The Story Behind LiteWork Events

LiteWork Events begain in 2012 as a vision to create an Urban Socialite Network in Boston, Ma, which would facilitate unique networking events where urban young professionals could meet.  Through its events and special programs, LiteWork highlights the power of social interaction within the young, urban demographic. This group is motivated, spontaneous and fresh. LiteWork also takes the perceived “work” out of networking, joining urban socialites around common interests – from college experiences to professional development. LiteWork is an advocate of collaboration, and welcomes the opportunity to work with like-minded groups and also supports other programming aligned with our vision. We welcome you to join our community and hope to see you at our next event!

 

Founder & Managing Director
Farrah Belizaire

A native of Brockton, MA, Farrah first discovered her passion for event planning in 2008 as an undergraduate student leader at Boston University. Her experiences working with various cultural groups on campus ignited in me the desire to continue building communities for young people of color. Growing up in a Haitian household, she was raised in a culture that values the art of coming together in celebration, and continues that tradition through LiteWork Events.

Boston is a dynamic city with so much to offer. Yet, for young professionals of color, social opportunities beyond the realm of nightlife are few. After graduating in 2011, she realized the need to continue providing what I believe to be an unmet need. And with this need came the vision to create an “Urban Socialite Network”. LiteWork enhances the quality of social events for young professionals and urban millennials to create a unique way for a multiethnic crowd come together. With her capacity for creativity, she aims to restyle the social experience in Boston by designing events that will cultivate cultural savvy in both traditional and non-traditional networking and social settings.

Aside from hosting networking events and other programming for Boston’s urban young professionals, her professional interests are in project management, marketing and Diversity & Inclusion. She’s also active with BU’s Alumni Association, UNCF New England, the Black Economic Council of MA and the Psi Iota Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. 

Since then, she has amassed over 8,000 followers and worked with numerous organizations to create social spaces for young professionals of color. As a way to keep folks engaged, she also created an informal group chat in the Summer of 2016, which has grown to nearly 4,000 users. Her experience curating these networks led to the realization that the community needed a more dedicated and consistent platform to highlight Black Boston’s social scene more widely, and one that is accessible! The Black professional community in Boston is sometimes depicted as fragmented, cliquey, or (even worse) invisible, and her goal is to help shift that narrative by amplifying the places and spaces that celebrate the culture. Through digital content and engagement, she hopes to further cultivate a sense of connectedness for Black professionals living in Boston, while continuing to be the “plug” for all things Black & social!

Event Project Manager
Staisha Santungwana

Staisha joined the LiteWork Events team in 2022 as the Events Project Manager. 

She holds an undergraduate degree in Geography and Urban Studies from Temple University and a Master of Science in Management from Emmanuel College. Over the last several years, Staisha has been a virtual assistant and online business manager through her company High Value Virtual. She is a diversity champion with a passion for helping women build profitable, sustainable businesses and brands. 

She specializes in providing tailored solutions that drive efficiency, productivity, and growth for small businesses and organizations. Her expertise spans diverse projects, from process optimization and workflow redesign to comprehensive digital marketing strategies, ensuring increased brand visibility and customer engagement.

She has a proven track record of successfully managing events and projects, building and nurturing strong client relationships, and consistently exceeding client expectations. Her strong project management skills enable her to oversee timelines, budgets, and deliverables, ensuring projects are completed on time and within budget. She firmly believes that minority entrepreneurship and ownership are vital to narrowing the racial wealth gap and takes immense pride in her work; dedicating herself to empowering under-resourced and under-represented businesses.

She actively engages with local organizations, volunteering her time and resources to support groups and initiatives that empower women and girls. Staisha is an avid reader and a fitness enthusiast with a competitive nature.