Club Nokia provides venue for West Coast Expo mixer
Supporters of the Expo gather
A lively crowd showed up at Club Nokia, hosted by AEG/L.A. Live, to demonstrate support at the West Coast Expo’s pre-event mixer. They noshed on Wolfgang Puck finger food, imbibed favorite beverages, schmoozed and, of course, chatted up the Expo. The event was held Thursday from 6 to 10 p.m.
Among the organizations represented were Presenting sponsors AT&T (Technology Pavilion), Wells Fargo (Business Pavilion); the Kidney Care Institute (Health Pavilion); Platinum sponsor Verizon (Technology Pavilion); Gold sponsor AEG; Silver sponsors Time Warner Cable, The Gas Co. and US Bank; Bronze sponsors HSBC, Bank of America, Walmart, Los Angeles County and Southern California Edison; and Supporting sponsors YWCA, Union Bank, Los Angeles World Airport. Others included Operation Hope, the Black Business Association, Farmers Insurance and the Crenshaw Chamber of Commerce.
State Sen. Curren Price, a huge supporter of small business in the state, brought greetings from Sacramento. Several staff members from Our Weekly, the guiding force behind the Expo, were present.
Expo CEO and Our Weekly Publisher Natalie Cole opened the program with greetings and announced the presenting, platinum, gold, silver and bronze sponsors. COO of both the Expo and Our Weekly, David Miller, welcomed the guests. Earl “Skip” Cooper of the Black Business Association was the MC.
AT&T Director of External Relations Donovan Green told guests that AT&T “really supports the efforts of the West Coast Expo. AT&T is very proud to make an investment in networking. Our job is to make everyone’s networking life better in Los Angeles.”
Saxophonist Mark Allen Felton provided the sounds.
The West Coast Expo’s (WCE) founders and business partners Natalie Cole and David Miller conceived it as a signature event to be looked forward to by the business community every year.
Their goal is to bring a diverse, multicultural component to local commerce, ideally encompassing the surrounding western states in years to come, and, of course, bringing in a cash return for participating businesses.
Anyone entering the West Coast Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center first saw the imposing banners featuring the two forces behind the event—Natalie Cole (CEO) and David Miller (COO)—hanging overhead observing the goings-on like watchful parents. Then they took in the panorama of the event—aisles of vendors and sponsors on each side—on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
West Coast business is expected to receive a massive jolt this summer, something that may kick-start a revolution among both small and large entrepreneurs. The groundwork has already been laid.
Minority business ownership has grown significantly faster than the national average for more than a decade, according to data released by the Census Bureau.
Winners at the 37th Black Business Association Los Angeles awards dinner held June 2 show off their plaques. From left are Cecil House representing Southern California Edison, winner of Majority Corporation of the Year; Timothy J. Leiweke, president of AEG developers of L.A.
Founded in 1968, the Brotherhood Crusade’s principal mission is dedicated to building and sustaining an institution that raises funds and resources from within the community and distributes those funds directly back into the community. Brotherhood Crusade has a history of building alliances with other organizations, corporations and foundations of good will that are committed to and understand the tremendous need for helping our community and people grow and prosper.
