAN, WE WANT THE SEAPORT TO BE REFLECTIVE OF ALL OUR OTHER 2022 NEIGHBORHOODS, RIGHT?

BOSTON IS SO RICH WITH CULTURE, ETHNICITY, AND WE WANT THAT REFLECTED IN THIS SPACE.

IT IS A RELATIVELY NEW SPACE AND IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO FROM THE BEGINNING.

THAT WAS NOT NECESSARILY THE CASE, BUT NOW WITH PEOPLE LIKE NIA: CREATING BEAUTIFUL SPACES LIKE THIS AND CHEF -- AND THEY WILL BE COMING HERE AND ALSO THE FESTIVAL HERE, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING SOME OF THAT CULTURE, THAT FLAVOR OF BOSTON INTO A SPACE THAT HAS NOT TRADITIONALLY HAD IT.

CALLIE: AND TOBY, WHAT HAS BEEN -- TELL ME, WHAT HAS BEEN THE RESPONSE TO YARL ENDING HERE AND OPERATING.

I DON'’T MEAN JUST A PUBLIC RESPONSE, BUT A BUSINESS RESPONSE, NIA:?

NIA: FROM THE PUBLIC SIDE, IT IS NOBODY BUT LOVE.

THEY SHOWED UP BUT THE NEIGHBORS OVERWHELMINGLY IN ARE SUPPORTING.

IT IS LUCRATIVE, RIGHT?

CALLIE: I SUPPOSE THAT IS THE POINT.

YES.

RICHARD: WELL WHAT I THINK HAS BEEN THE DIFFERENCE AS YOU THINK ABOUT UH EXPOSING BLACK ENTREPRENEURS TO THE SEAPORT, IT IS EXPENSIVE HERE.

NIA: DEFINITELY.

RICHARD: THIS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TENANT FIT OUT.

THE RENT IS NOT CHEAP.

THE WHOLE TRANSACTION COST IS NOT CHEAP.

SO WHAT WE HAVE STRUGGLED WITH IS NOT ONLY HAVING THE TALENT THAT NIA: HAS COME THAT IS IN ABUNDANCE, BUT THE CAPACITY TO BE FINANCIALLY STAKED, SO WHAT I FIND REWARDING, REFRESHING, AND HOPEFULLY IS SHE HAS A JOINT VENTURE PARTNER WHO RECOGNIZED HER TALENT -- BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT IT TAKES.

JOHN DAVIS DID THAT WITH ME IN OMNI AND SO FORTH, TO RECOGNIZE TALENT AND BRING SOMETHING TO IT, BUT IT REQUIRES MONEY, SO WHAT I LIKE MOST ABOUT THIS ENOUGH TO BE HYPERBOLE, I KNOW SHE WILL BE HERE IN TWO YEARS, THREE YEARS.

WE HAVE SEEN SOME BUSINESSES COME AND GO WHO DON'’T HAVE THE CAPITAL OF HAVE THE BANDWIDTH COME ACCOUNT SUSTAINED SOME DOWNSIDES.

THIS PLACE HAS FINANCIAL STRENGTH AND TALENT AND THAT IS WHAT WE FIND, AT LEAST I DO COME IT REWARDING FOR MINORITY ENTRE NOUS'’S.

NIA: GO AHEAD.

COREAN: THE CITY OF BOSTON RECOGNIZES THAT.

I AM IN THE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND INCLUSION AND WE HAVE A BUNCH OF PROGRAMMING TO ENSURE THAT BUSINESSES ARE NOT JUST CREATED HERE, BUT STAY HERE.

WE JUST CELEBRATE AT 30 DIFFERENT BUSINESSES WITH THE LEGACY OF BUSINESS PROGRAM, BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE COMMUNITY FOR OVER 10 YEARS.

UH, I THINK IT IS OVER 1000 YEARS -- SORRY, I THINK A BUNCH OF YEARS THAT ARE REPRESENTED IN THE CULTURE AND HISTORY OF THE CITY.

WE HAVE THE SPACE PROGRAM TO ENSURE THAT FOLKS LOOKING FOR BRICK-AND-MORTAR SPACES HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO AFFORD SOME OF THE REAL ESTATE HERE IN BOSTON.

