MASTER P & FORMER NBA STAR KEVIN JOHNSON TO HEADLINE HARLEM COMMONWEALTH’S 'BUILT TO LAST' WEALTH-BUILDING MASTERCLASS

Free Two-Day Summit for Business Owners Ready to Scale — and for Anyone Who Works, Earns and Wants to Own. Registration Now Open.

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, September 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- You work. You earn. But what do you own? Harlem Commonwealth Council (HCC) today announced the featured speaker lineup for “Built to Last: Wealth-Building Masterclass,” a free two-day summit built around that question. Open to New Yorkers from every borough and beyond, the summit is built for two audiences at once: established business owners ready to scale — to add locations, land contracts, raise capital, protect intellectual property and build companies that outlast them — and the professionals, employees, creators, side-hustle workers and aspiring founders ready to move from earning income to owning something that lasts.

Taking place October 16–17, 2026, the summit brings attendees face to face with business leaders, investors, mentors and city resources that can turn a paycheck, a skill or an idea into ownership. Born in Harlem and open to everyone, “Built to Last” reflects HCC’s nearly six-decade commitment to economic self-determination — now extended to a citywide audience.

Featured speakers include entrepreneur and entertainment mogul Master P (Percy Miller); former NBA All-Star, entrepreneur and former Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson; Jamie Dominguez, National Director, Industry Relations, Mechanical Licensing Collective; Jerry Wonda, record producer and musician; and Sharon Joseph, CEO of Harlem Commonwealth Council, along with New York City officials, business leaders, investors and entrepreneurs.

“Most people have been taught how to earn. Very few have been taught how to own,” said Joseph. “If you own a business and you are ready to grow it, this is your room — the capital, the contracts, the strategy and the people who have scaled before you. And if you are the nurse, the teacher, the creator or the corporate professional who wants to own something, this is your room too. We are bringing together people who have built real wealth, faced real setbacks and kept climbing — and putting that knowledge within reach of anyone willing to show up.”

EVENT OVERVIEW
“Built to Last” offers a two-day experience focused on the practical tools, relationships and resources needed to scale a business and build and protect wealth.

Expert Leadership & Mentorship — Learn directly from leaders who have built, scaled and sustained businesses and careers, alongside New York City agencies including Small Business Services, MWBE certification and contracting workshops, the MTA and more. Master P and Kevin Johnson will share the strategies behind their own journeys in ownership, resilience and legacy.

AI for Small Businesses: From Idea to Growth (Hands-On Workshop) — Turn AI into your business advantage. Apply practical ways to sharpen decisions, strengthen marketing, and streamline day-to-day operations at every stage. Each hands-on session gives you something useful to build in the room, tools to reuse, and a clear plan for putting AI to work in your business, whether you’re preparing to launch or growing an established company.

Scaling Track for Business Owners — Sessions built for owners with revenue and ambition: raising growth capital and SBA lending, MWBE certification and winning city and MTA contracts, hiring and systems, expanding to new markets and locations, and structuring the business for succession, sale or legacy.

Wealth & Strategy Deep Dives — Panels and workshops on ownership, intellectual property, brand building, market expansion and sustainable business models.

Networking & Connection — Connect with peers, investors, mentors and strategic partners in an environment designed for relationships that pay off.

Resource Access — Financing options, certification pathways, business support programs, mentorship and HCC’s full suite of entrepreneurship and financial fluency services.

Actionable Frameworks — Leave with strategies you can begin implementing immediately — whether you are scaling a company, launching a side hustle or building a household balance sheet.

FEATURED SPEAKERS
Master P (Percy Miller) — Entrepreneur, recording artist, actor and founder of No Limit Records, Master P built a business portfolio extending beyond music into entertainment, consumer products and other ventures. His journey offers lessons in ownership, resilience, brand building and creating multiple streams of opportunity.

Kevin Johnson — A former NBA All-Star with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Phoenix Suns, Johnson became the 55th mayor of Sacramento, serving from 2008 to 2016. As an entrepreneur and civic leader, he has driven economic development, education and community investment initiatives. His experience across professional sports, business and public service brings a distinctive perspective on building opportunity.

Sharon Joseph — CEO of Harlem Commonwealth Council, Joseph is a leader in financial fluency, entrepreneurship and economic empowerment. Her career spans more than three decades across financial services, entrepreneurship and community economic development, including Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs and the founding of Harlem Lanes.

EVENT DETAILS
Event: Built to Last: Wealth-Building Masterclass
Dates: October 16–17, 2026

Day 1 — October 16: Hands-on labs, AI, business building and practical tools.
Harlem Commonwealth Council Headquarters, 361 West 125th Street, New York, NY 10027

Day 2 — October 17: The flagship experience: Master P, Kevin Johnson, intellectual property, capital, scaling and legacy.
The Forum at Columbia University, 601 West 125th Street, New York, NY 10027

Registration: Free and open to the public; advance registration encouraged.
Day 1 Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/built-to-last-wealth-building-masterclass-tickets-1999046622260?keep_tld=true
Day 2 Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/built-to-last-wealth-building-masterclass-tickets-1999029083802?aff=erellivmlt&keep_tld=true
Powered by: West Harlem Development Corporation and Harlem Commonwealth Council

THE VISION BEHIND THE SUMMIT
“Built to Last” reflects HCC’s recognition that people need more than traditional financial or business training. They need access to those who have made the journey from income to ownership, networks that create opportunity and strategies grounded in real-world experience.

“We wanted to create a space where anyone — no matter their zip code, job title or starting point — can learn directly from people who understand what it takes to build, pivot and persevere,” said Joseph. “This is about opening doors to the knowledge, relationships and resources that turn ambition into ownership and long-term wealth.”

BUILDING THE NEXT GENERATION OF WEALTH
Harlem has a rich history of entrepreneurship, innovation and community-driven economic development, and it remains a proving ground for what ownership can do for a community. “Built to Last” carries that legacy forward — expanding access to mentorship, capital, networks and financial knowledge for New Yorkers across the five boroughs and beyond, so that the next generation of wealth is built by more people, in more places.

ABOUT HARLEM COMMONWEALTH COUNCIL
Founded in 1967, Harlem Commonwealth Council (HCC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit economic development organization dedicated to advancing economic self-determination. Through entrepreneurship support, workforce development, youth programming, equitable access to capital and financial fluency initiatives, HCC works to expand economic opportunity and help individuals, families and businesses build stronger financial futures.

ABOUT SHARON JOSEPH
Sharon Joseph is Chief Executive Officer of Harlem Commonwealth Council and a leader in economic development, entrepreneurship and financial empowerment. Drawing on more than three decades of experience across financial services, entrepreneurship and community economic development — from advising and educating clients at Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs to building Harlem Lanes — Joseph brings a real-world perspective to helping people move from earning income to intentionally building wealth. With a particular commitment to women’s empowerment and financial fluency, Joseph’s work focuses on creating pathways to economic self-determination and expanding access to the knowledge, resources and opportunities necessary to build wealth.

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Cathleen Trigg-Jones
iWoman Media
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