Since 2014 Next Street has been a proud partner of the City of Buffalo as the contracted operator of the Beverly Gray Business Exchange Center (the Exchange). To date, the Exchange has served almost 1,000 small businesses helping them secure $1.6 million in capital, become M/WBE certified, and access contracts. The Beverly Gray Business Exchange Center continues to adapt its operations to suit the needs of the residents of the City of Buffalo.
Next Street proudly supports the new management structure of the Exchange and the installation of Derrick Parson as the new executive director. Since the Exchange’s launch, our role was always meant to be temporary as we and the City believed that a local organization would one day serve as Operator. Over the years, our focus has been on building the infrastructure, relationships, and resources necessary for that transition to be successful. As we wrap up our third full program year and the City has identified local leadership to take over Operations, this is an ideal time to transition our team. We remain committed to the small businesses of Buffalo and the East Side community. We look forward to delivering other programs and services in the region in the future.