AND SO, LOOKING AT THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, PAIRING THAT WITH CAPITAL PARTNERS IS SUPER IMPORTANT TO THE LIKELIHOOD AND LONGEVITY OF THESE BUSINESSES.

CALLIE: AND I WANT TO EMPHASIZE WHY.

NOW, FROM THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, EIGHT OF 10 BLACK-UN-BUSINESSES FAIL WITHIN THE FIRST 18 MONTHS.

THE BOSTON GLOBE IN 2022 DID A STORY ENTITLED "WHEN BLACK BUSINESSES FAIL IT HURTS EVERYBODY," AND QUOTED A MCKINSEY STUDY THAT IF EXISTING BLACK-DO NOT BUSINESSES HAVE THE SAME REVENUE AVERAGES -- BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES HAVE THE SAME REVENUE AS WHITE-OWNED FIRMS, IT WOULD ADD $2 BILLION WITH A "B" INTO THE ECONOMY.

THAT IS REAL MONEY.

RICHARD: IT IS, AND THIS IS WHERE BOSTON IS IN A NEW CHAPTER.

WE, WE DID NOT HAVE JOINT VENTURES BEFORE.

YOU ALSO HAVE TO RECOGNIZE WS DEVELOPMENT AND JEREMY SAID WE LIKE THIS.

YOU HAD ONE GROUP WHO REJECTED THE IDEA.

JEREMY SAID LET'’S GO.

CALLIE: THOSE ARE TWO PARTNERS WORKING WITH NIA:.

RICHARD: YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE FACT THAT CAPITAL IS CRITICAL AND PEOPLE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THERE IS OPPORTUNITY.

THIS PLACES INTEGRATED, MIXED PEOPLE, PEOPLE FROM OUT OF TOWN, PEOPLE WHO COME HERE FROM THE SUBURBS TO THE COMMUNITY.

YOU WALK IN AND IT IS WHAT BOSTON OUGHT TO BE LIKE.

IT IS A FABULOUS FEELING.

CALLIE: GO AHEAD.

NIA: I WOULD SAY TO THAT NOTE THAT WHEN A BUSINESS FAILS, WHEN A BUSINESS SUCCEEDS WITH A CALL FROM OTHER BUSINESSES AND PARTNERS IN REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS, NOW THOSE CALLS ARE BEING MADE IN THERE LOOKING AT YOU AND THINKING WELL, WHAT OTHER BUSINESS OWNERS COULD DO THIS IN USE THIS TO CATAPULT, YOU KNOW?

RICHARD: AND WITH THE HOTEL, AFTER THE OMNI WAS SUCCESSFUL IN TERMS OF PUTTING THE TEAM TOGETHER, WORLD TRADE, PARCEL H -- THERE'’S PROBABLY FOUR LARGE-SCALE PROJECTS, LIFE SCIENCE AND OTHERWISE, THAT INCLUDE THAT'’S A MODEL.

CALLIE: IT GUARANTEES THERE IS DIVERSE PARTICIPATION ACROSS ALL LEVELS, INCLUDING THE TOP.

RICHARD: IT DID NOT HAPPEN AT ALL.

AGAIN, I GIVE DUANE JACKSON, JOHN GLENN, THEY WERE THE ARCHITECTS OF THAT RFP STRUCTURE THAT ALLOWED PEOPLE LIKE ME TO MAKE A PHONE CALL.

BEFORE, I WOULD WAIT FOR A PHONE CALL BUT WITH THE RFP, I WAS EMPOWERED TO PUT THE TEAM TOGETHER AND IT HAS BEEN DUPLICATED, TO YOUR POINT.

CALLIE: OK. NIA:, LET'’S GO BACK TO THAT FIRST VENTURE WORD YOU ARE TURNED ON.

IT IS OFTEN A SITUATION WHERE THE OTHER ENTREPRENEURS OF COLOR FIND THEM SELVES AND PEERED WOULD YOU EXTRAPOLATE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED THERE?

NIA: YEAH, I HAVE TO GIVE A LOT OF CREDIT OR A GOOD FRIENDSHIP WITH ED KANE.

