* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:19] WELL, WELCOME, WELCOME TO TSU, UM, TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY. I AM STEPHANIE LEN'S PAGE, REGEN SNELLEN'S PAGE. AND IT IS A PLEASURE TO HAVE ALL OF YOU HERE TODAY. UM, YOU ARE GOING TO BE HEARING FROM A NUMBER OF PEOPLE ABOUT THIS EXCITING OPPORTUNITY TO INCLUDE OUR MAYOR, UM, AND THEN LEADERSHIP FROM VERIZON, ROSE STUCKEY KIRK. YOU'LL BE HEARING FROM, YOU'LL BE HEARING FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSTON FUND FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ECONOMIC EQUITY, THOMAS JONES. AND YOU WILL ALSO BE HEARING FROM OUR ILLUSTRIOUS PRESIDENT HERE, PRESIDENT CIA, CRUMPTON YOUNG, AND A BUNCH OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS ARE HERE. SO WE ARE WELCOMING YOU, UM, TODAY, AND SO GLAD TO, FOR YOU TO BE HERE FOR THIS MOST EXCITING OPPORTUNITY. NOW, I'D LIKE TO JUST BRING TO THE STAGE MY MAYOR, MY, THE FAVORITE, MY FAVORITE MAYOR IN THE WHOLE LONG WORLD. I, I HAVE THE HONOR OF SERVING AS HIS STAFF LIAISON, AS HE LEADS THE AFRICAN AMERICAN MAYORS ASSOCIATION, AS HE LEADS THE CLIMATE MAYORS, AND AS HE LEADS RESILIENT CITY MAYORS, AND AS HE SERVES AS A TRUSTEE FOR THE US CONFERENCE OF MAYORS. SO HE'S NOT ONLY RUNNING THIS CITY, HE'S RUNNING THE COUNTRY. SO WITHOUT ANY FURTHER ADO, LET ME BRING TO THE MICROPHONE, MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER. THAT LET ME, LET ME THANK STEPHANIE FOR THOSE VERY GRACIOUS, GRACIOUS COMMENTS. AND, UH, MADAM PRESIDENT, SHE DOES WORK FOR ME, UH, ON MANY DIFFERENT LEVELS. I PAY HER QUITE A BIT, , AND, UH, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY A DOLLAR A YEAR FOR ALL OF THAT. BUT, UH, TRUSTEE, UH, STEPHANIE NEVINS PAGE, THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH MADAM PRESIDENT. IT, IT IS JUST GOOD TO BE ON THE CAMPUS OF TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY. UH, QUITE FRANKLY, I CAN'T THINK ABOUT THE GROWTH OF, UH, HOUSTON, UH, WITHOUT CONSIDERING TEXAS SOUTHERN AND EVERYTHING THAT TEXAS SOUTHERN BRINGS TO, UH, TO THIS CITY. AND UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP, JUST UNDER A SHORT STAY, A LOT OF POSITIVE, POSITIVE THINGS ARE HAPPENING, SEEM LIKE ALMOST EVERY DAY. WE'VE BEEN HERE SEVERAL TIMES, UH, JUST RECENTLY. SO IT'S GOOD TO BE WITH YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. UH, LENE TO, UH, UM, UH, ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE TODAY, THE LEADERSHIP OF THE HOUSTON SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ECONOMIC, UH, FUND, ALL OF THE BOARD MEMBERS, UH, WHO ARE, WHO ARE PRESENT, AND THERE ARE SOME DISTINGUISHED, UH, FOLK WHO ARE HERE, IT'S GOOD TO BE WITH THEM, UH, TO GERALD SMITH OVER THE FOUNDATION HERE AT TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, UH, MAKING HIS WAY IN HIS OWN ROUTE, RIGHT? SO IT'S GOOD TO BE WITH, IT'S GOOD TO BE WITH HIM. AND THEN I'VE GOT TWO, UH, OUTSTANDING, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE WITH ME. DO I HAVE THREE? I GOT THREE. YEAH. UH, THESE THREE ARE MY FAVORITE. UH, THESE ARE, THESE ARE MY THREE FAVORITE COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, BUT, UH, LET ME START WITH, 'CAUSE WE ARE IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION, DISTRICT D CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ. SHE REMINDED ME I HAVE 30 MINUTES TO BE IN THIRD WARD, AND THEN I'VE GOT TO EXIT, YOU KNOW, AND THEN, UH, WE HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER, SALLY AORN