The Greater New Haven Business and Professional Association grew out of the need in the early sixties for Minority Business and Professionals to band together for: (1) Mutual support; (2) to become aware of services being provided by Black businesses and professionals other than the legal and medical/dental areas; (3) to gain access to business capital;(4) to create a network of trained, knowledgeable and influential friends with a common ethnic background.

 The genesis group was formed by Edward Cherry, an Architect in private practice; Gerald Clark, owner of a private insurance agency; Dr. Lylburn Downing, Dentist in private practice; Rev. William Philpot, Community Baptist Church; and Zollie Stringer, Social Worker of the Dixwell Community House (Q-House). This group met over a period of eight months to discuss goals. Slowly  other known business and professionals were invited into the group until it was agreed that a firm organization was ready. Attorney Herbert Scott volunteered his legal expertise to incorporating the philosophy onto paper. The name “ Greater New Haven Business and Professional Men’s Association”  was chosen. Later, due to sensitivity to the role women began to play in business and the professions, the name was changed to “ The Greater New Haven Business and Professional Association”.

        With an initial grant from the New Haven Foundation, the organization began to provide minority businesses with needed business technical assistance with Gerald Clark, an MBA from New York University heading up the bulk of the work. From that austere beginning the organization evolved into a major consulting industry with contracts and grants from the State of Connecticut, The United States Department of Commerce, and the City of New Haven, offering business technical assistance, construction contractor’s assistance, loan packaging and advertising to minorities.