National Life has always been committed to serving the underserved with a focus on diversity and inclusion. This week marked the BUILD 2022 kickoff call. Over 150 people joined in to discuss the successes of 2021 and to look ahead to 2022 and beyond. We had BUILD members from across the US sharing their stories and their “WHY” it is so important to them. This call was the first of their monthly connection opportunities organized by the BUILD co-founders NeAndre Broussard and James Q. Dean. It was incredibly exciting, and attendees were highly engaged and committed to the success of the program.
BUILD Blacks Uplifted In Leadership Development, started just 6 short months ago with an initial goal of developing a member base of at least 1000 members, the team ended 2021 with over 1800! The 2022 goal is set even higher with a target of engaging 3000 members with a commitment to EDUCATE, CONNECT and REVOLUTIONIZE the way in which they serve the Black community. After all, big goals mean big results!
BUILD was established to support the creation of safe spaces for agents and advisors to better serve the Black community. BUILD agents and advisors who look and sound like community members gain immediate social capital and credibility as they meet customers where they live and work. BUILD believes that when passion meets purpose, the sky is the limit.
Black History Month is in February. BUILD has set a $20k fundraising goal to support Black owned and operated nonprofits. The names of the non-profits themselves will be shared later but they support women’s health, community leadership, parent advocacy and veteran women entrepreneurs. For the first $10k raised in this fundraiser, the National Life Foundation has committed contributing a $10k match towards the overall goal of $20k. Please stay tuned on NLToday for more details on how you can donate to our selected charities during Black History Month.
BUILD and the agencies involved made significant impacts to National Life’s 2021 success. Achieving such record numbers takes everyone and that success deserves recognition . This August, BUILD will host its first ever summit. The 2022 BUILD Summit is a ground-breaking, three-day experience designed exclusively for the top 50 producing Black insurance professionals hosted on site at the Montpelier campus. Qualifying BUILD members will have the opportunity to level up their skills and take away strategies to create a more inclusive and sustainable future for the Black community.
NLG is committed to increasing the number of Black agents and leaders in the industry, and BUILD is a massive part of this commitment. Anyone who is interested in joining BUILD and who want to support Black communities can become a member here. You are invited to join us as a catalyst of change. Working together we can impact local communities and create stronger leaders, develop deeper community connections, and build stronger financial foundations for everyone. Let’s get to 3000 members and beyond!
If you have any questions regarding the BUILD initiative please contact Lizzie Cappuzzo at ecappuzzo@nationallife.com.