AT LARGE, AND THEN A NEIGHBORING COUNCIL MEMBER FROM DISTRICT B COUNCIL MEMBER ASHA JACKSON. AND THEN, OF COURSE, UH, UH, THIS IS A SPECIAL OCCASION THAT'S, UH, BECAUSE OF VERIZON. SO ROSE STUCKEY KIRK IS ALSO HERE AS WELCOME TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON. BUT LET ME BE VERY BRIEF. THERE ARE OTHERS WHO ARE GONNA BE FOLLOWING ME. SO LET ME JUST SAY GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE. UH, AS, UH, UH, HAS BEEN HIGHLIGHTED BY STEPHANIE KNOWNS PAGE, ONE OF, UM, OUR PRIORITIES FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, FOR THE CITY IS TO STRATEGICALLY ADDRESS NEEDS WITHIN [00:05:01] THIS CITY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES AND NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE VITAL TO THE WELLBEING OF OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY. AND THIS OPPORTUNITY THAT HAS BEEN GENEROUSLY AFFORDED TO THE HOUSTON FUND FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ECONOMIC EQUITY, BE THE VERIZON FOUNDATION GRANT FUSED, TRANSFORMATIVE TRACTION FOR HOUSTON, SMALL BUSINESSES AND NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. WHEN WE ANNOUNCED THE HOUSTON FUNDS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ECONOMIC EQUITY FUND NOT TOO LONG AGO, UM, WE ENVISION COLLABORATIONS WITH CORPORATIONS SUCH AS VERIZON, UH, THAT WOULD HELP TO UNDERGIRD AND ACTUALIZE THE VISION THAT WE HAVE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON CANNOT DO ALL THINGS AND BE ALL THINGS TO EVERYONE. AND IT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO PARTNER, UH, WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR LIKE VERIZON, UH, TO PARTNER WITH OUR ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS LIKE TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, IN ORDER TO MAKE FOR, UH, TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE, UH, AND ENHANCEMENTS WITHIN OUR CITY. TODAY, WE ARE HONORED TO ACCEPT THE VERIZON FUNDING. THERE'S $300,000 DONATION. WE'LL HELP BUILD UPON OUR EFFORTS AND PROVIDE SUPPORT TO HOUSTON'S DIVERSE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. BUT QUITE FRANKLY, FOR VERIZON, THIS IS NOT THE FIRST GIFT. I HAVE STOOD WITH VERIZON, RIGHT HERE AT TEXAS SOUTHERN FOR PREVIOUS CONTRIBUTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE, UH, TO THIS INSTITUTION AND TO OUR CITY AS A WHOLE. SO THIS IS CONSISTENT, UH, WITH VERIZON BEING VERY SUPPORTIVE HERE ON THE LOCAL LEVEL, AS WELL AS BEING SUPPORTIVE ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL WITH THE AFRICAN AMERICAN MAYOR'S ASSOCIATION, WHICH I CHAIR AS THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY WITH MANY PEOPLE SEEKING EMPLOYMENT AND OPPORTUNITIES, SMALL BUSINESSES PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE HOUSTON ECONOMY. IT IS A BENEFIT FOR OUR CITY TO PROVIDE EVERY TWO NEEDED TO HELP THEM TO SUCCEED. AND MANY OF OUR BUSINESSES OWNERS ARE IN THIS ECOSYSTEM CALLED ON WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO HELP AND GROW ENTREPRENEURS, AND FINALLY, THEY START FROM THE GROUND UP TO SHIFT THE WEALTH TRAJECTORY OF THEIR FAMILY LINES UPWARDS. UH, YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE HOUSTON FUND FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ECONOMIC EQUITY ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE FUELING TRACTION TOWARDS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR COMMUNITIES BY MAKING AN INVESTMENT IN TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY'S