The Ujima Business Alliance (UBA) is a local business association sponsored by the Boston Ujima Project for community-oriented companies within its network. Members of the UBA are business owners, managers, and entrepreneurs who are committed to advancing social and economic justice through the private sector. Ujima Businesses align their corporate practices with their values by creating good jobs, sharing ownership and wealth, meeting local needs, and generating community benefits. Business Alliance Members find strength in unity, and value cooperation over the competition to achieve shared success.
The current UBA members in this directory have joined based on relationships and information that comes out of our Neighborhood Assemblies, and are working to co-create the dues and criteria for the alliance moving forward. When Ujima’s governing body votes to approve our collective Community Standards, with the guidance of the Community Standards Committee, businesses will re-apply to join the Ujima Business Alliance based on the new standards.
LOCAL GOOD BUSINESSES DIRECTORY
CERO (Cooperative Energy, Recycling, and Organics) is an award-winning commercial composting company based out of Dorchester, MA. They provide food waste pickup and diversion services for a wide range of commercial clients in the metro Boston area, and transport compostables to local farms where they are returned to the soil and used to support the local agricultural economy. Their mission is simple: keep food waste out of landfills, save money for their clients, and provide green jobs for Boston’s hard working communities.
Our grassroots partners provide political leadership and root our work in ongoing struggles for housing justice, labor rights, youth empowerment, environmental justice, and more. Their expertise and membership bodies help to guide our process of creating community-led standards and investment plans for our local economy. Visit our Organize page for more information on how to support our grassroots parners.
Email nia_at_ujimaboston.com to learn about becoming a grassroots partner.
Black Economic Justice Institute is a nonprofit organization that works to advocate and develop programs that address justice and economic opportunity for black and other people of color of Boston.
UJIMA STAFF TEAM
Nia Evans
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
James Vamboi, Jr.
CHIEF OF STAFF, COMMUNITY, AND CULTURE
Johnny Charles
MANAGING DIRECTOR,
UJIMA FUND
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Cierra Peters
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
Jenny Geffrard
BUSINESS ALLIANCE
COACH
Paige Curtis
CULTURE AND COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATE
Mercedes Loving-Manley
ARTS & CULTURAL ORGANIZING FELLOW
Somala Diby
FUND INTERN
Anton Jayavendra
FUND INTERN
Elijah McCants-Green
FUND INTERN
CO-FOUNDER: AARON TANAKA
JOIN THE TEAM
Full Time (For Immediate Hire)
Internships (Rolling)
COMMUNITY STANDARDS COMMITTEE
Joyce Clark
Community Health Advocate,
NAACP New England Area Conference Chair on Climate Change
Luis Cotto
Program Manager,
Mass Cultural Council
Mea Johnson
Director of Community Organizing,
Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative
Alex Ponte Capellan
Community Organizer,
City Life/ Vida Urbana
Elie Tigalo
Worker Owner,
Tanám
INVESTMENT COMMITTEE
Alex Ponte-Capellan, Community Standards Committee
Kerry Bowie, Founder, Msaada Partners
Maya Gaul, Director of Sales, CERO
Miriam Gee, Co-Founder, Co-Everything
Pat Miguel Tomaino, Director of Socially Responsible Investing, Zevin Asset Management
ADVISORY BOARD
Bithiah Carter, President, New England Blacks in Philanthropy
Jed Emerson, Author and Strategic Advisor to Family Offices
Rodney Foxworth, Executive Director, BALLE
Darlene Lombos, Executive Director, Community Labor United (CLU)
Brian Nagendra, Assistant Director, Catalyst Impact Funds at Living Cities
Jessica Norwood, Entrepreneur and RSF Social Finance Fellow
Jocelyn V. Sargent, Executive Strategic Consultant,New Commonwealth Racial Equity & Social Justice Fund
Morgan Simon, Author and Founding Partner, Candide Group
Mark Watson, Managing Director, Boston Impact Initiative
Kat Taylor, Co-Founder, and CEO, Beneficial State Bank
Michael Curry, Esq., Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Government Affairs & Public Policy, Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers