Tag Archives: Minority business enterprise

Leonard Jones Joins Blaylock Van, Wall Street’s Oldest Continually Operating Black-Owned Firm, as Executive Director of Municipal Banking, Public Finance

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. /ScoopCloud/ -- Industry veteran Leonard Jones has been named Executive Director of Municipal Banking and Head of Public Finance for Blaylock Van, LLC, the nation's longest-continuously operating Black-owned investment firm. In this role, he will lead the firm's banking team and solutions for local and municipal government organizations with a focus on financial and risk management.

Most recently, Jones was Managing Director of Moody's Investors Service, where he managed the company's public finance local government ratings group. Prior to that, he served as Partner and Head of Investment Banking for Rice Financial Products and Vice President of Morgan Stanley and Company in New York as well as Chief Consultant for the Zambia Privatization Agency in Zambia, among other notable industry leadership positions.

"Lenny's extensive leadership and strategic expertise will be a tremendous benefit to our clients and our team, and we are thrilled to welcome him to Blaylock Van," said Blaylock Van CEO and President Eric Standifer. "He is a visionary across municipal finance and investment banking as well as marketing and talent development, which will support the continued growth and innovation of our municipal banking and public finance enterprise."

Jones received his MBA from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business and his bachelor's degree in economics from Dartmouth College. He also serves as Board Treasurer for the New York Urban League.

Certified as a Minority Business Enterprise by the State of New York, the State of Wisconsin, the City of New York, and the National Minority Supplier Development Council, Blaylock Van is 81 percent Black-owned. Blaylock Van serves corporations, municipalities, investment managers, and pension funds with a diverse employee base committed to work beyond financial services.

About Blaylock Van, LLC:

Blaylock Van, LLC (BV) is the oldest and continuously operating Black-owned banking firm in the United States, providing personalized services for clients across the country. Clients include corporations, municipalities, investment managers, pension funds, and family offices. The firm's headquarters are in New York City, with offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, and Oakland, Calif.

For more information, please visit https://brv-llc.com/

Industry veteran Leonard Jones has been named Executive Director of Municipal Banking and Head of Public Finance for Blaylock Van, LLC, the nation's longest-continuously operating Black-owned investment firm. In this role, he will lead the firm's banking team and solutions for local and municipal government organizations with a focus on financial and risk management.

Related link: https://brv-llc.com/

Blaylock Van, LLC Shares its 2022 Year-End Report

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. /ScoopCloud/ -- In its year-end report spanning financials, deals, and community investment, Blaylock Van, LLC, the nation's longest continuously operating Black-owned investment banking firm, reported 23 percent growth in notional deal volume year-over-year, with 67 debt capital markets new issues representing nearly $186 billion notional. From 2018 to 2022, Blaylock Van's closed transactions increased by a CAGR of 23 percent and dealt notional value by 50%.

In addition, the firm's municipal team participated in 69 new issue municipal deals approaching $34 billion in debt as of Dec. 1. The team was selected to serve as co-manager on a $3.2 billion Texas Public Finance Authority issuance-the largest the agency has ever issued- and served as co-senior on the $409.7 million City of Atlanta General Obligation Public Improvement Bonds, of which one tranche was classified as Social Bonds.

"Our global team continues to capture new business, report remarkable growth, and showcase the strength of diversity from year to year," said Blaylock Van CEO and President Eric Standifer. "Our 2022 results speak for themselves, and we know we have powerful positive momentum to build on in 2023 and beyond."

Notable debt capital market deals included serving as co-manager on Magallanes' $30 billion transaction, a mega-transaction that opened the new issuance market to issuance in Q1 2022. This was the fifth-largest corporate bond in industry history and the largest deal in 2022. Blaylock Van also served as co-manager on PG&E Wildlife Recovery Funding LLE Series 2022-B $3.9 billion Rate Reduction Bond Securitization.

Furthermore, Blaylock Van served as co-manager for the two largest IPOs in 2022, including TPG's offering, which raised $1.1 billion across 37.2 million shares and was the largest IPO of the year, and Mobileye's IPO, which raised $820 million across 47.15 million shares.

Other key 2022 highlights for Blaylock Van include:

* The firm partnered with Cowen, Inc. to conduct a webinar on Navigating the ESG Path, which centered on bridging the gap between sustainable strategies and financial performance and the intersection of ESG strategy and financial performance.

* Blaylock Van participated in several notable sustainable bond transactions, including a $2 billion Bank of America Sustainability Bond, serving as joint lead; Bank of America used six minority- and women-owned broker dealers as joint lead managers with proceeds to advance racial gender equity, economic opportunity and environmental sustainability. Additionally, the firm participated in the $2.5 billion Citi Inaugural Social Bond for Housing, serving as senior co-manager on the social bond. This was the largest social bond issued by the private sector in 2022 and it won Social Bond of the Year at the Environmental Finance Bond Awards. Bond proceeds will finance construction, rehabilitation and preservation of quality affordable housing for low- and moderate-income populations.

* In February, the company launched an African team based in Nairobi to support U.S. clients in their financial activities throughout the continent. The team, which boasts broad experience across banking, corporate finance, and treasury, leads on a general assessment of and market intelligence on key economics in Africa, focusing on foreign exchange and working capital.