PROGRAMS, WHICH FOCUS ON SMALL BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL LITERACY, THIS INVESTMENT BY VERIZON AND TO THE FUND, BUT ALLOW CONTINUED OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS AND NONPROFITS AS THEY SEEK TO BE INNOVATIVE, EXPAND AND EVOLVE IN A WAY THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITIES. SO IT WAS WORTH MY TIME AND THE MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL, UH, TO BE HERE TO SAY THANK YOU, UH, TO A VERIZON. WE APPRECIATE THAT AND LOOK FORWARD TO A GROWING RELATIONSHIP. I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T MENTION DARYL CARTER BACK THERE, UH, WHO HAS WORKED WITH ME, UH, GOING BACK ALL THE WAY TO 1991 WHEN HE WAS A DRIVER, UH, FOR ME, , HE REP, HE REPRESENTS HOW YOU CAN START AS A DRIVER AND THROUGH YOUR ENTREPRENEURIAL OPPORT, WHEN OPPORTUNITIES ARE PRESENTED, YOU CAN RISE UP TO THE GREATEST HEIGHT IN THIS, IN THIS CITY. IT IS A CITY OF OPPORTUNITY. AND I'M NOT GOING TO JUST TALK ABOUT DARYL, YOU KNOW, I TOO GREW UP IN THE HOOD, STILL LIVE IN THAT SAME HOOD. AND WHEN YOU COME FROM A, A FAMILY OF NINE WHERE A MAMA MAY BRING, WE HAD NINE KIDS AND END UP BEING THE MAYOR. THIS IS A CITY OF OPPORTUNITY, AND I WANT VERIZON HERE. SO I WANT VERIZON ROSE TO KNOW THAT, UM, THE CONTRIBUTION THAT YOU'RE MAKING TO THE FINDING YOU ARE SITTING NEXT TO WITH NOW, UH, FROM HEB, UH, WHO PROVIDED THAT FRUIT BACK THERE THAT I'VE GOTTEN FULL UP, UH, YOU KNOW, , I'M IN THE HOOD. I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT SOME ALUMINUM FALLS SO I COULD HAVE PUT IT BACK. . LET ME, LET ME STOP. I, I'VE ACT I'M BETTER PRESIDENT. I BACKED IT UP RIGHT NOW, BUT, UH, BUT NO, THIS IS, THIS IS A GREAT DAY AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE CONTRIBUTION OF VERIZON. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO IT'S REALLY, REALLY HARD TO FOLLOW ALL OF THAT. BUT I AM ROSE STUCKEY KIRK, AND I AM BOTH VERIZON'S CHIEF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OFFICER AND PRESIDENT OF ITS FOUNDATION. AND IT IS A PLEASURE TO BE HERE WITH YOU, MAYOR. A PRESENT PLEASURE TO BE HERE WITH YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT, AND TO ALL THE DIGNITARIES. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT. I AM A [00:10:01] PROUD FOURTH GENERATION GRADUATE OF A-H-B-C-U, AND I AM PLEASED THAT WE HAVE A FIFTH GENERATION EXTENSION INTO WHAT HBCUS MEAN BECAUSE MY SON CONNOR IS HERE AND HE WILL SOON BE IN MAY, A GRADUATE OF TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY. AND SO NATURALLY, I CONSIDER THIS ENVIRONMENT TO BE MY SECOND HOME. AND IT IS FOR THAT REASON THAT AS WE THINK ABOUT OUR OPPORTUNITY AND OUR OBLIGATION AT VERIZON TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE ENGAGED WITH THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH WE SERVE, IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO US TO BE AS SUPPORTERS OF THE HOUSTON FUND FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ECONOMIC EQUITY. I RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT OUR MONEY WILL DO TO BUILD COMMUNITY AND TO BUILD SMALL BUSINESSES BECAUSE I AM THE DAUGHTER OF A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, A FATHER WHO WORKED SO HARD TO ENSURE THAT HIS CHILDREN WOULD HAVE EXPOSURE AND OPPORTUNITY. AND I AM ONE OF EIGHT. SO I UNDERSTAND THE MASSIVENESS OF PARENTS WHO ARE LIFTING THEIR CHILDREN. AND SO THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN FUND AND WE CAN PARTNER WITH YOU TO DRIVE OPPORTUNITY IN