Menu
We want Black entrepreneurs and businesses to utilize our services and programming for their growth and self-sufficiency.
By encouraging economic justice and implementing new regional initiatives, we hope to open access to capital, technical assistance, and patronage. We are here to provide support to entrepreneurs and promote existing businesses. We aim to attract and inspire other Black businesses to relocate to the Berkshires.
Teeashia Scott was born and raised in Greenville, SC and she takes pride in acknowledging her indigenous Cherokee and Gullah Geechee lineage from both Upstate SC & Savannah, GA. In addition, she recognizes and honors the indigenous Mohican Indians of Berkshire County, where she relocated in 2019! Growing up Teeashia was extremely active, which is where her love for cheerleading was founded. She cheered periodically moving into high school where she was also a part of the step team. In 2014, Teeashia graduated from Woodmont High in Piedmont, SC. ln addition to her high school diploma, she received a three year Introduction to Teaching certification. During her senior year she assumed her initial role of corporate leadership, as she was promoted within her very first job to assistant manager. After school, she moved towards pursuing her passion for fashion…Doing so led to experiences in roles such as production & wardrobe assistant for both Charleston & Georgia Peach Fashion Week! She has worked as the point of contact and VIP assistant for the 2018 DTLR Fashion Showcase.
Teeashia’s dedication towards achieving her goals led to an internship, which developed into the role of Executive Assistant for Chapman Products and the Personal Assistant for former Editor-in-Chief of Sheen Magazine. Teeashia served as Assistant Operations Manager for Sheen Magazine’s 2018 Kimmie Awards weekend and has also been a featured actor on Tyler Perry’s Greenleaf, twice. Teeashia’s passion for event planning and creative direction was taken to another level when she coordinated her very own production: Building an Empire, Upstate Showcase (Greenville, SC). The showcase featured several fashion designers & boutiques, hair stylists, as well as musical artists! With her extensive experience in production management, networking, and professional administrative assistance, Teeashia has worked alongside many influential brands and celebrities including Hustle Gang, Matthew Knowles, Medina Islam, Vedo, Deborah Joy Winans, Rotimi, 112 and many more!
Upon relocating to the beautiful Berkshires, she initially built community via Kripalu Yoga & Wellness Retreat Center. During that time, she simultaneously accepted roles within Kripalu Schools, Human Resources, and as an assistant to the Kripalu Board of Trustee members. Serving as the perfect balance, it allowed Teeashia to dive deeper into meditation, energy healing, and herbal wisdom. Teeashia loves to paint, watch lectures and documentaries, along with exploring all of nature’s healing elements. Over the years, she grew to understand the importance of exploring ancestral roots, as well as protecting BIPOC birthing mothers, babies, and families. As a result, she became certified as a labor and postpartum doula in 2020. Her skill sets and philosophies are reflective of southern, traditional birth-work.
In addition to currently managing the career of Ghanaian percussionist, Star Nii, she is also Executive Assistant for the Berkshire Black Economic Council! Teeashia is elated and inspired to continue her journey towards entrepreneurship, community development, and building generational wealth and legacies.
Samuel Opoku Abora (also known as Boras) brings hope and inspiration to several people here
and in Ghana where he was born and raised. He is a loved and cherished husband, father, son,
sibling, cousin, uncle, mentor, educator, and godfather to amazing people who also inspire him
greatly. He is a proud Black African who loves people and what he does. He is also a devoted
Christian –a member of the Berkshire Hills Seventh-Day Adventist church, who puts God first in
all his endeavors.
Samuel believes in and strives to create a socially just world through what he does. He received
most of his education in Ghana where he was a professional educator for several years. Apart
from teaching, he was also a Kente weaver, an entrepreneur, a barber, a radio presenter, and a
children’s soccer trainer. Samuel moved to the United States in 2016 to work with children with
special needs at Hillcrest Educational Centers in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
Samuel is in the final stages of PhD education at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst
studying to be a teacher educator. He has expertise in teacher education and curriculum studies;
language, literacy, and culture education; and race, social justice, post/anticolonial, critical, and
children’s education. While at UMass-Amherst, Samuel served on the status of diversity council.
