EDWARD GALAN
How did you first discover Ujima, and what initially drew you to be a part of our community?
One of my friends introduced me to Ujima; I have some folks that are really involved in solidarity economics, and economic concerns in Black and brown communities. A lot of my attention has focused and shifted in that direction over the years.
What are your overall thoughts about Ujima’s mission and our approach to community-driven investment?
I think it's great. We need organizations that are primarily advocating for Black and brown businesses just because of the ridiculous disparities that are out there. I really appreciate that Ujima is out there in a more holistic way, too; not just investing money, but getting the community involved, making it really easy for people like me to get involved and providing a lot of educational opportunities.
Does your role as a delegate ensure that the community's voice is represented in
investment decisions?
I'm just another person, you know, with my own unique perspective; having as many diverse voices as you can is always good. One thing that I'm very passionate about, a big part of my roles at both EForAll and at A Trike Called Funk, is always trying to create opportunities for people, opportunities for other businesses. At A Trike Called Funk, we're always trying to bring in other creatives to collaborate, be a part of our gigs. A lot of creatives don't think of themselves as business owners, or people who are really economic drivers–we're also trying to change that. That perception from the outside and also from within: we need creatives to see their value in the economy, and demand their value and pay for gigs. Being involved with organizations like Ujima is super important: it's not just for small businesses and people with brick and mortars, for any and all entrepreneurs who care about economic justice.
“Being involved with organizations like Ujima is super important: it's not just for small businesses and people with brick and mortars, for any and all entrepreneurs who care about economic justice.” — Edward Galan
How does Ujima align with your current work at EForAll and A Trike Called Funk?
Yeah, well, it aligns really, really well with work that I'm doing at EForAll Roxbury. EforAll is a nonprofit that [was] started to help not just communities of color, but a lot of marginalized communities. And people who normally don't have access to education about entrepreneurship, access to mentors, and access to funds. We help those communities get those resources in a free program that's a year long. And, yeah, we believe that helping out these entrepreneurs and small businesses is going to be a major economic driver for the community.
In my time here, I'm noticing it's not just about you know, turning these small businesses into million dollar businesses, right? That's not going to necessarily happen for the vast majority of them. But what is happening is that people are being empowered. People are learning the nuts and bolts of how to run a business which is a transferable skill that they can take [with them].
I think your team is doing much more than what I see or I'm involved with. But I have been a part of educational offerings that Ujima has done, especially online. I see that a lot of these businesses that I'm following [are] excited about Ujima investing in them, helping them get a good, solid foundation. One that comes to mind is Comfort Kitchen. I just see that Ujima is really very passionate about helping create economic solidarity and really bringing in resources to underserved communities.
How do you feel the Ujima delegate program creates an environment where participants feel empowered and personally invested in the decision making process?
Giving us the opportunity to learn about and vote on these important decisions is very empowering. And the impact is very apparent. I'm personally invested in making Boston a better place; I want to stop seeing so much displacement of communities, and the way we make that happen is creating a thriving business sector, helping to create more jobs and more opportunities for people. That part right there makes it for me. I grew up in Boston, so I’m very invested in being there for our community.
Could you share an example of how the delegate group’s decisions hold the community's interests at the forefront of investment ratification?
I think the Bay State Banner example works here; I would see the Banner maybe when I took the train, but I don't really read their work. And when I was doing my research on what it represents and what it's done, I realized that this investment is really important for not just the legacy, but the future of Black media. I was really interested in learning about their plan to shift to new forms of media, and I wanted to support them because of what they mean to Black Boston.
Looking ahead, how do you envision the delegate program staying connected to the broader Ujima community?
I do appreciate when there's like more in-person opportunities to meet other delegates and meet other people who are involved with Ujima; I think this is an interesting space that Ujima has created, holding like-minded people with similar priorities and similar visions. It's really powerful to try to link people like that together. I'm just really glad you're doing this, and really excited for the possibilities that these investments unleash. I was at one of our investees, Comfort Kitchen, over the weekend and I felt joyful in that space seeing the jobs they’re providing, and the quality eats they’re serving!
Edward Galan has a background in education, arts, and health-related fields, serving as an entrepreneur, teacher, and facilitator. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Naropa University, specializing in Psychology of Health and Healing, Music, and Peace Studies. His primary emphasis lies in leveraging the arts and diverse communication strategies to foster meaningful connections across various differences and divides.