WURD AND PHILADELPHIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PARTNER TO SUPPORT BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES

May 20, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WURD AND PHILADELPHIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PARTNER TO SUPPORT BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES

In their ongoing commitment to connect Philadelphians with jobs and business development opportunities, WURD Radio joins forces with The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia for a strategic partnership.              

PHILADELPHIA, PA​ – WURD Radio (96.1FM | 900AM | @onwurd | wurdradio.com | WURD App​) recently launched a job portal through its Lively-HOOD initiative to connect its audience to employment opportunities in Greater Philadelphia. Now, WURD is announcing a partnership with The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia to work collaboratively to create a more inclusive and equitable post-pandemic economic recovery plan through various media, marketing and programmatic initiatives. At 9 a.m. May 20, WURD will host a live roundtable to announce the partnership featuring key stakeholders from the Chamber, an African American small business owner and WURD president and CEO Sara Lomax-Reese. It will be broadcast on all of WURD’s platforms: 900AM, 96.1FM, the WURD app and wurdradio.com.

In 2020, Black Philadelphians were much more likely to have filed initial claims for unemployment benefits and to have received benefits for a longer period than their peers, according to Philadelphia Works. This partnership aims to upskill and hire Philadelphians that have been dislocated from their jobs due to the pandemic and increase procurement opportunities for Black and Brown businesses with the broader business community.

“I am so incredibly proud of the Chamber’s partnership with Sara Lomax-Reese and WURD Radio – the heartbeat and pulse of our city’s African American community,” said Susan Jacobson, chair of the Chamber’s Board. “This partnership will enable the Chamber and its members, through our Recharge & Recover PHL initiatives, to connect with the Black and Brown-owned businesses and workforce that are so critical to inclusive recovery in Philadelphia.”

The Chamber’s Vice President of Civic Affairs Ken Anderson said, “I’m thrilled to partner with WURD to promote inclusive growth, particularly in the Philadelphia region’s Black and Brown business communities. The partnership demonstrates a real commitment to utilizing the diverse networks in our area to increase equity and business growth for all.”

“Lively-HOOD’s commitment to job creation, workforce development and small business growth aligns with the Chamber’s Recharge & Recover PHL initiative,” said Sara Lomax-Reese, president and CEO of WURD Radio. “As we know, Philadelphia’s Black-owned business community was in need of broader support and access to capital way before the Covid-19 crisis. But the pandemic made a bad situation even worse. We hope that this partnership will be a step towards connecting our community with greater opportunities that will lead to long term economic growth and empowerment.” 

About Lively-HOOD:

Lively-HOOD is a WURD initiative launched during the station’s Founder’s Day celebration in 2019. Since then WURD has expanded the project through strategic partnerships with organizations throughout the city focused on job creation, workforce development and small business development.   

The Lively-HOOD job portal also offers employers a place to feature employment opportunities, requests for proposals and contract opportunities for vendors. To submit opportunities to be featured in the job portal, please email sales@wurdradio.com. 

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Contacts: 

Sara Lomax-Reese

slr@wurdradio.com

Melissa Young

marketing@wurdradio.com 

ABOUT WURD

WURD ​(96.1FM | 900AM | @onwurd | wurdradio.com | WURD Radio App​) is the only African American owned talk radio station in Pennsylvania, and one of only three in the country. Since 2003, WURD has served as the heartbeat and pulse of Philadelphia’s Black community, providing an interactive format to educate, enlighten and empower. More information is found at wurdradio.com or by following @onWURD on Twitter and Instagram. Also on Facebook at ForWURD.

Lively-HOOD is a new initiative of WURD Radio, connecting Philadelphians to jobs, career readiness, entrepreneurship opportunities, small business resources and financial literacy. Visit wurdworks.com for more information.