THIS COMMUNITY AND IN THIS CITY IN THE FOURTH LARGEST ECONOMY IN THE NATION, WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO US AT, AT VERIZON. SO OUR $300,000 IS A THANK YOU. IT'S A THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN BE A PART OF A GROWING AND THRIVING COMMUNITY, AND THAT OUR CORPORATION THEN CAN BE SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE THERE IS AN ECONOMY THAT IS WELL SUPPORTED. THERE ARE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE THRIVING, THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ABLE TO HAVE THE RIGHT EDUCATIONAL FOOTPRINT. AND SO WE DO ALL OF THAT BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF PARTNERSHIP. SO ON BEHALF OF VERIZON, THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING THIS OPPORTUNITY, AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO TOGETHER AS A RESULT OF OUR FUNDING FOR THE HOUSTON FUND FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ECONOMIC EQUITY. SO THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, AND THANK YOU AGAIN. UH, I AM, UH, THOMAS JONES, AND I'M HONORED TO SERVE AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSTON FUND FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ECONOMIC EQUITY. AND I HAVE A NUMBER OF BOARD MEMBERS HERE IF, UH, WITH ME, IF THEY WOULD ALL STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED. STEPHANIE, HELEN PAGE, GORDY STER, PAUL CANNINGS, VANESSA GILMORE, JUDGE VANESSA GILMORE, I'M SORRY, RETIRED JUDGMENT. VANESSA GILMORE, BARON WALLACE. AND IS ANYBODY ELSE? OKAY. GIVE THEM ALL AROUND APPLAUSE. AND OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, IF YOU WOULD, STAND UP AND BE RECOGNIZ. THANK YOU. I TOO AM A PROUD GRADUATE OF AN HBCU SCHOOL. SO I SHARE IN, UH, IN THIS WONDERFUL GIFT THAT VERIZON HAS BESTOWED UPON TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY. AND WE ARE SO PROUD TO BE THE STEWARDS OF THAT, OF THAT GIFT AND WORKING WITH CLOSELY WITH TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ON THEIR PROGRAMS OVER HERE. UM, AND THANK YOU MAYOR TURNER AGAIN FOR CHAMPIONING AND, AND, AND BEING SUCH A WONDERFUL INSPIRATION AND, AND, UH, AND REALLY A TRUE CHAMPION FOR, FOR THE FUND, UH, THIS CONTRIBUTION OF A $300,000 GRANT. AND I DID TELL MISS STUCKEY THAT, UH, WE'D LOVE TO PUT A THREE ON EITHER END OF THE 300,000. THAT WOULD BE PERFECT. YEAH, EITHER WAY, THREE ON THE BACK END OR THREE ON THE BACK. THREE ON THE FRONT OF THREE ON THE BACK. AND SUPPORTING THIS ORGANIZATION ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING, UH, THE TRANSFORMATIVE WORK WITH OUR SMALL BUSINESSES AND NON-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. THE NON-PROFITS THAT WE ARE SUPPORTING THROUGH THIS CONTRIBUTION ARE ENACTING GREAT PROGRAMS, WHICH ALIGN WITH THE PILLARS OF OUR ORGANIZATION. THE PROGRAMS SUPPORT, COMMUNITY BUILDING, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, YOUTH EMPOWERMENT EDUCATION, AND SOCIAL AND RACIAL JUSTICE REPRESENTATIVES OF VARIOUS REPRESENTATIVE OF VARIOUS NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT PARTICIPATED IN OUR GRANT PROGRAM. PLEASE STAND ARE THOSE THAT ARE HERE, WOULD YOU ALL PLEASE STAND? WE, WE, WE REALLY SALUTE YOU. AND REALLY THE PURPOSE THAT WE ARE HERE, WE SALUTE YOU AND THE VALUABLE WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING IN OUR COMMUNITIES AS SUPPORT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. THE HOUSTON FUND FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ECONOMIC EQUITY