* Blaylock Van expanded its sales and investment banking teams by hiring senior talent across credit sales, syndicate, and capital markets, adding significant experience and expertise in these sectors.

* The global BV team supports nonprofits such as buildOn, which delivers service-learning programs in underserved U.S. high schools and builds schools in some of the world's poorest countries to break the cycle of poverty; CEO Standifer also joined the organization's California Board of Directors. The team also gives time, support, and donations to nonprofits, including the Millionaire Mastermind Academy, which helps create entrepreneurship opportunities for diverse women across the United States, as well as Cancer Care, the leading national organization dedicated to providing free professional supports services to anyone affected by cancer, and San Francisco Achievers, which supports African-American young men in the San Francisco Unified School District to lead and thrive in higher education, among others.

* Blaylock Van was a partner for the 2nd annual United Diversity Business Summit, with Standifer serving as a keynote speaker, where he shared "The Importance of Diverse and Inclusive Decision-Making."

Certified as a Minority Business Enterprise by the State of New York, Wisconsin, the City of New York, and the National Minority Supplier Development Council, Blaylock Van is 89 percent Black-owned. Blaylock Van serves corporations, municipalities, investment managers and pension funds with a diverse employee base committed to work beyond financial services.

About Blaylock Van, LLC:

Blaylock Van, LLC (BV) is the oldest and continuously operating Black-owned banking firm in the United States, providing personalized services for clients across the country. Clients include corporations, municipalities, investment managers, pension funds, and family offices. The firm's headquarters are in New York City, with offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Columbus, Ohio, Dallas, Miami, and Oakland, Calif.

For more information, please visit https://brv-llc.com/

In its year-end report spanning financials, deals, and community investment, Blaylock Van, LLC, the nation's longest continuously operating Black-owned investment banking firm, reported 23 percent growth in notional deal volume year-over-year, with 67 debt capital markets new issues representing nearly $186 billion notional. From 2018 to 2022, Blaylock Van's closed transactions increased by a CAGR of 23 percent and dealt notional value by 50%.

Related link: https://brv-llc.com/

Blaylock Van Serves as Co-Manager for $1.5 Billion State Street Debt Issuance

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. /ScoopCloud/ -- Blaylock Van, LLC, the nation's longest continuously operating Black-owned investment firm, recently announced as co-manager for State Street Corp.'s $1.5 debt issuance.

The senior unsecured debt issuance, part of State Street's DE&I focus, involved four black-owned investment firms: Blaylock Van and CastleOak Securities LP as co-managers as well as Siebert Williams Shank & Co. LLC and Loop Capital Markets LLC as bookrunners; the four firms underwrote about half of the total debt securities in the issuance.

"We are proud that the roots of Black History Month and a greater nationwide focus on diversity, inclusion and equity continue to ripple outward," said Blaylock Van CEO and President Eric Standifer. "Blaylock Van always appreciates the opportunity to partner with other Black-owned investment firms to expand our industry reach and presence while creating value for our clients."

The full underwriting syndicate also included Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC acting as bookrunners, with Citigroup Global Markets Inc. as co-manager. This deal represents State Street's third issuance in the past year that was structured under the company's diversity, inclusion and equity strategy. The offering closed Feb. 7.

Certified as a Minority Business Enterprise by the State of New York, the State of Wisconsin, the City of New York and the National Minority Supplier Development Council, Blaylock Van is 81 percent Black-owned. Blaylock Van serves corporations, municipalities, investment managers and pension funds with a diverse employee base committed to work beyond financial services.

About Blaylock Van, LLC

Blaylock Van, LLC (BV) is the oldest and continuously operating Black-owned banking form in the United States, providing personalized services for clients across the country. Clients include corporations, municipalities, investment managers, pension funds and family offices. Global electronic equity and fixed-income trading platforms allow direct market access to more than 40 worldwide exchanges, while the firm's proprietary web-based research platform is designed to specifically address the needs of fundamental portfolio managers and analysts. The firm's headquarters are in New York City, with offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Miami and Oakland, Calif.

For more information, please visit https://brv-llc.com/

Blaylock Van, LLC, the nation's longest continuously operating Black-owned investment firm, recently announced as co-manager for State Street Corp.'s $1.5 debt issuance. The senior unsecured debt issuance, part of State Street's DE&I focus, involved four black-owned investment firms.

Related link: https://brv-llc.com/

New Minnesota-based Staffing Firms Assist Companies to Improve Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

SAINT PAUL, Minn. /ScoopCloud/ -- LAK Technology Inc. recently announced that two of its DBAs, PowerSource Staffing Inc. and Empowers Staffing Inc. are working to fill two distinct niches in the recruiting and staffing industry. They're not only helping companies to improve their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), but they're also helping people of color who may have lost work during the COVID crisis to get back to business.

Both companies - PowerSource Staffing and Empowers Staffing - opened their doors this past February and they're already seeing results. For example, Choice Bank, Spire Credit Union, Highland Bank and Citizens State Bank have all signed on to find skilled candidates that they've had difficulty finding and recruiting.