THAT WAS ONE WHO WANTED TO UNDERSTAND BETTER THE SITUATION RIGHT?

HE WAS LIKE I UNDERSTAND IF YOU'’RE RUNNING A BUSINESS AND IF YOU ARE ABLE TO SURVIVE DURING COVID, THEN WHY AREN'’T THE UPPITY IS AT YOUR DOORSTEP?

CALLIE: REMIND US WHO ED KANE IS.

NIA:NIA: MY PARTNER AND MANAGING PARTNER AND OWNER OF IT.

WHEN WE FIRST WENT TO THAT SPACE, THEY WERE EXCITED.

GREAT.

WE WANT TO DO IT.

THEN WE WALKED THE SPACE TOGETHER AND AFTERWARDS, WE WERE SKETCHING OUT THINGS AND GOT EXCITED ABOUT IT AND SUBMITTED THE EXACT SAME PROPOSAL THAT CAME HERE.

AND, IT WAS -- I SUBMITTED THE PROPOSAL.

MIGHT NAME WAS ON IT.

I WAS THE OWNER.

CALLIE: WHICH YOU ARE.

NIA: AND I AM, RIGHT?

AND I'’M LIKE, OH MAN, WERE NOT GETTING PHONE CALLS, EMAILS, WAIT WE WERE SO EXCITED ABOUT IT AND THAT NOTHING WAS OK, WELL WE KIND OF ART BUT WE DON'’T KNOW WE WANT TO GO IN THIS DIRECTION.

OK. ALL RIGHT.

MAYBE WE DO.

BUT WHY DON'’T YOU THINK ABOUT THIS ONE UNIT ON THE RETAIL FLOOR BEHIND OFF THE MAIN DRAG.

LIKE WHAT ETHAN ABOUT THAT?

AND WOULD LIKE, NO, WE CAME HERE FIRST YOU KNOW, WE ARE HERE, RIGHT, AND YOU LOVED IT AND THAT'’S WHY WE CAME, SO WHAT HAS CHANGED?

AND UM YOU KNOW -- RICHARD: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY CHANGE?

NIA: THE PEOPLE AT THE TABLE OR THEIR PERCEPTION OF THE PEOPLE AT THE TABLE AND THEY COULD NOT UNDERSTAND AND THEY DID NOT KNOW ME AND I DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH CREDIT BUT IT WAS ON IF IT WAS JUST -- AND, HE ACKNOWLEDGED IT LATER AND WAS LIKE, I CAN'’T BELIEVE WE GOT A NO.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

[INDISCERNIBLE] [LAUGHTER] [INDISCERNIBLE] >> -- DIFFERENT.

NIA: AND HE SAID NO, BUT THE DEGREE THINK, I SAID I KNOW, I THINK, I KNOW WHAT IT IS BUT WHAT IS GREAT ABOUT THIS SINCE I AM SO USED TO IT, I AM NOT DISMAYED.

AND IF WE THINK THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT'’S GOING TO WORK ANYWHERE WITHIN LET'’S CONTINUE TO FIND ANYWHERE THAT'’S GOING TO WORK WITH US.

AND YOU KNOW THE NEXT CALL THE NEXT DAY WAS TO JEREMY AND WE TOOK A WALK AROUND THE SEAPORT AND HE GOT SO EXCITED JUST FROM OUR INITIAL CONVERSATION, NOT EVEN KNOWING WHAT THE PROJECT WAS, AND AT THE END OF THE DAY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT INVESTMENT, GROWTH, AND WHY WE GET PARTNERSHIPS IS BECAUSE PEOPLE INVEST IN THE PEOPLE, NOT NECESSARY THE IDEA OF WHAT THE CONCEPT IS, BUT PEOPLE INVEST IN PEOPLE AND IF THAT IS WHAT YOUR TRACK RECORD SHOWS THAT THE FEELING YOU GET THAT IS HOW BUSTING BUSINESSES CAN GO -- LASTING DISTANCES CAN GO.

RICHARD:RICHARD: I WANT TO GO BACK TO ONE POINT.

WHEN SHE WAS OFFERED WHAT I REFER TO AS A BAD SPACE, AND SO MANY TIMES ENTREPRENEURS WILL TAKE A BAD SPACE.

