Happy MWBE Tuesday, Black History Month and Valentine’s Day to our Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. family, friends, clients and community partners!

We hope that everyone had a great weekend!

Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc.’s CEO Kecia Palmer-Cousins, COO Kevin Cousins and the Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. team kept it moving as usual meeting with MWBEs, catching up on some administrative projects, taking some downtime to relax with friends and family and celebrating black history. 

We will share highlights from a few of the black history month events that we recently attended in this week’s Philanthropy Thursday’s newsletter on Thursday.

All work and no play is not fun! Therefore, like millions of people across the world, we took some downtime to watch the BIG GAME!

Sunday was Super Bowl Sunday, the Big Game between The Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles! 

Chiefs beat the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII

By Matt Meyer, Maureen Chowdhury and Mike Hayes, CNN

• The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles in a thrilling 38-35 shootout at Super Bowl LVII. Two high-powered offenses put on a show.
• Quarterback star-power: The game featured a historic faceoff between league MVP Patrick Mahomes and dynamic newcomer Jalen Hurts. Mahomes won this round, turning in a gutsy performance despite injury.
• Rihanna rules halftime: The superstar singer dazzled in a 13-minute performance of her greatest hits, owning the stage and skipping the typical guest appearances. Then she broke the internet with reports she's pregnant with her second child.

Super Bowl LVII, what a game! You can experience the night as it happened by scrolling through the posts below, or read more about the Chiefs' victory and relive Rihanna's stunning halftime show.

Patrick Mahomes celebrates after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles to win Super Bowl LVII. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes holds the Lombardi Trophy after winning Super Bowl LVII. (Matt Slocum/AP)

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce celebrates with Mahomes. (Ashley Landis/AP)

Deon Bush, left, and Joshua Williams celebrate. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is dunked with Gatorade after winning the Super Bowl LVII. (Matt Slocum/AP)

For the second time in four years, the Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl champions.

The Chiefs, led by star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday. Harrison Butker kicked a 27-yard field goal with eight seconds left to all but cinch the victory.

Mahomes, who threw for three touchdowns and 182 yards, was named the game's Most Valuable Player. He was also named the league's MVP on Thursday.

Check out even more of the best images from the game with CNN’s Super Bowl photo gallery.

Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime show makes us feel like she’s the only girl in the world

By Lisa Respers France, CNN

Rihanna performs onstage during the Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show at State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Rihanna, dressed all in red, including red lipstick, she kicked off the performance flying high over the field on a floating stage singing many of her numerous hits. Rihannia is a Barbadian superstar who has routinely topped charts across the globe while mixing and matching pop, dancehall, R&B, EDM, and adult contemporary material.

Click here to read more about Rihanna’s “fire” performance.

Kecia’s paternal grandmother’s (Loretta Palmer) cousin Otis Blackwell also sold million of records back in the day.

Otis Blackwell was an American songwriter, singer, and pianist whose work significantly influenced rock ‘n’ roll. His compositions include Elvis Presley’s “Don’t Be Cruel,” “All Shook Up” and “Return to Sender,” Little Willie John’s “Fever,” Jerry Lee Lewis’s “Great Balls of Fire” and “Breathless” (with Winfield Scott), and Jimmy Jones’s “Handy Man.”

Otis Blackwell was born on February 16, 1931 in Brooklyn, New York. He won a local talent contest at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York in 1952, at 21. He could not, however, transform his initial accomplishment into a successful career as a performer. His own recordings never cracked the Top 40 on the hit parade charts. “When you hit them with your best stuff and they just look at you, well, it’s time to go home,” he said.

Blackwell then turned to song writing and soon became one of the leading figures of early rock ‘n’ roll, despite being virtually unknown to the public. Blackwell wrote million-selling songs for Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dee Clark and other leading artists throughout the 1950s. He also recruited other songwriters to write for Presley such as Winfield Scott. When a contract dispute with his publishing company forced him to stop writing songs under his own name, he adopted the white-sounding pen-name, “John Davenport.” Throughout his lifetime, Blackwell (aka Davenport) composed more than a thousand songs which had worldwide sales of close to 200 million records.

Kecia, Kevin and the Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. team love our customers, clients and community partners!  We love flowers too! Kecia’s parents, Obie and Leroy Palmer, used to lovingly present beautiful red roses grown in their back yard to Kecia at her dance recitals every Father’s Day weekend. Kevin loves surprising Kecia with flowers and chocolate on Valentine’s Day.   

Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone! Treat yourself and or your loved ones to a beautiful bouquet of flowers! Stop by EMY Custom Flowers, owned by one of our favorite client’s, Sherry Grimes-Jenkins today to smell the roses and pick up some beautiful, colorful flowers for yourself or your loved ones. You’ll be glad that you did! You may even see us there! Sherry provides us with tips daily to help us keep many of our plants alive and well!  We absolutely love our sistahfriend, client and mentee. She is family! She is Botanically Garden trained so she knows about “flowers”. Especially exotic flowers! Sherry is a floral designer extraordinaire! Born in Barbados, like Rihanna, she brings color and beauty to all of her floral designs!

Congratulations to Sherry on being featured this week on CBS News. (See newsclip below.) We wish her much success as she prepares for the Philadelphia Flower Show coming soon. The Philadelphia Flower Show is an annual event produced by The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) and traditionally held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in early March. It is the oldest and largest indoor flower show in the world, attracting more than 250,000 people annually. Sherry’s floral designs at the 2021 Macy’s Flower Show!

