Get The Scoop On How Queens Tech Businesses can vie for Up to $20,000 in prizes

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Queens Tech + Innovation Challenge Helps Local Entrepreneurs Launch, Grow Successful Businesses

Contestants Take Classes, Network, and Vie for Up to $20,000 in Prizes

 

(Kew Gardens, NY) — Do you want to learn more about AI, branding, and financing? Would you like to meet other entrepreneurs? Are you looking for $20,000 to grow your Queens business or get a new one off the ground?

 

The Queens Tech + Innovation Challenge 2027 (QTIC), a six-month instruction-and-funding competition, launches during a special kickoff event at The Local at 13-02 44th Ave. in Long Island City on Tuesday, Oct. 27, from 6 pm to 8:30 pm.

 

Admission is free, and attendees will learn that QTIC participants take courses on such topics as agentic AI, AI-assisted Go-to-Market Strategy, and Financial Planning while also receiving one-on-one consultations with experts. In late February 2027, participants will submit their online applications in one of four categories -- Digital Innovation, Food + Consumer Products, Community, and Sustainability + Social Good -- to a panel of experts, who choose several finalists in each category. Then in April, those finalists will make live pitches to a second panel as they compete for four grants of as much as $20,000 each.

Get The Scoop On How Highly Regarded Author Max Miller Shines In Her New Sci-Fi Fantasy Novel - THE GORDITE

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"THE GORDITE" BRINGS A
GULLAH GEECHEE-INSPIRED
TEEN SUPERHEROINE TO LIFE
IN NEW SECOND EDITION

Author Max Miller releases an updated edition of her Young Adult sci-fi fantasy novel, rooted in Southern and Gullah heritage

Author Max Miller announces the release of the Second Edition of The Gordite: The Legacy of Sadie Mae Stevens - Book 1, a Young Adult sci-fi fantasy novel that draws deeply from her Gullah and Geechee cultural roots. Miller wrote the original story while living in North Carolina, and this new edition sharpens the narrative while keeping its Southern heart intact.

The novel follows Sadie Mae Stevens, a teenager who discovers she carries a hidden legacy connected to another world. After the devastating loss of her mother, Sadie begins uncovering secrets about her family, her extraordinary abilities, and a mysterious realm that has waited for her arrival. A powerful mountain named Lendra guides her, and an unforgettable frogman named Norris trains her, as she steps into a strange and wondrous forest filled with creatures unlike anything she has known.

Sadie's journey carries real stakes. The Tetradyne Rulers, a group of powerful beings, threaten Earth and the worlds connected to it. Among them stands the Gordite, a ruthless, one-eyed ruler who holds a devastating connection to Sadie's mother's past. Sadie must claim her power and her place in a legacy far bigger than herself.

Miller builds this story on the foundation of Gullah Geechee culture, weaving ancestral strength, resilience, and connection to land and lineage into Sadie's coming-of-age journey. Readers meet a heroine whose power grows directly from the history and spirit of her people.

"Sadie's story carries the voice of my own heritage," Miller says. "Her strength comes from the same place mine does: family, land, and a legacy worth protecting."

Get The Scoop On Dr. Tamika Quinn's Question To Target. You Want Our Dollars. Where Is Our Dignity?

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You Want Our Dollars. Where Is Our Dignity?

The Converse controversy demands more than an apology.

OP-ED By Dr. Tamika Quinn

Black Americans are valuable enough to market to. Why does respecting us still seem negotiable?

That is the question I keep returning to after seeing the Converse campaign image that drew criticism for visual associations with Klan imagery and lynching. The white silhouette, lighting, and dangling black sneakers disturbed viewers, including me. Converse apologized, acknowledged that it got the image wrong, and said it removed it from its channels. Converse’s response

I am glad the company acknowledged the problem. I am still livid.

Let me tell you, an apology does not obligate the people you offended to immediately restore your access to their trust—or their wallets.

This history happened here

Black people were enslaved, lynched, and terrorized in this country. Our families do not encounter imagery associated with that history as detached observers studying an old photograph. For many of us, that history is personal.

And the anxiety surrounding hanging deaths is not confined to the past.

In a September 10, 2026 statement, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley’s office cited at least 10 reported hanging deaths of Black people that year. Pressley and 59 colleagues called for comprehensive federal investigations. The figure includes deaths ruled suicide; it is neither a count of confirmed lynchings nor a complete national tally. Congressional statement

Some families have challenged official conclusions. Reporting on Juliana Nzita’s death, for example, raised questions about the absence of a full autopsy and the handling of evidence. Those concerns deserve examination, not automatic dismissal—and each case deserves conclusions grounded in its own evidence. Case reporting

That is part of the context in which this advertisement lands.

You cannot ask an audience to leave its history outside the frame simply because you intended to sell shoes.

Get The Scoop On the 10-Year Anniversary of Complete Girlz Inc.

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Complete Girlz, Inc. Celebrates
10 Years of Empowering Girls

Ten years of mentoring. More than 300 girls served. Countless dreams encouraged.

Founded in 2016 by Earlene Lezama-Taylor, Complete Girlz, Inc. is celebrating a decade of educating, motivating, and empowering girls. Based in South Jamaica, Queens, the organization offers virtual and in-person sessions specializing in self-esteem, leadership, and mentoring.

