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.
A Berkshires native, Tova has returned to her roots, joining BBEC after a diverse
journey spanning holistic wellness, business, and community empowerment. Her
degree in Holistic Psychology from Lesley University in Cambridge instilled in her
valuable skills in communication, team management, and self-reflection, shaping her
holistic approach to community engagement.
Growing up immersed in the world of local commerce at her mother’s flower
shop, Berkshire Flower Company (owned by Bridget Brown), Tova witnessed firsthand
the power of community connection and the importance of supporting small businesses.
From creating prom flowers and celebrating weddings to offering solace to those
grieving, Bridget’s dedication and hard work ethic—as a single mother supporting two
children—deeply influenced Tova. It is with this deep appreciation for small business
owners, particularly in Berkshire County, that Tova brings her own strong work ethic to
the Berkshire Black Economic Council, dedicated to fostering meaningful relationships
and strengthening the community.
For the past three years, Tova resided in San Diego, California, where she
contributed to the expansion of Birdrock Coffee Roasters, a local specialty coffee
company, by assisting in the opening of their eighth location. This experience provided
valuable insights in financial literacy, business development, and interpersonal
relationship management, culminating in a unique set of skills that she is eager to share
with the BBEC community.
Gloria is an Afro-latina Berkshire county native, who has lived among other places in the US, and traveled to the US and beyond. While only a senior in high school, Gloria has and continues to serve on many boards in her school community, church community, and the Berkshire county community as a whole, wearing many different hats in every room she enters. She serves as the 2026 Samya Rose Stumo youth leadership award winner, The president of her theatre department, A scholar in the Rights of Passage and Empowerment program, an Alumni of the Berkshire County wide Youth Leadership program, a Ministry leader at her church, a Student Director at her school, and many, many more.
Gloria has always had a profound love for the arts having been involved in them her entire life, most notably the Performance Arts. She spends her free time acting, singing, traveling, and enjoying the presence of the ones she loves, both the humans and the furry friends that she hopes to care for and treat one day.
Gloria has the ability to walk into a room and command it with her presence, to be able to light up a room with her smile, and bring confidence, energy, and compassion to anything and everything that she does. She hopes that through the Berkshire Black Economic Council she can shine a light on underappreciated, and unnoticed black and brown artists in the Berkshires, and make space for all the black and brown people that have been denied a space before in our society, and our community.
Tonia Pinheiro is the Wake Up! Artist, a term she coined in 1997 to describe her multi-faceted artistic and spiritual expressions in service to those who are seeking inner peace and connection with their own divine nature. She is founder of Wake Up! Works, Iseeu Theater, and Sanctuary of Divine Presence and Expression with an overarching mission to help shift humanity’s operating paradigm from fear to Love. She currently serves on the board of True Story Theater (treasurer) and The Sacred Light Fellowship (secretary). More at ToniaP.com.
Tonia’s art is expressed through sound healing experiences, world healing meditations, ceremonies, workshops, study groups, educational events, retreats and improvisational theatre. She has published two books and guides people of all ages and identities in the art of deep listening and self-reflection to help them navigate the awareness of and ability to live from their Soul-self and divine nature in everyday life. She thrives on collaborating and working with those who seek to lift others up.
Last century, her 35-year career was based in and around Boston MA and focused on human resources, labor relations, organizational culture and systems, interpersonal communications, and social healing through consulting and serving in senior management or board positions in state government, private, corporate, educational, non-profit, arts and spiritual organizations. Tonia holds an M.A. in Organizational Management, a B.A. in Legal Services, is a Coach U. graduate, and an Ascension Path minister and life-long practitioner.
Kamayue Gomes is a multidisciplinary artist, poet, musician, community organizer, and humanitarian based in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. His work is rooted in creativity, connection, healing, and the belief that art can be a powerful tool for bringing people together and creating meaningful change.
Through Project New Growth, Kamayue works to support vulnerable members of the community, particularly people experiencing homelessness, incarceration, recovery, and housing instability. His approach centers on peer support, dignity, accountability, opportunity, and creating spaces where people can reconnect with themselves and their community.
