The City Skilled Mixer (UPMIXER) is internet hosting its annual occasion, the Vacation Soirée, on December 9 on the newly opened Renaissance New York Harlem Resort in Harlem. The occasion goals to advertise networking, scholarship celebrations, and recognizing notable group leaders.
This yr’s occasion coincides with the Starlight Awards, a night devoted to honoring excellent achievements and contributions locally.
UPMIXER brings collectively a various collective of Black professionals and organizations, together with the Nationwide Black MBA Affiliation, New York Empire State Medical Affiliation, One Hundred Black Males, Nationwide Black Nurses Affiliation, New York City League Younger Professionals, Nationwide Society of Black Engineers, New York Affiliation of Black Journalists, Black Knowledge Processing Affiliation, and Nationwide Gross sales Community.
The coalition had its first vacation gathering in 2016. Quick-forward to 2023, UPMIXER needed to spotlight individuals in varied industries via an awards ceremony. The awards will increase funds for the entire organizations concerned, together with scholarship funds.
“We needed to make sure that we’re recognizing breakout leaders inside this numerous ecosystem of execs,” stated George Sainteus, government director of UPMIXER and board member of the Metro New York Chapter of the Nationwide Black MBA Affiliation and of the Harlem Tourism Board. “As a part of our already-established mixer, we determined to honor some people and that’s how the Starlight Awards have been born.”
Sainteus stated having the occasion uptown has nice significance in persevering with the legacy of Black professionals who’re thriving in Harlem.
“Selecting Harlem because the venue for the Starlight Awards is a deliberate homage to the cultural heritage and recognition of the professionals who’re at the moment making measurable impacts [and] echoing the trailblazers of the Harlem Renaissance period,” he stated.
This yr’s honorees embrace Jay Alexander Martin, founding father of clothes firm FUBU; activist Tamika Mallory; Larry Scott Blackman; Ebony Janice; Dr. Torian Easterling, former first deputy commissioner and chief fairness officer for the NYC Division of Well being and Psychological Hygiene; former Metropolis Councilmember Robert Cornegy; Spectrum Information NY1 reporter Dean Miminger; previous president of Empire State Medical Affiliation, the late Dr. Christopher A. Phang; Norville Barrington, president of the Metro New York Chapter of the Nationwide Black MBA Affiliation; and cosmetics firm Estee Lauder.
“We have now 4 pillars that we hope to perform with the occasion: We need to promote these organizations, fundraise, shine a light-weight on breakout group professionals, and rejoice the vacations,” Sainteus stated. “We need to create an ecosystem of Black professionals inside the New York Metropolis ecosystem.”
