Event Curated by Three Black Women Owned Companies – SocialXChange, Sweet Butter Hospitality & Hy-Lo News
Ten Miami-based changemakers were honored at the inaugural 2023 Black Achievers Award presented by Jack Daniel’s for their outstanding work in their respective fields. The award ceremony and mixer were created to recognize and celebrate South Florida’s Black professionals, community organizers, and activists who have made significant contributions to the South Florida community. Jack Daniel’s partnered with local Black-owned women’s businesses to curate and produce the award’s presentation that closed out Black History Month at the Historic Hampton House in Miami.
Honorees of the Black Achievers Awards included: Isiah “Zaybo” Thomas (Co-founder-Roots Collective), Whenda “Wanda” Tima (Founder L’Union Suite), Stichiz (103.5 The Beat Radio Personality), Dr. Geden Franck (Sports Medicine Physician-Memorial Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine), Michaeljohn Green (Deputy Director of Economic Development-Miami-Dade County), Barbara Jaques (Founder JACQ’S Skincare), Ashley Gantt, Esq, (Florida State Representative), Chanel T. Rowe, Esq. (Founding & Managing Partner at Uriel Law),Daniel Agnew (Co-founder-Roots Collective ), and James “Munch” Mungin (Roots Collective).
The award’s presentation celebrated Jack Daniel’s brand commitment to highlighting and celebrating Black professionals and entrepreneurs in the South Florida market. The event was headed by LaJuane Mack, Region Multicultural Manager – Central at Brown-Forman. The invite-only event featured a vintage Black excellence theme that naturally flowed with the ambiance of the Hampton House’s décor.
The Black Achievers Awards event was curated by a collaborative venture by Black Miami women entrepreneurs Alexis Brown – Founder of SocialXChange; Ernisha Randolph- Founder of Sweet Butter Hospitality Group; and Janéy Tate, Publisher of Hy-Lo News.
“We’re excited to come together and recognize our peers and new rising stars in South Florida. There is so much commentary about the brain drain and losing talent and millennial talent leaving South Florida, but this is a counter-narrative to that,” said Alexis Brown, Founder of SocialXChange. “The Black Achievers Awards celebrates what is great about Black South Florida and our contributions.”
The three Millennial Black women entrepreneurs joined forces to pull their resources and used their expertise in their industries with the mission to highlight the Black entrepreneurial leaders and community activists in South Florida.
“We are celebrating Black entrepreneurship and excellence and recognizing our Black entrepreneurial ecosystem who have undeniably impacted the South Florida community,” said Ernisha Randolph, Founder & CEO of Sweet Butter Hospitality Group and owner of We Shuckin restaurants.
The three women want to focus on people in the community who go unsung but deserve recognition.
“This is an amazing opportunity to work with great people to honor dope people from our community. I love that Jack Daniel’s is committed to being a brand that cares about the community and is committed to being plugged in by sponsoring the Black Achievers Awards,” said Janey Tate, Founder, and CEO of Tate Media Enterprises, which produces Hy-Lo News. “Hy-Lo News’ mission is to share the untold stories from the Black community in South Florida. This collaboration allows us to bring that work to life. I look forward to bringing more events like this to our community through this partnership.”
About Jack Daniel’s
Officially registered by the U.S. Government in 1866 and based in Lynchburg, Tenn., the Jack Daniel Distillery is the first registered distillery in the United States and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Jack Daniel’s is the maker of the world-famous Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey, Gentleman Jack Double Mellowed Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Apple, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye, Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select, and Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktails. Today, Jack Daniel’s is a true global icon found in more than 170 countries around the world and is the most valuable spirits brand in the world, as recognized by Interbrand.
About SocialXChange
Curating Cool Since September 2013. SocialXchange Miami is South Florida’s Premier Event & Marketing Agency that specializes in experiential marketing, events, experience, and outreach for Multicultural/ Urban Millennials, Young Professionals, and Influencers. They’ve got cred because they filled a long-standing void in the Miami market by creating innovative lifestyle events targeted to a previously untapped market of pretty awesome, college-educated, trend-setting, upwardly mobile local African-American+ Afro-Caribbean professionals primarily between the ages of 24-35.
SocialXchange has created new trends/ event concepts previously not seen in the creative event space in South Florida. Socialxchange curates all things cool such as lifestyle events such as monthly meet-ups, happy hours, day parties, nightlife events, community service projects, health initiatives, annual travel abroad events, and more. Visit: https://www.socialxchangemiami.com/
About Sweet Butter Hospitality Group
Sweet Butter Hospitality Group is a multi-conceptual hospitality group that manages, develops, and features a portfolio of various brands. These brands include WeShuckin Restaurant, Juanitas Kitchen Catering, The Candy Girls Gourmet Confectioners, The Sweet Butter Pop-up Dinner Show Tour, The Smash Room Multi-Media Company, The Juke Joint Restaurant, and other associated products.
Our Restaurants are set to have an edgy vintage restaurant experience, mostly with a live performance component. Our company seeks to develop a conglomerate of brands in and around hospitality showcasing foods, music, history & culture from the various regions of the United States that were more affected by the Southern culture created by African Americans. Visit: http://sweetbuttergroup.com/
About Hy-Lo News
Hy-Lo News was created after founder Janéy Tate discovered that Black residents were not properly provided coverage from local news outlets on matters, events, and issues they cared about most. As a result, in 2015, Hy-Lo News was brought to life. Hy-Lo News, short for “hyper-local,” is driven by its mission to provide a platform for hyper-local news for South Florida Black and Brown millennials. The media company is South Florida’s only news site dedicated to urban millennials.
Publisher Janey Tate knows firsthand, from her more than 13 years as a journalist, that having access to local information and news has helped people in the community to be informed and engaged citizens. Hy-Lo News believes all people should have access to local news and information that is engaging, betters their lives, and improve their community. Visit: https://hylonewsmiami.com/.