WILL SUPPORT TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY IN ITS EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND FINANCIAL LITERACY PROGRAMS FOR ITS STUDENTS. WE ENVISION THE GENERATIONAL IMPACT THAT THESE TYPES OF PROGRAMS WILL HAVE ON THE STUDENTS AND JUSTICE, THE STUDENTS ON THEIR COMMUNITIES. AGAIN, VERIZON, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION TO OUR ORGANIZATION. THE [00:15:01] IMPACT OF THIS GIFT WILL HELP TO ENACT, IT WILL HELP TO ENACT TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE FOR MANY PERSONS AND PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WELCOME TO TIGER NATION. I'M EXTREMELY EXCITED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO STAND BEFORE YOU, AND THANK YOU FOR THIS GIFT THAT YOU'RE GIVING TO OUR INSTITUTION. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO ALWAYS REMEMBER, MAYOR, IS AT TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, WE ARE COMMITTED TO TRANSFORMING LIVES. AND WE KNOW WHAT WE DO. EACH AND EVERY DAY TRULY CONTRIBUTES TO THAT TRANSFORMATION FOR WE KNOW WHEN WE TRANSFORM THE LIFE OF ONE OF OUR STUDENTS, THAT WE THEN TRANSFORM THE LIVES OF OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL. WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AT TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, A BEACON OF LIGHT FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE PROUDLY SERVE THE THIRD WARD OF HOUSTON, TEXAS. AND WE PROUDLY SERVE ALL OF HOUSTON FOR WE KNOW THAT WE ARE THE HEART AND THE SOUL OF HOUSTON, RIGHT HERE AT TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY. AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE TODAY FOR THIS GIFT, BECAUSE WHILE I KNOW THAT I'M EAGER TO THANK THE MAYOR AND HIS VISION TO, TO ESTABLISH THIS FUND, I HAVE TO THANK REGENT NETHERLANDS PAGE BECAUSE SHE HAS BEEN AN ADVOCATE FOR TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AND FOR OUR STUDENTS FROM THE DAY THAT I MET HER. AND THIS IS A CONTINUED, UH, EXAMPLE OF HER SUPPORT. I ALSO HAVE TO THANK, AND I'M GOING TO CALL HER ROSE, BECAUSE WHEN I MET ROSE, WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT TRANSFORMING LIVES. AND WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT VERIZON CONTINUING TO BE A PARTNER IN THAT TRANSFORMATION. AND I'M SO THANKFUL THAT TODAY IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT TRUE PARTNERSHIP EFFORTS, UH, CAN MEAN ON A COLLEGE CAMPUS. SO I THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE KNOW THAT WHEN I STOOD BEFORE YOU SEVERAL MONTHS AGO AS THE NEW PRESIDENT HERE AT TEXAS SOUTHERN, I USED THE STATEMENT AND I SAID THAT WE WERE GOING TO SERVE THE UNDERSERVED LIKE THEY'VE NEVER BEEN SERVED. AND THIS PARTNERSHIP IS GOING TO ALLOW US TO DO THAT. OUR STUDENTS ARE EXCITED ABOUT ENTREPRENEURSHIP. OUR STUDENTS HAVE ALREADY FORMED THE YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS ORGANIZATION ON OUR CAMPUS, 100% LED BY STUDENTS. I REMEMBER THE DAY THAT I WAS IN THE GOLF CART RIDING ACROSS CAMPUS, CHECKING ON FACILITIES, AND I HAD THREE STUDENTS THAT RAN UP AND SAID, PRESIDENT YOUNG, WE NEED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOMETHING. SO I PAUSED AND I SAID, WHAT IS IT YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO ME ABOUT? AND THEY SAID, WE WANT TO SPUR ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACTIVITY ON OUR CAMPUS. WE WANT TO GIVE INDIVIDUALS AN OPPORTUNITY TO FORM A SMALL BUSINESS TO ADVANCE THAT SMALL BUSINESS AND TO MAKE AN IMPACT WITH