De Asa Nichols looks at her mission statement, then simplifies it: “We exist to grow African-American businesses.”

        We is the Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky African-American Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Nichols has been executive director of the 650-member group since April.

De Asa Nichols is executive director of the Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky African-American Chamber of Commerce. (Glenn Hartong photo) | ZOOM |

        And don't think for a minute that it has been an easy five months: “A number of people out there are living in the past as relates to this organization. We've had an image problem, but we're winning now. It just hasn't been easy.

        “And I know know a lot of people out there are still wondering what's going to be different about De Asa? To them I say, check my past. You'll see in it a positive future.”

        You can bet on that.

        Ms. Nichols, 34, lives in Evanston, has a 16-year-old daughter and a fiancee she plans to marry in December. She's a lifelong Cincinnatian, though she spent two years living in Lexington before moving back here last October.

        She also knows a thing or two about chambers of commerce. Not to mention minority-owned businesses.

        Back in the mid-90s, she was executive director of Cincinnati Minority Business Enterprise Mentoring Program, an affiliate of the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce with offices in chamber headquarters. Then she spent two years as director of the Lexington Chamber's Minority Business Development Program.

        Now she has her own chamber: “Oh sure, my own. With nine bosses on my board of directors. But I look at my counterparts at other chambers, and I know I'm different. Most are 10 years older, so I guess that puts me in a new wave of leadership.

        “And I'm non-traditional. I look at myself as a professional diva. I change my hair all the time, I change my style, my look. I'm a complete non-conformist.

        “I am who I am, and I'm OK with her.”

        Who she is, she's the first to admit, is a perfectionist: “I expect a lot of myself, and I expect a lot of others. I'm easy to work for if you know how to work in excellence. If excellence is not part of your work ethic, I'm difficult. Or maybe I should say I'm a challenge.

        “But I'll also give you more praise than you can stand when you do a good job. That's the positive side of me.”

        The business side of her right now is chamber, chamber and more chamber.

        “The question I hear all the time is, Cincinnati already has a chamber of commerce. Why do we need an African-American one? Well, I'll tell you, all major metropolitan cities have several chambers — Hispanic, Asian, African-American.

        “In our case, the reason we're needed is because we serve a specific niche market and do it with a narrow focus: What can we do to enhance, help and advance our members' businesses. We do that by advocating for specific needs.

        “We concentrate our efforts on needs specific to the African-American business. It's no secret that there are still a lot of differences and that there's still some disparity, some inequality.

        “But I believe in chambers. From my first experience right up to the present, I've seen what chambers can do for their members if they get involved and take advantage of the services.”

        In the case of Ms. Nichols' chamber, those services are many.

        There's the advocacy angle, where the chamber works on behalf of African-American businesses, trying to assure inclusion.

        There's a large educational component where the chamber offers help to entrepreneurs starting a business, does seminars of all sorts for existing businesses, hands-on workshops, computer training, discounts on health care, marketing services and tons of networking events where business owners can meet each other and share needs, services and expertise.

        Oh, and one thing she's really proud of: Ujima Cinci-Bration. “It's our signature event and something I've been involved with since the beginning. It came at a time when the city was in great need of something to celebrate our similarities, not our differences.

        “This year we had 100 vendors, 1,000 volunteers and so many people of different nationalities, more than ever before. It brought people of different races and backgrounds together.

        “I'm especially proud that it has been recognized by the League of Cities as one of the top events in the area.”

        And another thing she's really proud of: The new African-American Business Hall of Fame. Established Saturday at a banquet celebrating the chamber's fifth anniversary, it honors businesses that have been on the scene for 30 years or more.

        Its first five honorees — ACME Construction Services (1954), Hudson Bros. Cleaners (1946), Sherman's Flower Shop (1928), Bob Shropshire Sons (1919) and Thompson, Hall and Jordan Funeral Home (1899) — were inducted at the banquet, where the theme was Pioneers and Partners: Building the Dream.

        Partners. Building. Dreams.

        You hear those words a lot when Ms. Nichols gets to talking. “The chamber partners itself with businesses ... The chamber is building on itself, expanding membership and programs constantly ... It's my dream: Economic inclusion for minority and women-owned businesses.”

        All of which coincides with her personal dream: “I want to be a philanthropist and professional volunteer. I'd give money away and volunteer in educational programs. That's because I believe there's nothing more important than a really good start, and I'd like to help people get it.

        “And I think that goes closely with my personal motto: I respect you, you respect me. I value you, you value me. I celebrate you, you celebrate me.”

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