He was the college of education representative at the graduate students’ senate, a member of the
student’s advisory board, an executive committee member of the graduate students’ senate, a
member of the international students’ committee, a member of the diversity, equity, and inclusion
committee, member of the first generation, transfer, and financial insecurity taskforce, and served
on several other college-level committees at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Due to
his love for working with children with special needs, he is also pursuing a master’s degree in
Behavior Analysis at Purdue Global University.
Apart from working as a certified Registered Behavior Technician and direct care professional
for several companies, Samuel has been a special education teacher in some elementary schools
here in the Berkshires. He has also been an adjunct professor at Westfield State University and a
teaching assistant to Dr. K.C.N. Turner at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and to Dr.
Loretta Ross at Smith College. Samuel is a social justice educator and aims to contribute to
creating a socially just world through education.
Samuel has other talents and passions as being an inventor, innovator, and entrepreneur. He has
invented and made prototypes of several products and has been providing invention concepts to
the College of Engineering’s senior capstone design course program at UMass-Amherst. He has
also completed the EforAll Entrepreneurship Accelerator and UMass Amherst’s Collegiate
Summer Venture programs for startups and entrepreneurs.
In his spare time, Samuel is a licensed financial professional for World Financial Group working
with over 130 financial companies between the U.S. and Canada. He offers financial education to
individuals and families about wealth creation, financial freedom, and financial security. He is
committed to endeavors that empower Blacks and minoritized groups. Samuel is delighted to be
part of the BBEC team. He sees it as a wonderful opportunity to enjoy new adventures, learn,
contribute to the progress of the Berkshires region that has offered him a new home, partake in
the creation of a socially just world, and make a difference.
Born to immigrants from Ghana, A.J. is a native of Pittsfield and the eldest of four brothers. A.J. is a graduate of The Governor’s Academy, where he was a dorm proctor and lacrosse captain. He went on to play varsity lacrosse at Tufts University, where he was also a BLAST scholar, a Latin Tutor, and he earned a B.A. in American Studies. A.J. is a two-time National champion and facilitated class discussion for an American Studies prerequisite course called “Race in America.”
Since 2017, A.J. has performed constituent services and community outreach as the District Aide for State Senator Adam G. Hinds. He was formerly the board co-chair for Multicultural BRIDGE. A.J. is a past board member of Berkshire Community Action Council and Community Health Programs. He also served on the C4 Arts Initiative. A.J. is on The Executive Committee of the Berkshire County Branch of The NAACP where he serves as the Economic Development and Justice Chair. A.J. is the founder and President of the Berkshire Black Economic Council. A.J., is now participating in the Boston Fed’s Leaders for Equitable Local Economies where he and his brother Auric, support BIPOC businesses in The City of Pittsfield by working with city and key institutions to shift approaches to small business support and purchasing.
In 2022, A.J. was awarded the Non Sibi Sed Aliis Award by The Alumni Council of The Governors Academy and he was named Berkshire 25 by Berkshire Magazine. The Healy-Driscoll Transition Policy Committee appointed A.J. to serve as a Co-Chair for The Jobs and Flourishing Economies Transition Committee for Governor Maura Healy’s administration. A.J. has since been appointed by Governor Healy to serve on The Governor’s Advisory Committee on Black Empowerment for The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
A.J. returned to his hometown to impact his community in a way that inspires young folks to return to the Berkshires to strengthen the place that raised them.
Born and raised in the Berkshires. Nyanna has been very involved in the community with her parents Manny and Vannessa Slaughter. She grew up playing sports at the local YMCA and Boy’s & Girl’s club. She was Captain of her high school varsity sports teams. She was a member of the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce Youth Leadership Program now referred to as 1Berkshire Youth Leadership Program. During her tenure at Taconic she was a part of Business Professionals of America. She was one of the first members of the Rites of Passage Empowerment Program. She graduated from the University of New Haven with a Bachelor Degree in Criminal Justice for Investigative Services with a Minor in Business Management in 2018. She was on the Basketball team for two years. Nyanna volunteered with the New Haven Reads Program to help provide literacy to elementary and middle school children. She is currently working to finish her Masters of Business Administration concentrating in Accounting from Fitchburg State University.
