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February 25, 2022

Black Business Alliance cuts ribbon on new HQ at CT Post Mall

PHOTOS | Liese Klein The Black Business Alliance storefront in the Connecticut Post Mall.
By Liese Klein

Celebrating an expansive new space for training, networking and showcasing products, the Black Business Alliance (BBA) hosted the grand opening of its state headquarters inside the Connecticut Post Mall in Milford on Thursday.

“We showcase Black excellence on every level,” said BBA Executive Director Anne-Marie Knight, gesturing to a lounge area, work stations and an enticing retail space spotlighting African jewelry and clothing by local designers.  “We're excited about what the future holds for us.”

PHOTO | LIESE KLEIN
Black Business Alliance Executive Director Anne-Marie Knight with a Kenyan beaded necklace at the group’s new hybrid office and retail space in the Connecticut Post Mall.

With 200 members and hundreds more on its contact list, the BBA hopes to expand the network and economic power of Black businesses in the state from its new headquarters, Knight said. 

“The best thing I believe that we do is community-building,” Knight said. “It's also about encouraging Black businesses to do business with each other, to get to know each other, to support each other so that we have our own ecosystem.” 

Founded in 2014 by New Haven business leader Howard K. Hill, the BBA had operated offices across the state before deciding to centralize at the new Milford location, Knight said. A New Haven outpost remains at 419 Whalley Ave. as a mailing address and meeting location. 

The business group’s new digs reflects a growing trend at the nation’s beleaguered shopping malls — replacing mass-market retailers with nonprofits, service providers and other non-traditional tenants. 

In addition to the BBA, the Connecticut Post Mall now houses the Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce, Harrigan Insurance and Financial Services and the Pantochino Productions theater company. 

Knight has been part of BBA since its founding and rose to leadership after witnessing the impact of the pandemic on Black enterprises, which shuttered a disproportionate number of Black-owned companies.  

“I reached out to the organization because I was concerned that Black businesses were closing; I didn't hear the voice of BBA and I knew businesses were struggling,” Knight said. “I actually volunteered at first to kind of step in and just kind of keep us moving forward to be able to provide services for our businesses.”

The ongoing economic challenges of the pandemic have sparked new energy in the group, Knight added.

“We've just seen explosive growth,” Knight said. “Folks are calling, reaching out to us to provide services for our businesses. And that's anything from technical assistance, helping to fill out applications, business plans, anything that the business would need.”

The onslaught of the omicron variant, which slowed business even as state and federal aid was drying up, has posed an additional challenge, she added. But new businesses are sprouting up in record numbers. 

“I feel like people have always had these dreams that they wanted to start a business,”  Knight said. “But now with the time to think, focus, really take a good look at yourself and the environment that we're in, it's time to do it now. It's about legacy-building.”

Contact Liese Klein at lklein@newhavenbiz.com.

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