Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/770139
President/CEO of the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC), Ron Busby, Sr. congratulated Santa Rosa entrepreneur and business owner Letitia Hanke with the Small Business of the Year Award (Northern Region) for her business ARS Roofing Solutions, Inc. The award was presented by Aubrey Stone, the president of the California Black Chamber recently at the Ron Brown Business and Economic Summit, which was held at th e Sheraton Gateway, Los Angeles. Hanke is currently the president of the North Bay Black Chamber of Commerce, which serves Marin, Sonoma, Napa and Lake counties, and serves as vice pres- ident of the California Black Council of Chambers, which encompasses nineteen Black Chambers throughout California. As a contractor and business owner in a male dominated field, Hanke has risen to success because of har d work and a philanthrop- ic spirit. In 2004, she started her own company ARS Roofing, Gutters & Waterproofing. The year 2016, marked 12 years in business and 20 years in the industry for Hanke. She currently employs 20 full-time employees and services most of North Bay. I N T H E N E W S B M & T ••• September/October 2016 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 6 OneUnited Bank, the largest Black owned bank in America and the first Black internet bank, is launching the national #BankBlack Challenge, designed to harness the economic power of the Black community focused on one clear financial message that #BlackMoneyMatters. The challenge: Participate in the #BankBlack Chall- enge by opening a OneUnited Bank $100 UNITY Savings account online from anywhere in America at www.oneunit- ed.comac/bankblkchallenge and challenging 20 friends to the same. In recent weeks America's Black community has gal- vanized via social media, Black media and word of mouth, answering the call for a show of economic force by mov- ing their money from traditional banks to black owned banks, like OneUnited Bank. The #BankBlack movement intensified on July 8th, 2016 when Rapper Killer Mike implored the Black community to deploy "a portion" of its financial resources to make a tangible difference during a town hall meeting on BET and MTV. Other celebrities such as Solange, Jessie Williams, Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Queen Latifah, and more have joined BAY AREA BUSINESS OWNER LETITIA HANKE AWARDED SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD BY THE CALIFORNIA BLACK C OF C ONEUNITED BANK LAUNCHES THE NATIONAL #BANKBLACK CHALLENGE TO DEMONSTRATE BLACK ECONOMIC POWER Participate in The Movement by Opening a $100 Savings Account Online and Challenging 20 Friends to Do The Same Letitia Hanke and Ron Busby