Nyanna worked as a camp counselor, coordinator, and co-director for the Marilyn Hamilton Sports & Literacy Program for over 7 years. She was a host at her local Applebee’s and administered drug tests and performed security work for the Berkshire Community Correction Center. She interned for the U.S. Senate her junior year of college and after graduating she joined the staff as a Staff Assistant. After six months she transitioned to the Regional Director for Western Massachusetts. She currently serves as the Regional Director for Central Massachusetts. She has been with the Senate for three years now. She is a member of the Pittsfield School Committee.
Nyanna has a heart and drive for service for her community. Nyanna is enrolled in an educational platform to bring access, exposure, and understanding to financial literacy and the foreign exchange market. She is utilizing this platform and her experiences throughout her career to enrich and empower her community.
Warren C. Dews Jr. has worked in the media industry for close to three decades. Dews has extensive knowledge in Advertising, Marketing, Sales and Operations. Dews is well regarded as a senior management professional with extensive experience in the development and leadership of core business processes; a creative problem-solver; and someone who is able to innovate strategies that increase productivity, enhance customer satisfaction, and improve cost-effectiveness. Fittingly, in 2004 Dews was named one of Press Time’s “Top 20 Under 40” by the Newspaper Association of America in the entire newspaper industry. Dews understands the importance of staying connected to his business and the community. Over the past 10 years Dews has sat on the Boards of Pittsfield Economic Revitalization Commission, Pittsfield Community TV, 1Berskhire Chamber Association, and Downtown Pittsfield Inc. He currently sits on the Boards of Berkshire United Way, Boys & Girls Club of the Berkshires, Black Economic Council and the New England Association of Circulation Executive where he was named the first African American President in 102 years of the organization. Dews is currently the Publisher of two newspapers in Greenville and Ravena NY, Real Estate Sales Executive with The Kinder Group and is also the CEO of The Country Club Cigar Lounge and Dews Management Inc./ In his role as DMI he manages the careers of many musical artist and other talents across the spectrum. One of his artists currently sings background for John Legend.
Dews graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Virginia State University (HBCU) in 1993. In 1988, he also graduated from the very famous “FAME” High School in New York City now called Fiorello H. LaGuardia HS of Music and the Performing Arts. In 1995, he was signed with Atlantic Records as a recording artist. He has worked with artist such as Jam Master Jay for the well-known Group Run DMC, Eddie F from Heavy D and the boys to name a few. He has also sung on stage with Billy Preston and Patti Labelle for a 4th of July celebration. Dews is also a Minister at Price Memorial AME Zion Church in Pittsfield MA. He is married to his wife Roberta and the couple has three children, Warren III, West and Kennedy.
Alfred Enchill “Al”, migrated to the United States from Ghana in 1988 and lived in Bridgeport, CT. He moved to Pittsfield, MA in 1991 where he has settled since and raised his four sons, A.J., Auric, Adrian, and Alec Enchill. He attended University of Ghana, Legon and also studied Business Administration at Berkshire Community College.
He is the Owner/President of Elegant Stitches Inc. an embroidery, screen printing, and promotional product company established in 1997 and located in Pittsfield, MA. He is a founding member of United Africans of the Berkshires. Al is also the president of African Catholic Community of Saint Marks in Pittsfield, MA. A member of Knights of Columbus, Al enjoys movies, documentaries and he is an avid scrabble player.
Born and raised on the Ivory Coast of West Africa, Steve has been in the Berkshires for the past 25 years. He received both his BA and MBA from Mass. College of Liberal Arts (MCLA). Currently, Steve is a Counselor for Berkshire County Housing where he has worked for the past 7+ years. He is an active member of the United Africans of the Berkshires.
Stay current with BBEC news & events by subscribing to our List Serve here.