Juneteenth graduation celebrates Berkshire’s next generation of leaders

When designer Abigail Horace joined the Blackshires Leadership Accelerator, she was looking for support for her business, Casa Marcelo, which was founded in Salisbury in 2019. Through the Accelerator, she created the Black Berkshires Social Club, which creates culturally grounded social spaces for Black and BIPOC residents in the region. Throughout her experience, Horace found a community of peers invested in one another’s success.

“Finding Blackshires has been transformative,” Horace said. “Being a BIPOC founder in this region can feel isolating, and this community has changed that. They see my work, champion my business and have opened doors I couldn’t have opened alone.”

Horace is one of 13 fellows graduating from the Blackshires Leadership Accelerator on Juneteenth, June 19, at Ventfort Hall in Lenox. The free public ceremony marks the completion of a months-long civic and entrepreneurial leadership program created by the Blackshires Community Empowerment Foundation and R3SET Enterprises.

Founded in response to conversations among Berkshire County’s Black leaders about economic opportunity, representation and community development, Blackshires has grown into a BIPOC-led network focused on leadership development, economic empowerment and cultural equity. The organization’s flagship Leadership Accelerator combines civic engagement, entrepreneurship, storytelling, networking and project development to help participants turn ideas into action. Since its launch, the program has graduated more than 40 fellows and distributed more than $100,000 in grants and stipends.

The 2026 cohort includes entrepreneurs, educators, artists and community advocates whose projects address needs across the Berkshires.

Among them are Adrian Lynch of Stubborn Ibex Studios, Claudette Grant’s Reckless Optimism Women’s Circle, Erline Saintilet’s Caribbean-inspired food venture Carib In-Fusion, the Westside Crosswalk Remix Project led by Otis and Tajare West in Pittsfield, and Tyeesha Keele Kedroe’s Seen & Celebrated initiative, which promotes meaningful representation of Black and Brown children in early childhood classrooms.

For Horace, one of the program’s most important lessons has been recognizing the impact of her own work.

“Creating a network of BIPOC leaders and entrepreneurs has revealed something I didn’t fully see before: the real reach of my work and what it means in this community,” she said. “My peers look up to me, believe in me and show up for every milestone. That recognition has shifted how I understand my own impact and leadership.”

The Accelerator culminates with each fellow creating an Impact Charter, a blueprint for how their project will contribute to the community. Participants also take part in leadership retreats, workshops, civic forums and site visits throughout Berkshire County. The program was recognized by 1Berkshire with its 2023 Breaking the Mold Trendsetter Award.

John Lewis, president of the Blackshires Accelerator and CEO of R3SET Enterprises, said the program is designed to remove barriers and strengthen connections among emerging leaders.

“By removing barriers to success and encouraging a cooperative framework, the next generation of community leaders will be more connected and skilled in the ongoing development and revitalization of our community and its families,” Lewis said.

Horace said the experience has reinforced a simple but powerful lesson.

“Being a leader and entrepreneur can be isolating, but this group has shown me that I am not alone.”

The graduation ceremony will take place at Ventfort Hall, whose history includes its mid-20th-century role as Festival House, a guesthouse and cultural center that welcomed Black and Jewish visitors at a time when many area resorts maintained discriminatory restrictions. On Juneteenth, the mansion will provide a fitting backdrop for a celebration focused on leadership, community and the future of the Berkshires.

The Blackshires Leadership Accelerator Cohort 4 Graduation will be held Thursday, June 19, at Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum in Lenox. Admission is free and open to the public.