In 2023, the Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. team will continue to:

• assist MWBE’s navigate government and corporate procurement via business coaching and technical assistance.
• provide personal and professional development training to employees of non-profits, government, corporate and educational institutions.

Make this year the year that you live your dreams and focus on self-care! Take time to relax, rejuvenate , connect with your loved ones and “yourself”.  It's’ok to take a time-out sometimes! Breathe! Take a walk, exercise, sleep, get your feelings off your chest, call a friend!

Kecia and Kevin dedicated today’s edition to our heart and soul, our sons Kendall and Kyle and our first loves, our mother’s Obie Palmer and Andrea Stewart-Cousins

and our father’s Leroy Palmer and Thomas Cousins!

We love you all!

MWBE TUESDAY RESOURCES

Below are some networks and resources that Minority Women Owned Business Enterprises and small business owners can connect with to help them get through these challenging times. We’ve got your back!

When it comes to small business, Westchester County is committed to creating a level playing field and helping everyone succeed. The Minority and Women-Owned Business Program is an excellent resource for minority- and women-owned businesses, which may be just starting out or have long been established in the local economy. Reap the most benefits of this program, register today. Minority and Women-Owned Business Program

Book your appointment today with the Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. Team to get your business back on track in 2023! We provide business coaching, workforce development training and help MWBE’s get certified as they navigate the government and corporate procurement process! MWBE’s, Government Agencies and Non-Profits are our favorite clients!

Training & Consulting | NYC/Westchester County/Tri-State | Aerobasoul

Many minority and women business enterprise entrepreneurs use their local, County and State Agencies to stay current and tap into potential resources and procurement opportunities for their businesses and their communities.

Getting MWBE Certified and procuring government contracts can help MWBEs build their businesses! Grants and loans are also parts of MWBEs portfolios to grow their businesses. 

HUDSON VALLEY GATEWAY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – BUSINESS AFTER HOURS

DOG HAUS – February 15, 2023

INTRODUCING THE BOSS NETWORK and SAGE INVEST IN PROGRESS GRANT – APPLY BY FEBRUARY 25, 2023!

To qualify for The BOSS Network and Sage Invest in Progress Grant, you must:   

• Be a Black woman-identifying entrepreneur who is the leading executive (i.e. Founder) of a for-profit small business founded in the last five years
• Have a demonstrated need for funds
• Be willing to participate in a virtual mentoring program

The application deadline is February 25, 2022, at 6 p.m. ET. So, if you are a Black women entrepreneur in need of funding and support for your small business, don’t miss this opportunity to be considered for The BOSS Network and Sage Invest in Progress Grant.

NEW YORK STATE ASSOCIATION OF BLACK, PUERTO RICAN, HISPANIC & ASIAN LEGISLATORS, INC. 52^nd ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE 2023

IN ALBANY, FEBRUARY 17^th – 19^th, 2023

NEW YORK POWER AUTHORITY

SUPPLIER DIVERSITY EXPO 2023

MARCH 1, 2023

THE DEPARTMENT OF SMALL BUSINESS SERVICES – NYC SMALL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY FUND

NEW - Low Interest Small Business Loans for NYC Entrepreneurs!

If you're a NYC-based business - a startup, growth-stage business, or needing a boost after the pandemic - the NYC Small Business Opportunity Fund is a trusted, affordable way for you to invest in your business.

• No minimum credit score required
• Loans up to $250,000 at 4% fixed interest rate
• Free business support
• Easy to apply
• No application fee

Apply today and get your business on a sustainable path toward growth and success. Or, if you've already applied, spread the word to other small businesses.

The NYC Small Business Opportunity Fund is made possible through public-private partnerships with Goldman Sachs’ One Million Black Women, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, Community Reinvestment Fund, USA (CRF), local Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), and small business service centers.

Call 888-SBS-4NYC or visit SBSOpportunityFund.nyc for questions or help with your application.

THE GENERAL CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION

OF NEW YORK, INC.

April 27, 2023

WESTCHESTER COUNTY BLACK HISTORY MONTH

AND OUR AWARDS CEREMONY

February 23, 2023

Trailblazers 

PRESERVING OUR LEGACY

Westchester County Executive George Latimer,

The Westchester County Board of Legislators and

The Westchester County African American Advisory Board

Invite You to Join Us For a Virtual Celebration

Black History Month and

Our Trailblazers

Awards Ceremony

Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023 | 6 p.m.

Visit facebook.com/westchestergov to view the event.

Honoring Westchester County’s

Outstanding African American Citizens

Civic Engagement

“Vernon E. Jordan, Jr. Award”

C. Douglas Dixon, Esq.

Economic Development

“Madam C. J. Walker Award”

Dr. Valerie Mason Cunningham

WOMEN WHO DARE TO BE DIFFERENT

March 25, 2023

Have a safe and great week! Stay connected with us so you stay connected! Follow us on our social media! Live your dreams in 2023! We thank each and everyone of you for your continued support and business!

Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc! We help MWBEs focus on the health and wellness of their business! Let us help you make your dreams, business and professional and goals come true in 2023! 

We are here for you! Just give us a call at 914-737-7237 or schedule a consultation with us at www.aerobasoul.com. You’ll be glad that you did!

Stay safe and continue to reach for excellence! Try to put your best foot forward every day. Most of all, be kind to yourself and others! Special shout out to our parents, family and friends for your continued love and support to us! Let’s continue to be bridges for success for each other and our businesses! See you on Philanthropy Thursday! 

Sincerely,

Kecia and Kevin