Berkshire Money Management CEO Earns CEPA Designation

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Money Management's CEO and chief investment officer Allen Harris has recently earned the Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) certification.

Harris participated in the intensive, four-day, MBA-style program — offered by the Exit Planning Institute — in Chicago. The CEPA program is the most widely accepted in the world and was specifically designed for business advisors who work closely with private companies.

"Not only is new business creation important to the vitality of the community, but so is recognizing and maximizing the value of existing companies," Harris said. "We can accomplish this by helping businesses with strategic planning--de-risking, taking action on growth initiatives. Ultimately, baby boomer business owners will look to transition ownership as they enter into their hard-earned retirement."

BMM has been helping business owners transition from ownership for years and nearly 25 percent of Berkshire Money Management clients are business owners, many of whom have an eye toward retirement and transitioning within the next 10 years, or who have already sold their business with BMM's guidance and continued support.

"It's to their benefit, and to that of our whole community, that these business owners are able to pass the torch of a strong business to the next generation," Harris said. "It ensures continued vitality."

 


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Berkshire Organizations Awarded Stories Grants

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Manos Unidas, of Pittsfield and Multicultural BRIDGE, of Lee were both awarded Mass Humanities' Expand Massachusetts Stories (EMS) grants.
 
The EMS grants support storytelling projects that provide a more complete, more nuanced picture of life in the Commonwealth, according to a press release. Since launching EMS in 2021, Mass Humanities has prioritized funding projects that give voice to those who are often excluded from mainstream histories and stories. In total, the foundation has distributed more than $3 million to date, supporting the completion of audio tours, documentary films, oral histories, public events, and archival research.
 
This fall, Mass Humanities concluded its fourth round of the EMS initiative by providing $1.2 million in grant funding to 64 cultural nonprofit organizations across Massachusetts.
 
Manos Unidas was awarded $20,000 to supoport Raíces de Cuentos, an oral history project that will collect under heard stories related to the resilience and struggles of flight and relocation across generations from Latino immigrants in Pittsfield.
 
Multicultural BRIDGE was awarded $20,000 to support Migration Stories, an oral history project expanding on Multicultural BRIDGE's Berkshire Mosaic, in partnership with BTW Berkshires as an oral historian and journalist, to create a community digital archive, of, for and by Black, immigrant and indigenous communities in the Berkshires, involving a series of events.
 
"We live in a moment that calls for new narratives and new opportunities to reimagine the past, present, and future of Massachusetts," said Brian Boyles, Executive Director of Mass Humanities. "This year's Expand Mass Stories projects give local people the chance to chronicle and celebrate their communities with dignity and hope. On behalf of our board and staff, congratulations to these bold, courageous storytellers."
 
The number of EMS grantees increased by 50 percent from last year, from 42 to 64 organizations. The percentage of BIPOC-led grants is the highest it has ever been, at 89.6 percent.
 
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