Among a group of 25 Complete Girlz, 23 have graduated—a 92% graduation rate. Their accomplishments reflect the determination of the young women and the support of the families, mentors, and community members who have encouraged them along the way.

Complete Girlz’s community work has received recognition over the years, including a 2018 proclamation from Senator Leroy Comrie, a 2019 proclamation from Alicia Hyndman, a 2019 Gem Among Us Award from Malik Melodies for Community Empowerment, a 2020 citation from Vivian Cook, and a 2022 proclamation from Adrienne Adams.

The organization has also partnered with I.S. 8, Jamaica Library, Rochdale Library, Saratoga Family Shelter, Starbucks on Sutphin Boulevard, and Rochdale Community Center to connect with girls and families throughout the community.

Get The Scoop From Dr. Tara S. Merchant On Why Ownership Matters for Black Creators and Entrepreneurs

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From Ideas to Assets: Why Ownership Matters for Black Creators and Entrepreneurs

"Building wealth is not only about earning income. It is also about understanding, protecting and retaining the value of what you create."

By Dr. Tara S. Merchant, J.D.

Black creativity and entrepreneurship have always played an important role in shaping culture, creating businesses and generating economic opportunity. 

From entrepreneurs and inventors to authors, artists, entertainers, designers, consultants and small business owners, Black professionals continue to turn ideas into products, services, brands and businesses.

But there is an important question that deserves greater attention:

Who owns what you create?

It is easy to focus on earning money from an idea, product or service. It is equally important to understand the rights connected to that work and whether you are building an asset that you can control over time.

Income and ownership are not necessarily the same thing.

You can be paid for your work without owning the intellectual property associated with it. You can build a brand for a company without owning the trademark. You can create content for a business without necessarily retaining the rights to that content. You can develop an idea that becomes commercially successful while someone else controls the underlying asset.

Understanding that distinction can change the way you approach business.

Before signing a contract, accepting an opportunity or entering into a partnership, ask questions about ownership and control.

Who owns the work?

Who owns the intellectual property?

Who has the right to use it?

Is that right exclusive or nonexclusive?

How long does the agreement last?

Can the other party transfer the rights to someone else?

Can the work be modified?

Can it be licensed to another company?

What happens if the relationship ends?

These questions may seem complicated, but they can have long term consequences.

Get The Scoop On Fun and Empowering Events in Southeast Queens the Weekend of October 3rd

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Fun and Empowering Events in
Southeast Queens the
Weekend of October 3rd

Get The Scoop On Where to Meet The Business Lenders

Help Us To continue to inform and empower our community please Donate. Get The Scoop Weekly On the Global Black Community and Southeast Queens, NY. Subscribe to Our Mailing List. Receive the Latest Events, News, Jobs, and Top Community Economic Development Stories Like this one Click Here | Reach up to 1.3 million people Promote

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 Queens Economic Development Corporation Presents

Access to Capital: Queens Lender Fair

Unlocking Growth: Queens Lender Fair
Connects Entrepreneurs with Crucial Capital

Small business owners and entrepreneurs in Southeast Queens will have a major opportunity to secure the financial resources they need to scale their enterprises on Tuesday, October 6, 2026. The Access to Capital: Queens Lender Fair, organized by the Queens Economic Development Corporation (QEDC), will take place from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center (JPAC), located at 153-10 Jamaica Avenue. [1, 2]

This high-impact, free networking and informational event is specifically tailored for seasoned business owners ready to transition to their next phase of growth. By bridging the gap between local entrepreneurs and mainstream financial systems, the fair addresses one of the most persistent hurdles in modern business development: obtaining reliable, sustainable financing. [1]

+------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+

| Event Attribute  | Details                                                     |
+------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+

| Event Name       | Access to Capital: Queens Lender Fair                       |
| Organizer        | Queens Economic Development Corporation (QEDC)              |
| Date & Time      | Tuesday, October 6, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM              |
| Location         | Jamaica Performing Arts Center (JPAC), Jamaica, Queens, NY  |
| Cost             | Free (Registration Required)                                |
| Target Audience  | Entrepreneurs, Startups, and Seasoned Business Owners       |
+------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+

Direct Access to Financial Ecosystems

For many minority, women, and immigrant-owned businesses in Jamaica and surrounding neighborhoods, traditional commercial loans can often feel out of reach due to strict underwriting metrics or institutional alienation. The Queens Lender Fair combats this by assembling a diverse array of institutional stakeholders under one roof. Attendees will be able to interface directly with representatives from: [1]

Commercial Banks: Traditional institutions offering standard credit facilities, commercial real estate financing, and business lines of credit.
Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs): Mission-driven lenders like Accompany Capital that focus on economic revitalization by extending credit to underserved markets. [1]
Microlenders & Alternative Funders: Entities specialized in smaller capital injections, alternative collateral rules, and highly flexible repayment models for early-stage or pivoting small businesses. [1]

Rather than navigating opaque online applications, business owners can pitch their business models directly to decision-makers, gaining immediate clarity on loan products, baseline eligibility criteria, and maximum funding amounts. [1]