>> JUST TO GET IN.

RICHARD: JUST TO GET IN, AND IT IS A SET UP FOR FAILURE, SO YOU HAVE TO BE PATIENT ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR ELEMENTS OF SUCCESS ARE BECAUSE YOU CANNOT CHANGE THE LOCATION.

WE CAN CHANGE THE FLOOR.

WE CAN CHANGE THE PAINT, BUT WE CAN CHANGE THE LOCATION AND TO GET THE WRONG LOCATION WOULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS.

>> YEAH.

RICHARD: SO AGAIN BECAUSE OF HER SKILLS, TALENTS AND, IN UNDERSTANDING A BUSINESS WHERE SHE SAID NO TO THAT AND WAS PATIENT AND CAP CALLING.

THAT IS WHAT ON-CHIP WINNERS HAVE TO DO.

CALLIE: WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE LOCATION WHEN YOU'’RE DRIVING IN THE AIRPORT IN THE FIRST THING YOU SEE IS GRACE BY NIA AND THAT'’S NOT JUST A GREAT TESTAMENT TO YOUR HARD WORK BUT REPRESENTS WHAT COULD BE AND ALSO REPRESENTS HOW OTHER ENTREPRENEURS, UNDER OR NEWS COLOR WHAT THEY CAN ACHIEVE THEM AND SO I THINK IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO EVEN DRIVE UP THERE AND SEE THAT FOR INSPIRATION AND TELLING YOUR STORY AND ADDING AND ADDING THAT TO THE PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT CAN BE IS IS IS INCREDIBLE AND WHAT WE'’RE TRYING TO DUPLICATE THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

RICHARD: AND ALSO ASKING FOR THAT.

NIA: YEAH.

RICHARD: OK, WE GOT THE SPACE.

THAT IS NICE.

WHO KNOWS WE ARE HERE?

THIS IS SYMBOLIC OF NEW BOSTON.

IT IS DIFFICULT IS A OLD-TIMER TO EXPRESS IT.

THIS IS AN INFLECTION POINT IN A POWERFUL TRANSFORMATION WITH THE CITY HAS COME TO.

CALLIE: OK. LET'’S TALK ABOUT THAT NEW BOSTON.

NIA:, YOU ARE ON THE BOARD OF MEET BOSTON, THE TOURISM, CONVENTION CENTER TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE PRESENT BOSTON TO THE WORLD, NOT JUST TO OURSELVES.

AND THAT IS SOMETHING RICHARD SAID EARLIER THAT ALL ARE WELCOME AND THAT UM WE DRAW FROM OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.

NIA: YES.

CALLIE: SO WHAT IS MEET BOSTON DOING TO ENSURE THAT WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE AT GRACE BY NIA CONTINUES TO GET THE KIND OF PROMINENT MARKETING, PROMINENT SUPPORT THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN TO LET PEOPLE KNOW IT EXISTS AND BRING PEOPLE IN?

COREAN: I WILL NOT SPEAK ON BEHALF OF GRACE BY NIA.

I'’M NOT A BOARD MEMBER.

THE CITY OF BOSTON IS WORKING WITH ALSTON.

OUR DIRECTOR FOR SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT AND TOURISM UM, JOHN --, HE HAS BOUGHT -- BROUGHT SO MUCH ENERGY IN LIFE TO WHAT CAN BE IN THE SEAPORT AND IN OUR CONVENTION AND OUR GATHERINGS.

WE HAD THE NAACP CONVENTION HAPPENING HERE.

AND YOU IMAGINE ALL THOSE BLACK PEOPLE COMING AND CONVENING IN BOSTON?

I DON'’T THINK PEOPLE COULD HAVE IMAGINED THAT A FEW YEARS AGO.

BUT WE ARE CREATING SPACE FOR FOLKS TO EXPLORE BOSTON, TO INTERACT WITH BOSTON IN DIFFERENT WAYS THAT THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN THEY COULD INTERACT WITH BOSTON.

AND THEN ALSO, I MENTIONED THAT, RIGHT?

THAT IS BRINGING THE CARIBBEAN FLAIR THE CITY HAS TO OFFER INTO UH THE SEAPORT, AND I AM REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE YOU DON'’T NECESSARILY SEE THAT DOWN HERE.

