Innovator Stories
For A.J. Enchill, the president and executive director of the Berkshire Black Economic Council (BBEC), economic development for Berkshire County and building up Black entrepreneurs and businesses go hand in hand.
“The makeup of our community in Berkshire County is changing,” Enchill said. “If we ever want to close the wealth gap and uplift this economy, we need to have a diverse plethora of racial makeup in our industries. It’s going to take Black and minority businesses, and other white-owned mom-and-pops, filling up our vacant storefronts.”
Innovator Stories
Meet A.J Enchill
For A.J. Enchill, the president and executive director of the Berkshire Black Economic Council (BBEC), economic development for Berkshire County and building up Black entrepreneurs and businesses go hand in hand.
“The makeup of our community in Berkshire County is changing,” Enchill said. “If we ever want to close the wealth gap and uplift this economy, we need to have a diverse plethora of racial makeup in our industries. It’s going to take Black and minority businesses, and other white-owned mom-and-pops, filling up our vacant storefronts.”
This means increasing access to capital and resources for Black entrepreneurs, as well as creating a more welcoming and supportive environment for people of all backgrounds. “There are more immigrants moving in. More families coming from Eastern Massachusetts and New York,” said Enchill. “They want to see other minority-owned businesses in their downtown.”
The BBEC formed in 2021 with three goals: increase the number of Berkshire Black businesses that are certified as minority-owned businesses; help Black-owned businesses gain access to business coaching, professional development, grants, and capital; and promote economic justice by advocating for public policy and increasing supplier diversity. Since it was founded, BBEC has awarded grants for local entrepreneurs, hosted business networking events, and created a Black-owned business directory.
“There’s a lot I have learned through these individuals and their businesses,” Enchill says of the people who have sought out the BBEC for help with things like business certification and technical assistance. “Access to capital is huge, but what should be in the forefront is getting others motivated to see themselves getting grants and capital,” he said. “You have to believe you could be a recipient to even apply in the first place. You have to believe the people you’re applying to believe in your organization. We want to help build confidence, help people learn how to be stronger grant writers, especially in the early stages of their business.”
Enchill grew up in Pittsfield, the eldest of four boys, and lives there today with his wife and son. His parents immigrated here from Ghana, and the family is close in relationship and proximity.
Ghanaians represent one of the largest immigrant populations in Berkshire County, and the Enchill children grew up in a tight-knit African community enclave (Enchill’s father is also a founding member of United Africans of the Berkshires). “We’re the ones who were born here as first-generation and are now filling workforce and leadership roles in this community,” he said.
During his undergrad years at Tufts, Enchill interned in Congresswoman Katherine Clark’s office, leading him to a passion for constituent services, which took him on a path to State Senator Adam Hinds’ office, where he worked until May 2022 while balancing the development of BBEC.
Enchill is also a mentor to young people in the community, including through Lever’s Berkshire Interns and Inclusive Internship Preparation Program. He understands the importance of helping shape the next generation of leaders, and how internships can often lead to full-time job offers, keeping young people in the area. “I try to provide as much advice as I can, given my own experiences, but I also want to connect them with resources and people. Giving them the right experience is an investment we can reap the benefits of,” he said.
The BBEC is also an advocacy body, open to collaboration with local organizations and working toward more equitable public policy in the Commonwealth. Enchill is also doing this work at the state level, participating in the Boston Fed’s Leaders for Equitable Local Economies initiative, a cohort of community leaders working on ways to rebuild economic systems in small MA cities.
He encourages everyone in the Berkshires to use the BBEC’s business directory, to volunteer, and to become a member (membership is open to Black-owned businesses, Black professionals, and anti-racist businesses and nonprofits that practice economic justice). “For every $1 spent supporting the Black community, it has four times the impact on the household,” he said. “That’s a well-spent investment.”
Collaboration and community—and a real commitment to equity in all forms—is what it will take to achieve meaningful economic development in the Berkshires.
Enchill said BBEC wants to work alongside organizations, ensuring “that we are being equitable and inclusive of Black entrepreneurs’ past experiences. Can you be open-minded to developing a program with an organization like ours, to make for a more positive experience and positive relationship-building? If we don’t, then we are likely to fall into the same mistakes and transgressions. We fall into the same tendencies to reproduce the same outcomes. It’s time to do something different and partner with us.”
This means increasing access to capital and resources for Black entrepreneurs, as well as creating a more welcoming and supportive environment for people of all backgrounds. “There are more immigrants moving in. More families coming from Eastern Massachusetts and New York,” said Enchill. “They want to see other minority-owned businesses in their downtown.”
The BBEC formed in 2021 with three goals: increase the number of Berkshire Black businesses that are certified as minority-owned businesses; help Black-owned businesses gain access to business coaching, professional development, grants, and capital; and promote economic justice by advocating for public policy and increasing supplier diversity. Since it was founded, BBEC has awarded grants for local entrepreneurs, hosted business networking events, and created a Black-owned business directory.
“There’s a lot I have learned through these individuals and their businesses,” Enchill says of the people who have sought out the BBEC for help with things like business certification and technical assistance. “Access to capital is huge, but what should be in the forefront is getting others motivated to see themselves getting grants and capital,” he said. “You have to believe you could be a recipient to even apply in the first place. You have to believe the people you’re applying to believe in your organization. We want to help build confidence, help people learn how to be stronger grant writers, especially in the early stages of their business.”
Enchill grew up in Pittsfield, the eldest of four boys, and lives there today with his wife and son. His parents immigrated here from Ghana, and the family is close in relationship and proximity.
Ghanaians represent one of the largest immigrant populations in Berkshire County, and the Enchill children grew up in a tight-knit African community enclave (Enchill’s father is also a founding member of United Africans of the Berkshires). “We’re the ones who were born here as first-generation and are now filling workforce and leadership roles in this community,” he said.
During his undergrad years at Tufts, Enchill interned in Congresswoman Katherine Clark’s office, leading him to a passion for constituent services, which took him on a path to State Senator Adam Hinds’ office, where he worked until May 2022 while balancing the development of BBEC.
Enchill is also a mentor to young people in the community, including through Lever’s Berkshire Interns and Inclusive Internship Preparation Program. He understands the importance of helping shape the next generation of leaders, and how internships can often lead to full-time job offers, keeping young people in the area. “I try to provide as much advice as I can, given my own experiences, but I also want to connect them with resources and people. Giving them the right experience is an investment we can reap the benefits of,” he said.
The BBEC is also an advocacy body, open to collaboration with local organizations and working toward more equitable public policy in the Commonwealth. Enchill is also doing this work at the state level, participating in the Boston Fed’s Leaders for Equitable Local Economies initiative, a cohort of community leaders working on ways to rebuild economic systems in small MA cities.
He encourages everyone in the Berkshires to use the BBEC’s business directory, to volunteer, and to become a member (membership is open to Black-owned businesses, Black professionals, and anti-racist businesses and nonprofits that practice economic justice). “For every $1 spent supporting the Black community, it has four times the impact on the household,” he said. “That’s a well-spent investment.”
Collaboration and community—and a real commitment to equity in all forms—is what it will take to achieve meaningful economic development in the Berkshires.
Enchill said BBEC wants to work alongside organizations, ensuring “that we are being equitable and inclusive of Black entrepreneurs’ past experiences. Can you be open-minded to developing a program with an organization like ours, to make for a more positive experience and positive relationship-building? If we don’t, then we are likely to fall into the same mistakes and transgressions. We fall into the same tendencies to reproduce the same outcomes. It’s time to do something different and partner with us.”