Kamayue is also the creative force behind Sanctum Café, a community gathering space in downtown Pittsfield that brings together food, art, music, conversation, and local culture. Through his music and poetry, he uses personal experience and storytelling to explore love, struggle, growth, spirituality, community, and the human experience.
Whether he is performing, creating art, feeding people, organizing community programs, or simply bringing people together, Kamayue’s work reflects a deep commitment to making Pittsfield a more connected, creative, and compassionate place.
Kamayue Gomes is a multidisciplinary artist, poet, musician, community organizer, and humanitarian based in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. His work is rooted in creativity, connection, healing, and the belief that art can be a powerful tool for bringing people together and creating meaningful change.
Through Project New Growth, Kamayue works to support vulnerable members of the community, particularly people experiencing homelessness, incarceration, recovery, and housing instability. His approach centers on peer support, dignity, accountability, opportunity, and creating spaces where people can reconnect with themselves and their community.
Kamayue is also the creative force behind Sanctum Café, a community gathering space in downtown Pittsfield that brings together food, art, music, conversation, and local culture. Through his music and poetry, he uses personal experience and storytelling to explore love, struggle, growth, spirituality, community, and the human experience.
Whether he is performing, creating art, feeding people, organizing community programs, or simply bringing people together, Kamayue’s work reflects a deep commitment to making Pittsfield a more connected, creative, and compassionate place.
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.
Born and raised in Pittsfield, Stephen grew up in the sports community. Throughout most of his adolescence years he was involved in youth athletics for the local Boy’s and Girl’s club. Stephen was named Captain of his high school Lacrosse team while graduating with Honors, being an active participant in the school’s Leo Club and was also a member of the National Honor Society. He then attended Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts where he studied Mathematics and helped form the roots of the now MCLA Lacrosse team.
After a seven-year tenure as an assistant manager in the food industry, Stephen made a career shift into banking and joined NBT Bank. In the eight years he has been with NBT Bank, he has been a branch manager in Lee, held a seat as a board member for the Lee Chamber of Commerce and currently manages the North Street location in Pittsfield and was just recently appointed as a board member for Downtown Pittsfield Inc.
Stephen is excited to bring his experience and enthusiasm to his local community! He has years of banking experience and has worked alongside NBT’s Commercial department for most of his career. Stephen is not shy about questions and does not hesitate to find the answer to anything!
Lawrence Klein began his career as an attorney during the dot-com boom, an exciting and unpredictable time to be working at the intersection of law and emerging technology. He is a graduate of Clark University and Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, experiences that helped shape both his legal and creative pursuits. While living in New York City, he followed a long-standing passion for comic books and the arts by founding the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art and launching the MoCA Art Festival. Both the museum and festival grew into meaningful creative communities, a legacy he remains proud of. He has also curated comic book art exhibits both locally and internationally.
Following the events of September 11 attacks, his priorities shifted toward nonprofit work. In 2006, he moved to the Berkshires full time and, with the exception of a couple of years, has been working at the The Darrow School ever since. He has remained actively involved in the community through volunteerism and board service, currently serving with the Berkshire Black Economic Council and the Berkshire Art Association. A notable piece of trivia: he is the inspiration for Larry Kleen in the Dick Tracy comic strip, a detail that continues to spark conversation.
Frank Cousins served as the Essex County, Massachusetts Sheriff. Cousins became the first African-American sheriff in Massachusetts when he was appointed to the position in 1996 by then Massachusetts Governor William Weld. As Sheriff, he instituted an innovative drug and alcohol detoxification program that he made available to the community to facilitate diversion treatment programs for persons with substance use disorders.
Prior to his appointment to sheriff, Cousins had served on the Newburyport, Massachusetts City Council, and then in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1993 up until he became sheriff. As a Republican, Cousins has won elections for the sheriff position in 1998, 2004, and 2010 in heavily Democratic Essex County.
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