AND I CAN'’T WAIT TO GO.

[LAUGHTER] RICHARD: TO YOUR POINT, THE NAACP HAS BEEN HERE BEFORE.

NOW AT THE CONVENTION CENTER, THEY CAN FINISH THE BUSINESS AND TAKE A SHORT RIDE TO BE HERE.

COREAN: EXACTLY.

RICHARD: THAT IS WHAT WE DIDN'’T HAVE.

CALLIE: YOU SAID IT WAS EMBARRASSING.

RICHARD: IT WAS EMBARRASSING.

I HAVE SEEN PEOPLE COME HERE AND YOU HAVE NO PLACE.

AND WHEN YOU SAY BOSTON CAN BEGIN NO, BIG-CITY AND -- THIS IS ALL YOU HAVE?

NOW WITH PRIDE, WE CAN -- NIA: WE HAVE MORE TO OFFER NOW.

CALLIE: DO YOU SEE THE NAACP CONFERENCE COMING UP AS A STRESS TEST FOR THIS NEW VISION OF MEET BOSTON?

NIA: WELL, YEAH, I THINK SO.

YOU KNOW, WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME FOCUSING ON THE REBRANDING OF IT BUT ALSO FIGURING OUT WELL, WHAT ARE WE REBRANDING?

BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE IN BOSTON IF HER JUST TALKING ABOUT NUMBERS IDENTIFY WITH THE VISION, RIGHT, OR WHAT WAS PORTRAYED, SO THEY HAD TO DRILL DOWN AND FIGURE OUT WHAT VOICES WERE NOT BEING HEARD.

SO RIGHT NOW I THINK THAT WHAT THEY'’RE CHALLENGE IS IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GETTING PEOPLE TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS, FIGURING OUT A WAY TO BRING THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE.

RICHARD: THAT'’S RIGHT.

CALLIE: OK. WE TALKED ABOUT THE SUCCESS OF YOUR VENTURES AND THE HOPE OF SUCCESS IN THE FUTURE OF THOSE AND OTHER THINGS.

WHAT CAN YOU SAY TO ENTREPRENEURS OF COLOR WHO WILL FACE SOME OF THESE CAPITAL BARRIERS, MAY BE JUST PLAIN OLD RACISM BARRIERS IN THE PAST, AS THEY THINK ABOUT MOVING INTO PRIME LOCATIONS LIKE THIS?

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY, RICHARD?

RICHARD: WELL, I THINK PARTNERSHIPS HAVE BEEN THE KEY.

COREAN: YEP.

RICHARD: WHAT WE DO NOT HAVE IN ANY LARGE NUMBERS ARE SECOND-GENERATION AND THIRD-GENERATION BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACCUMULATE CAPITAL.

COREAN: YEP.

RICHARD: SO THERE IS TALENT, EXPERIENCE, BUT THEY LACK CAPITAL, AND SO NOW, THE MAJORITY FIRMS AND PEOPLE ARE RECOGNIZING THAT SOME OF THE BUSINESS WE HAVE IS A BENEFIT TO EVERYBODY AND THEY WANT TO PLAY.

SO YOU HAVE TO MOVE AROUND.

SO YOU HAVE TO GET OUT YOUR SANDBOX AND MEET WITH PEOPLE.

THAT IS WHAT NIA: DID WITH THIS BLACK HOSPITALITY GROUP GETTING ENGAGED WITH THE BROADER HOSPITALITY COMMUNITY AND OUT OF THAT GROUP A PARTNERSHIP.

I HAVE KNOWN JOHN DAVIS FOR EXAMPLE FOR YEARS, BUT NEVER HAD AN OPPORTUNITY ANY SIZE TO WORK WITH HIM.

IN THE SAME THING WITH OUR DESIGN FIRM.

UH, SO, PARTNERSHIPS IS THE KEY, BECAUSE THAT BRINGS EXPERIENCE THAT OTHER PEOPLE RECOGNIZE.

COREAN: YEP.

RICHARD: AND IT BRINGS ADDITIONAL CAPITAL.

