Minority Enterprise Development Week events at Hempstead Town Hall, Hofstra University

Minority Enterprise Development Week on Long Island will provide resources to underserved small businesses, according to a local chamber of commerce leader.

The Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce and the African American Small Business Foundation are hosting two local events — on Tuesday and Thursday — as part of the initiative. 

Phil Andrews, president of the chamber, said, "We needed to put a greater emphasis on Minority Enterprise Development Week and bring more resources to the community that’s underserved.”

On Tuesday, from 9 to 11:30 a.m., there will be an event at Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington St.

There will be small-business resources there, including representatives from banks, credit unions, the Internal Revenue Service and the New York State Small Business Development Center.

State Sen. Kevin Thomas will speak about the recently opened New York State Seed Funding Grant Program for small business owners.

On Thursday, an informational session about growing a business will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. at Hofstra University, Leo A. Guthart Hall for Innovation and Discovery, Room 112, 1000 Hempstead Tpke., Hempstead.

Those seeking to attend either event can register on the chamber’s website, www.liaacc.org.

There is a national Minority Enterprise Development Week — it was proclaimed as Sept. 18 through 24 this year by President Joe Biden — and chambers of commerce and other business groups across the country held local events to commemorate the week, but Long Island has never had its own designation before, Andrews said.

By Tory N. Parrish

tory.parrish@newsday.comToryParrish1

Tory N. Parrish covers retail and small business for Newsday. She has worked at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and Observer-Dispatch in Utica, N.Y.