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Segun Idowu

Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion

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Segun Idowu is the City of Boston’s Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion. In this position, he is focused on making Boston a resilient, economically equitable, and vibrant city that creates opportunities to build generational wealth for all communities.

Under his leadership, the City of Boston created a Legacy Business Program, honoring and supporting longstanding, independent enterprises that make a strong contribution to the neighborhoods of Boston. The City also implemented the SPACE Grant Program, supporting 90 businesses with expenses related to new lease agreements. During his tenure, large companies like the LEGO Group and Eli Lilly have committed to Boston, and the City has doubled the number of contracts awarded to minority-owned businesses. 

A lifelong resident of Boston, Segun is a proud product of the Boston Public Schools. Following his graduation from Boston Latin Academy, he earned his Bachelor of Arts in History at Morehouse College in Atlanta.

In August 2014, Segun and his colleague Shekia Scott organized the Boston Police Camera Action Team (BPCAT) to further accountability and safety in Boston through the mandatory use of police body-worn cameras. In 2018, Segun was elected to serve as the first Vice President for the Boston chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the first chapter of the oldest civil rights advocacy organization in the nation. 

In 2019, Segun left the NAACP board to join the board of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Massachusetts and focus on other board obligations. He also advised initiatives at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. 

Beginning in November 2018, Segun served as the President and CEO of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts, Inc. (BECMA), the chief advocacy organization for Black businesses across the Commonwealth. In this role, he helped transform the organization, including growing membership by 300 percent and helping to reshape the procurement process for Massachusetts. He worked with allies to file a federal civil rights complaint against the City of Boston when reports showed a lack of contracts awarded to diverse small businesses.

Segun stepped down from his role as BECMA’s CEO in December 2021 to join the Wu Administration as the Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion, beginning this role on January 3, 2022.

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