CALLIE: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

NIA: THE PARTNERSHIPS, BUT ALSO THE PROFESSIONALS AND EXPERTS IN THOSE AREAS.

A LOT OF TIMES WE GET BOGGED DOWN BY HAVING PATEL ENOUGH REALIZING IN ORDER TO KEEP THE TALENT AFLOAT IN THAT TO BE IN THE FOREFRONT YOU HAVE TO GET THE RIGHT TAX PROFESSIONAL, THE RIGHT ATTORNEY.

COREAN: RIGHT.

NIA: THE RIGHT FENDER AND ALL THOSE PIECES THAT IS WHAT IS GOING TO KEEP US AFLOAT, GET THIS EXPERTS.

RICHARD: AND YOU CAN'’T BE HUNG UP ON OWNING 100% OF SOMETHING.

CALLIE: SAY THAT AGAIN.

RICHARD: YEAH, YOU CANNOT GET HUNG UP ON OWNING 100% SOMETHING.

[LAUGHTER] BECAUSE YOU CAN OWN A SMALLER PIECE OF THE BIGGER PIE.

COREAN: YEP.

RICHARD: THAT IT SHOULD LAUNCHED AND MAY BE A SECOND OR THIRD DEAL INCREMENTAL YOU CAN OWN MORE EQUITY, AND THEN BY THE TIME YOU GET TO NEXT GENERATION OR YOU GET TO ANNEX LEADERSHIP TEAM, YOU CAN ON THE WHOLE THING, BUT REALLY, I DON'’T WANT TO GIVE UP -- YOU HAVE GOT NOT MUCH NOW.

YOU HAVE A 100% -- I'’M NOT GOING TO SAY NOTHING -- BUT NOTHING.

LET'’S CREATE SOME OPPORTUNITY AND BUSINESS PARTNERS AND GET A BIGGER PIECE OF, A SMALLER PIECE OF A BIGGER PIE.

CALLIE: WHAT WOULD BE YOUR PREDICTION FOR THE SEAPORT SPECIFICALLY IN THE NEXT LET'’S SAY, FIVE YEARS IN TERMS OF WHO MIGHT LAND HERE, ON SPINNERS OF COLOR, BUSINESSES OF COLOR -- ENTREPRENEURS OF COLOR, BUSINESSES OF COLOR, AND OTHERS DOING WELL HERE AS WELL?

NIA: I WOULD SAY THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE SO MUCH OF AN ANOMALY IN FIVE YEARS.

RICHARD: RIGHT.

NIA:NIA: I WOULD SAY INSTEAD OF SERVICES THERE WILL BE FULL-BLOWN COMPANIES WHO DECIDE TO PLANT THEIR OFFICES HERE AS WELL BECAUSE IT IS OPEN AND ALLOWS THEMSELVES SOMETHING ELSE TO DO AFTER THE WORKTIME.

RICHARD:RICHARD: I WOULD ALSO ADD THE RESIDENTIAL BASE OF BLACK FOLKS IS EXPAND.

CALLIE: THEY HAVE NOWHERE TO GO BOW UP.

[APPLAUSE] [INDISCERNIBLE] -- ACCORDING TO THE BOSTON GLOBE'’S ORIGINAL ARTICLE, RIGHT?

[INDISCERNIBLE] NIA: -- RICHARD: SOFT OPENING, THREE FAMILIES WERE HERE THAT WILL CURE.

CALLIE: OK. RICHARD: SO THAT IS HAPPENING, BUT I ALSO THINK THE DEVELOPING PIECE WILL COME TO A CLOSE IN FIVE YEARS TO SEVEN YEARS BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH -- ONLY SO MUCH LAND, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT HOPEFULLY RETAIL WILL EXPAND AND MORE BUSINESSES NOT ONLY FOR EVENING ACTIVITIES, BUT SOME OF THE DAILY ACTIVITIES WILL ALSO BE.

CALLIE: OK. COREAN: AND I JUST WANT TO SEE THE REST OF BOSTON COME TO THE SEAPORT AND FEEL AS IF THIS IS A SPACE FOR THEM AND BE REFLECTED IN THE PEOPLE WHO WORK HERE, LIVE HERE, AND THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE UH HERE AS WELL.

