Kristian Buchanan Newman, vice president of partnerships and advancements at the National Urban League says that she has to be very analytical to ensure that strategic partnerships are mutually beneficial. “My role requires me to make sure I understand what?s important to the media company, our corporate partners and NUL,” she said in an interview with The Network Journal last year. “In working on third-party partnerships, digital media and content marketing, I love putting a piece of the puzzle together.”
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Earlier this year, Buchanan Newman, a 2017 Network Journal 40 Under Forty honoree, tapped TNJ to partner with NUL on the latter’s annual TechConnect Summit, which focuses on emerging technologies and the intersection between racial justice and social change, and on Urban League 25, a new initiative that will honor 25 men and women under the age of 40 in all sectors. To Buchanan Newman’s credit, the partnership makes perfect sense. Through its 40 Under Forty Achievement Awards program established in 1998, TNJ, for 21 consecutive years, has recognized Black men and women under the age of 40 for their commitment to excellence in their careers and for their commitment to their communities. Now, as the official media partner for Urban League 25, TNJ has signed on to write and publish the profiles of the 25 NUL honorees in its fall 2018 issue and provide print and online features chronicling the initiative.
The Urban League 25 initiative was largely inspired by NUL president and CEO Marc Morial’s 25 years in public service. “Marc has mentored so many next-generation leaders, so Urban League 25 is part of his succession plan that ?There?s no success without a successor,” explains Buchanan Newman. “It’s his opportunity to groom and highlight the next generation of leaders in this space.”
Founded in 1910, NUL is a nonpartisan civil rights organization originally known as the National League on Urban Conditions Among Negroes. Based in New York City, it “advocates on behalf of African-Americans and against racial discrimination in the United States.” Morial, former mayor of New Orleans, was appointed president and CEO in 2003, replacing Hugh Price who had led the organization since 1994. Says Buchanan Newman, “The word that comes to mind when I think of Marc’s leadership is innovative. It’s inspiring to work for a great leader who encourages us to push to the next level, to be creative and innovative, and always look for opportunities to expand on and touch as many people as possible.”
NUL’s annual events include the State of Black America, held during the organization’s Legislative Policy Conference; the Annual Conference, which includes the TechConnect Summit; Urban League 25; and the Equal Opportunity Dinner. Launched four years ago, TechConnect was conceived to address the lack of diversity in the tech space. For the same reason, TNJ launched its first-ever tech platform, @tnjTechExchange, in October 2017, under the inaugural theme, ?The Art of the VC,? featuring a panel discussion on venture capital.
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TNJ also will serve as the official media partner for NUL?s 2018 Annual Conference / TechConnect, scheduled to take place Aug. 1-4 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. Under the partnership, TNJ will organize and moderate a panel titled, “Accessing Venture Capital,” to provide information for startups to scale their businesses. The conference’s title sponsors are Toyota, Cardinal Health, Nationwide, ONE Brands and AET Electric. “When it comes to partnerships, collaboration is the new currency,” notes Buchanan Newman. “We all have something we can bring to the table, especially when the partnerships are strategic and there?s a clear understanding of what each partner is bringing to the table to ensure mutual benefits.”
(TNJ Senior Editor Sergie Willoughby will serve as moderator for the “Accessing Venture Capital,” panel at the Urban League’s 2018 Annual Conference / TechConnect summit.)
(Register today for their Annual Conference! bit.ly/RegisterNUL #SaveOurCities)
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