Barãta Bey, President, African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania

There’s untapped potential for businesses to create new jobs that will directly impact the Western Pennsylvania economy. The African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania under President Barãta Bey is spearheading efforts to educate its members and the broader business community through new initiatives that cover workforce development, AI use cases, and the M&A landscape. Bey also discussed the impact of technology, particularly AI, on small businesses. “It’s really making a difference in the lives of our small-business owners,” Bey told Invest:.

What has been the most significant change at the chamber since you took over?

Recruited in November 2023 with an initial 6-9-month transition plan, I officially assumed leadership of the Chamber after 13 months, tasked by the hiring committee with a full modernization. Leveraging my background in community development and fintech, my immediate focus was on technological upgrades: we revamped the website for Google Analytics integration, transitioned to a digital newsletter for broader member outreach, and conducted internal tech audits to optimize daily operations. Concurrently, we streamlined financials and implemented robust accounting systems. Looking ahead, I then prioritized member ROI, surveying members to understand their vision for the Chamber. This revealed a strong desire for business scaling and growth, leading us to examine what foundational elements, particularly talent alignment, were crucial for their success. 

What programs and initiatives has the chamber introduced to support businesses?

Facing a nationwide workforce challenge, we’re acting this summer. We’re launching a new program with a key local organization to help small businesses generate jobs, and we’re partnering with Partner4Work to proactively develop the skilled talent required to fill every new position created. 

We are partnering with another organization to help small businesses strategically navigate mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Many entrepreneurs mistakenly believe M&A is exclusively for large corporations or banks, overlooking how they, too, can actively participate in this environment. This is especially critical given the significant number of Baby Boomer business owners who are successfully existing in the market after building thriving enterprises. While many have provided their children with excellent education, those children often don’t wish to take over the family business. If a suitable buyer isn’t found, these established businesses disappear, dissolving valuable banking relationships, severing long-standing customer ties, and eliminating crucial revenue streams from our communities. We aim to identify compatible buyers for these businesses, ensure the organizational culture is aligned for a smooth transition, and provide the essential wraparound services needed to help close these vital deals, preserving their legacy and economic contribution. Our goal is to ensure a strong potential buyer, align business cultures effectively, and deliver the necessary wraparound services to successfully close transactions. Those are some of the things that directly benefit our members. There’s also the advocacy piece. Understanding that we’re in a budget cycle in the state of Pennsylvania right now, we’re making sure all the issues impacting small businesses are in front of the legislators working on the budget. These concerns need to be at the forefront of those conversations. If we don’t advocate now, once that budget’s passed, it’s too late. 

What makes Pittsburgh and the broader Western Pennsylvania region the ideal location for businesses to relocate?

Pittsburgh’s strength as a hub for “eds and meds” remains a cornerstone of its economic appeal, drawing on world-class institutions like Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt), Chatham, Duquesne, and Robert Morris. These universities cultivate a highly skilled workforce, providing advanced training for sophisticated, high-level careers, particularly in burgeoning fields like Al, robotics, and biotech. For instance, Pitt and West Virginia University are actively collaborating on biotech workforce development in Appalachia, and facilities like Pitt Bio Forge are transforming lab breakthroughs into commercial ventures. 

Beyond high-level research, the region also boasts excellent schools offering technical skills crucial for in-demand jobs, such as lab technicians for the biotech industry. This diverse talent pipeline is a significant draw for businesses. 

Another major advantage for both small and large enterprises is Pennsylvania’s corporate net income tax, which, while historically high, is in a phased reduction and is among the lowest in the immediate region, currently at 7.99% for 2025 and decreasing further. While more work is needed to align tax credits specifically for attracting larger industries, smaller businesses benefit from appealing low-interest loans and grant programs designed to help them establish and grow in the area. This competitive tax environment, combined with the “brain trust” emerging from CMU and other universities, is particularly attractive to tech companies. Pittsburgh’s tech scene, for example, saw over 100 Al and robotics companies by 2025, with significant investment and job growth, largely driven by university talent and research. 

Finally, the region’s strong transportation system is a key asset. Despite some recent federal cuts at the state level impacting public transit funding, the system generally remains robust, connecting workers to employers and meeting the logistical needs of many businesses. The accessibility provided by this infrastructure is crucial for workforce mobility and continues to be a significant factor in attracting and retaining businesses in the region.

How is the chamber empowering smaller businesses through technology?

Comcast has been a huge supporter of ours. One of the things they’ve done is commit to this new digital age in technology and ensure small businesses understand how to navigate it. Through their support, we’ve facilitated workshops and brought in some of the best Al experts to speak with our members. 

We were strategic in how we rolled this out through our Business Institute workshops. We started at the macro level, from understanding Al, what it is, and what it does, to the pros and cons. From there, we moved to the micro level, focusing on how Al specifically helps small businesses. 

Once members understood how it plays a role in communications, marketing, managing supply chains, and more, we surveyed them and presented real-life challenges to our facilitators. We showed them how it can guide their path forward, and we’ve cultivated true working relationships. Now, we’re seeing more of our members come back and say they’re using tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, or Gemini, and sharing how it’s making them more efficient. For now, they’re using Al for administrative tasks, and we’re helping them get comfortable on this journey so they can begin implementing smart Al solutions to handle the tasks they previously didn’t have the staff for. It’s improved the efficiency of many small businesses. 

What are your top priorities for the chamber over the next two to three years?

We’ve secured vital funding from the Heinz Foundation to launch our first cohort of small businesses this summer, an initiative aimed at fostering growth and scaling through job creation, directly impacting the communities these businesses serve. This program, facilitated through the African American Chamber of Commerce’s Business Institute in partnership with Entrepreneurs Forever, is specifically designed to help Black and minority-owned businesses achieve significant growth by expanding their workforce. Our immediate priority is ensuring the successful launch and operation of this inaugural cohort. 

Our second key priority is the dedicated development of our Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) program. We’ve already conducted two workshops, engaging approximately 37 small businesses. Impressively, about seven or eight of these businesses are now actively pursuing M&A opportunities, which are very promising conversion rates for such a complex area. 

Finally, a major ongoing initiative focuses on introducing tailored programs and resources that assist the Chamber’s nonprofit members. This involves: 

Capacity Building Workshops: Offering specialized training on fundraising strategies, grant writing, board development, and effective marketing to enhance their operational capabilities. 

Access to Business Networks: Facilitating connections with corporate members for potential sponsorships, in-kind donations, or volunteer recruitment to bolster their support base. 

Visibility & Awareness: Providing platforms like member directories, newsletter features, and collaborative events to increase their public profile and attract donors and program participants. 

Advocacy for Nonprofit Issues: Representing the unique policy challenges faced by nonprofits (e.g., funding access, regulatory burdens) to local and state governments, ensuring their vital community contributions are recognized and supported.