THAT SMALL BUSINESS. SO NATURALLY, BEING THE PRESIDENT, I AM, I SAID, WELL, OKAY, LET'S MAKE IT HAPPEN. WE DON'T NEED TO DISCUSS IT. WE NEED TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. THEY IMMEDIATELY FORMED THE YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS ORGANIZATION, AND THEY HAVE ALREADY SPONSORED EVENTS ON OUR CAMPUS FOR THE, FOR YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR WARES AND TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GROWING THEIR BUSINESS. SO THIS FOR US WILL BE A UNIVERSITY INITIATIVE, BUT IT WILL BE A UNIVERSITY INITIATIVE FOCUSED ON ENHANCING THE COMMUNITY. MANY OF YOU KNOW THE LITERATURE, YOU KNOW, THAT IT IS DIFFICULT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES TO BE SUCCESSFUL. THIS GIFT AND THIS PARTNERSHIP WILL HELP TO ENSURE THAT WE DEFY THE ODDS AND WE ENSURE THAT OUR SMALL BUSINESSES IN OUR COMMUNITY WILL BE SUCCESSFUL. AND THAT WILL REMAIN PART OF OUR MISSION, PART OF OUR GOAL, AND CERTAINLY WILL BE A BIG PART OF OUR PLAN TO ENSURE INNOVATION, TRANSFORMATION, AND DISRUPTION, THE THREE PRINCIPLES THAT WE TOUT ON OUR CAMPUS. SO LET ME JUST CLOSE BY SAYING, WITH THE SUPPORT OF MAYOR TURNER, AND SO MANY OF YOU WHO ARE HERE TODAY, TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY WILL PROUDLY [00:20:01] SERVE AS A HUB FOR RESEARCH, FOR INNOVATION, AND FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP THAT WILL HELP TO ADDRESS MANY OF THE RESEARCH CHALLENGES PLAGUING URBAN COMMUNITIES TODAY, AND WILL HELP TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE SMALL BUSINESSES PREPARED TO RESPOND TO THOSE CHALLENGES BY GROWING OUR ECONOMY. I THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE GIFT FOR THE PARTNERSHIP, BUT I ALSO THANK YOU FOR THE IMPACT THAT IT WILL MAKE IN OUR COMMUNITIES. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, I THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU WILL PROVIDE TO OUR STUDENTS, OUR FACULTY, AND OUR STAFF TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE THAT WE KNOW TEXAS SOUTHERN HAS MADE HISTORICALLY AND WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE IN THE MANY YEARS TO COME. WELCOME AGAIN TO TIGER NATION, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH. OH BOY. I WAS TOLD I WAS UP . SO , FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW ME, I'M GERALD SMITH. UH, I AM A PROUD ALUM OF TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, AND AS YOU MAY KNOW, THAT THE GERALD B. SMITH CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP, WHICH IS LOCATED IN THE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS IS SO, IS ALSO PART OF THE PARTNERSHIP THAT IS BEING ESTABLISHED WITH THEON AND VERIZON. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU, VERIZON. THANK YOU THOMAS, AND THE LEADER, YOUR, YOUR LEADERSHIP WITH THE SOCIAL EQUITY, SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ECONOMIC EQUITY FUND. FOR, FOR, FOR COLLABORATING AND WORKING WITH US AT TSU. WE ARE EXCITED TO BE A PART OF THIS. I SEE DEAN YIN OF THE SCHOOL OF BUSINESSES HERE AS WELL, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN UTILIZING THESE FUNDS TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND WITHIN THE COMMUNITY NOT ONLY BEGINS TO BE A BIGGER PART, BUT THRIVES IN A WAY THAT WE ALL EXPECT FOR IT TO, TO, TO DO. SO. THANK YOU AGAIN ON BEHALF OF THE GERALD B. SMITH CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP FOR THIS PARTNERSHIP. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.