The National Business League is ready to go digital and lead the charge in helping Black businesses transition into the online business sector. The COVID-19 outbreak has forced many businesses to develop new online savvy models, and NBL is following suit. The NBL has raised $1.8 million from several national tech firms to create a digital platform for Black businesses’ digital needs.
Black Enterprise reports that top investors were Computech CXL, a business enterprise technology firm and — MPS Group, a manufacturing firm. Chairman of MPS Group, Charlie Williams feels honored to invest in a historic company that continues Booker T. Washington’s legacy.
“It is an honor to help launch the National Business Leagues 120-year-old legacy founded by Booker T. Washington into the technology age, as the nation’s premier digital solutions provider for black businesses throughout the globe,” Williams told Black Enterprise.
According to Black Enterprise, the NBL has a new website and mobile app. In addition to the new digitization of its 120-year-old operation, the NBL is also preparing to close the tech gap for Black businesses with live streaming, social media platforms, and online virtual education and entrepreneurial training.
NBL CEO and president, Dr. Kenneth Harris, believes technology is the future of Black businesses and wants NBL to be a resource to aid in the transition.
“The revolution will not be televised; it will be digitized,” Harris told Black Enterprise.
The NBL’s new platform will be accessible to Black small businesses as well as businesses in the African diaspora. The platform will feature a business-to-business directory, public, and private sector contracting, a worldwide sourcing tool for government, and a capital portal for business financing.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the platform will also serve as a liaison between Black businesses and governmental and lending institutions.
With over 120,000 members nationwide and locations in Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. — the NBL’s new digital platform is a promising resource for Black businesses