CALLIE: IS THERE MORE PRESSURE FOR YOU TO SUCCEED, NIA:?

USUALLY THAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE THE FIRST IN EVERYONE'’S LOOKING TO DO AND THERE IS SO MUCH HOPE.

YOU'’RE JUST TRYING TO RUN YOUR BUSINESS BUT YOU HAVE ALL THIS OTHER WEIGHT ON TOP OF YOU.

NIA: I WILL SAY YES.

THAT IS THE QUICK ANSWER.

I AM PRETTY HARD ON MYSELF ALREADY.

MR. TAYLOR, THAT'’S ONE OF GOING TO CALL HIM, RICHARD TABLE -- TAYLOR MADE IT CLEAR FOR ME AND HE SAID I AM MORE EXCITED THAN I THINK YOU ARE AND IT WAS A COOK ME TO REALLY LIKE, TAKE IT OFF AND BECAUSE I'’M LIKE WE ARE OPEN NOW AND WE ARE IN DATE 16 AND I KNOW THAT I GOT TO MAKE A TWO-YEAR TWO, 3, 4, 5.

I HAVE TO DO THAT, AND SO THE PRESSURE IS THERE BUT I GET JOY, YOU KNOW, I GET JOY WHEN I KNOW THAT WE UH HAVE TO GET RESERVATIONS AND FOR SOME VERY SPECIAL PEOPLE.

[APPLAUSE] [INDISCERNIBLE] CALLIE: -- CAN'’T GET IN, BUT I GOT -- [INDISCERNIBLE] [APPLAUSE] NIA: IT IS A GREAT TESTAMENT AND I'’M HERE FOR IT.

RICHARD: REPRESENTATION IS IMPORTANT.

COREAN: IT IS.

>> PEOPLE WERE WATCHING TO SEE IF THE OMNI DEAL WOULD WORK.

CALLIE: THEY WERE SKEPTICAL.

RICHARD: VERY SKEPTICAL, FROM THE BEGINNING, AND OUR NEIGHBOR WAS THIS ONE INDIVIDUAL UH COULD NOT COME UP WITH THE REST THE CAPITAL AND WAS TALKING TO JOHN, AND SAID WHY DON'’T YOU AND I JUST BY THIS?

I SAID NO, BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT FOR ME TO SAY WE HAD NOT ONE DEFAULT.

AND WE HAD SOME THAT ALREADY IN LINE AND THAT PERSON STEPPED RIGHT INTO THEIR PLACE.

BUT THE DIFFERENCE IS THIS, AND THE REASON I AM SO EXCITED IS BECAUSE I KNOW THE FOUNDATION OF THIS BUSINESS IS STRONG.

I WOULD BE VERY WORRIED IF SHE HAD BEEN AROUND THE CORNER IN THE WRONG SPOT, DID NOT HAVE THE TEAM SHE HAS.

I WOULD HAVE BEEN SPENDING MONEY AND PRAYING.

NOW I FEEL REALLY GOOD.

I JUST DO.

AND FOR FOLKS LIKE THAT AND PEOPLE STARTED EARLIER, SAUNDERS COMPANY, AND SO MANY MINORITY BUSINESSES, MARIE ALLEN, WHO WAS ON THE NAACP BOARD, THEY WOULD BE OVERJOYED AT THIS.

EVEN -- NELSON, WHO'’S PROBABLY THE S1 -- HER -- LAST ONE, HER HEART NOW IS ONE.

CALLIE: SOME REAL LEGACY.

RICHARD: NO QUESTION.

IT IS PRESSURE.

[APPLAUSE] CALLIE: NO PRESSURE.

[INDISCERNIBLE] CALLIE: ALL RIGHT, THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE A BIG PIECE OF THE ECONOMIC STORY OF BOSTON, COREAN:.

COREAN: IT SURE IS.

CALLIE: I THINK ALL OF YOU FOR JOINING ME.

RICHARD: THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

CALLIE: THAT'’S THE END OF OUR BROADCAST AND THE END OF OUR SHOW.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

NOW STAY WITH US AS WE CONTINUE OUR CONVERSATION ON OUR DIGITAL PLATFORMS, YOU TUBE, AND FACEBOOK.

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