As an African-American or black-owned business, Nia Architects is registered as an MBE (minority business enterprise) and DBE (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) in a handful of cities and states throughout the country. 

What is an MBE Certification

An MBE (Minority Business Enterprise) Certification is a company level certification that verifies that a firm or company is predominantly minority-owned. WBE (Woman Business Enterprise, VBE (Veteran Business Enterprise), and DBE (Disadvantage Business Enterprise) Certifications are also common. Many jurisdictions group M/W/VBE designations together as DBEs. Federal, local, and state governments usually issue MBE and other DBE certifications. Eligibility for certification as a Minority Business Enterprise varies depending on the issuer but generally requires that a company be majority-owned and operated by a minority group member such as Native American, Asian or Hispanic American, or, in Nia’s case, African-American.

Nia’s MBE and DBE Certifications

Nia is certified in numerous MBE and DBE Certifications including:

• City of Chicago
• Chicago Transit Authority
• Illinois Capital Development Board
• WMATA

However, this is not a comprehensive list of all of Nia’s MBE and DBE certifications. If you need a talented and experienced architecture firm to meet your MBE goals, please reach out to us. 

Black-Owned Business

Anthony Akindele founded Nia Architects in 1996, and he still owns and operates the business today. Anthony is a Nigerian born African-American who has lived in the City of Chicago for most of his life. Anthony is passionate about building wealth in the black community through business and homeownership. Consequently, he leads by example through is operations at Nia Architects and through various networking and mentoring opportunities.