Regina Hairston grew up in Virginia, where she gained an early appreciation of entrepreneurship. When she was a little girl, her family raised hogs and grew tobacco on the family farm while relatives, as entrepreneurs, owned gas stations and restaurants. Her career has focused on advocating on behalf of diverse constituencies which is her primary goal as the president and chief executive officer of the African American Chamber of Commerce of PA, NJ, and DE (AACC).
Hairston joined the organization as the coronavirus pandemic continued to negatively impact business owners. “African Americans have been hit the hardest, so those members who are barely hanging on, I want to make sure that I understand what it is they need in order to survive this, and the ones who are able to survive, thrive, and pivot, I want to make sure that we are providing opportunities for them to grow,” she said.
AACC was formed in 1993 in response to the legal challenge by the contractor’s associations that African Americans experienced discrimination in city contracting. Later, in 2004, the African American Foundation was formed as a nonprofit entity of the Chamber for the purpose of promoting the sound economic well-being and empowerment of African-American owned businesses, the African American business community, the AAC, and the economic status of the African American community through educational and other charitable means.
In her role, Hairston has made it her top priority to create a wealth-generating system for Black communities in Metropolitan Philadelphia, which includes neighboring cities in New Jersey and Delaware. She has launched two signature programs: Coaching to Capital cohort and a Peership series, to address disparities in Philadelphia’s Black population compared to its share of business ownership. Hairston, a former lobbyist, was instrumental in lobbying the Philadelphia City Council to take to vote a reduction in the Business Income & Receipts Tax and oversees the appointment of a representative to the Philadelphia Tax Reform Commission to ensure Black businesses are represented.
According to Hairston, effective leadership embodies courage, integrity, collaboration and decisiveness. “Courage challenges norms and stands firm in adversity while integrity ensures honesty and builds trust,” she said. “Leadership often demands significant sacrifices and embracing challenges head-on to seize opportunities for growth.”
Noting her superpower to be advocacy, Hairston said that advocacy is not just about speaking up; it’s about taking intentional action to drive positive change and uplift those who need it most. “I use my voice and strategy to influence outcomes and create better situations for marginalized individuals and communities,” she said.