As a newly-certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) vendor by the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), both PowerSource Staffing Inc. and Empowers Staffing Inc. are well qualified to help organizations meet their hiring goals.

"We believe in integrating our resources and are confident that we can help companies drive their hiring forward into the future," Clement Marriott, president and founder, Empowers Staffing Inc. and PowerSource Staffing Inc., says. "We're very excited about this recent certification because it serves to further our goal to assist organizations with their talent search while helping them to champion their DEI."

The two companies have already placed more than 50 skilled personnel and are looking forward to continuing a robust recruitment and placement schedule.

"We understand that while many companies wish to improve DEI in their workforce, they often have difficulty reaching certain demographics. That's where we come in. We have networks and marketing channels that help to find the right people for the right job," Marriott adds. "We know how to tap into a variety of populations."

About PowerSource Staffing Inc.

PowerSource Staffing Inc. focuses solely on recruiting and staffing IT talent across all industries. It provides staffing, workforce optimization and domestic outsourcing solutions and values diverse talent and the role they play in the IT industry.

For more information: https://powersourcestaffing.com/

About Empowers Staffing Inc.

Empowers Staffing Inc. specializes in recruiting and staffing for the banking and finance industry. It's the fastest-growing, minority-owned banking and finance staffing company and connects with organizations to understand their staffing needs, while providing the most diverse, skilled professionals in the market.

For more information: https://empowersstaffing.com

*LOGO link for media: https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/21-0511s2p-empowers-psource-300dpi.jpg

*Caption: PowerSource Staffing Inc. and Empowers Staffing Inc. logos.

LAK Technology Inc. recently announced that two of its DBAs, PowerSource Staffing Inc. and Empowers Staffing Inc. are working to fill two distinct niches in the recruiting and staffing industry. They're not only helping companies to improve their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), but they're also helping people of color who may have lost work during the COVID crisis to get back to business.

Related link: https://empowersstaffing.com/

MWBE’s For PPE: American Manufacturing Re-Investing In Underserved Communities

NEW YORK, N.Y. /ScoopCloud/ -- Minority business enterprise (MBE) New York-based development and diversity supplier firm, MRV Group, LLC partners with architectural firm DXA studio to re-invest American made PPE sales to 501(c)(6) and 501(c)(3) organizations that support MWBE's and underserved communities impacted by COVID-19.

WHO: MRV Group, LLC

WHAT: MWBE's For PPE

WHERE: Nationwide

WHEN: February 1 - March 31, 2021

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic almost a year ago, the supply chain of personal protection equipment (PPE) in the United States, such as medical grade facial masks, has been in short supply, with a heavy dependence on overseas manufacturing.

MWBE's For PPE is driving support to contribute to economic recovery efforts by advocating for organizations to purchase PPE from American manufacturers. In addition, the campaign directly re-invests sales toward 501(c)(6) or 501(c)(3) organizations that advance MWBE's (minority women business enterprises) and underserved communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Our firm focuses on advancing economic and social development place making strategies. Without the diversity of an entire community being represented, transformative community benefits and economic development can't be achieved effectively," says Glenn O. Vickers II, Principal Owner of MRV Group. "Working with partners like Empire State Development, NYC Small Business Services, NJ Office of Diversity and Inclusion to name a few, we know first-hand we are in a unique time in history to really come together at this moment."

Participants of the initiative, when ordering discounted American Made PPE, will select a 501(c)(6) or 501(c)(3) of their choice to support and 21% of each order will be re-invested into those organizations that support MWBE's and/or underserved communities within 7 days. MWBE's For PPE will be taking place during February (Black History Month) and March (Women's History Month).

New York based DXA studio, which just launched a comprehensive corporate Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity program, has increased MWBE participation efforts for their work throughout the country including New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Washington D.C. "We're very excited to be part of this initiative with MRV Group, and in particular that it will multiply the positive effects of the distribution of PPE towards such great causes," says Wayne Norbeck Co-Founder of DXA studio.

"Chambers of Commerce, Business Improvement Districts, and a host of charitable organizations have been a lifeline for businesses and families alike during this time. They need all of our help to continue their critical work," says Vickers.

Municipalities, corporations, hospitals, and construction firms alike are encouraged to join the campaign today by visiting http://www.mwbesforppe.com/ for more information.

About MRV Group, LLC

MRV Group, LLC is a privately held full-service development, management, and commodity diversity supplier. They provide services for government clients at the federal, state, and local levels, as well as services in support of private and non-profit industries. MRV Group, LLC is a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE). Learn more: https://www.mrvgroup.org/

Media Contact:
Glenn O. Vickers, Principal
MRV Group, LLC
info@mrvgroup.org
1855-343-3042

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Disclaimer: exercise due diligence in any prepaid orders or large contracts for any PPE equipment.

Minority business enterprise (MBE) New York-based development and diversity supplier firm, MRV Group, LLC partners with architectural firm DXA studio to re-invest American made PPE sales to 501(c)(6) and 501(c)(3) organizations that support MWBE's and underserved communities impacted by COVID-19.

Related link: https://www.mrvgroup.org/