A plethora of products and services will be exhibited in 40 booths at this year’s Black Business Expo, the annual event that celebrates local Black-owned businesses. In addition to vendors, the day-long affair will feature DJ sets, live music, panel discussions, and a competition with cash prizes totaling $1,500 for the two best business pitches.
The Expo began in September 2017, a month after the deadly Unite the Right rally. Ty Cooper, a filmmaker and director of the Expo, teamed up with WTJU to bring the event to fruition in hopes of unifying the community during a divisive time.
“We just wanted to do something, and felt as though trying to lift up Black businesses in this community, particularly in a community with a checkered past, would be ideal,” says Cooper of the event, which takes place on Saturday, September 24, at Ix Art Park from 10am to 7pm. “We wanted to be … not a beacon of hate because of what happened, and … more of a beacon of hope, more of a beacon of support.”
Exhibitors include insurance companies, accountants, real estate agents, clothing and accessory vendors, nonprofit organizations, and more. Booths will advertise their respective businesses and services, but Cooper says he doesn’t want the Expo to feel like a “flea market.”
“We really want to highlight that Black businesses are in various spaces, and a lot of people just do not know that they exist,” he says. “The idea of the Black Business Expo is to give them that platform, so that they can gain exposure and be introduced to more people.”
This year’s three panels will last an hour each, and cover business financing, marketing strategies, and emergent industries. The Business Pitch Contest is intended to support the visions of people who otherwise may not have the money to start their own companies. Previous winners have gone on to do exciting things, says Cooper. Cassandra Rodriguez founded the restaurant Vegan Comforts Soul Food in 2021, and is planning to purchase a food truck.
Revella Warega, president of Revella Consulting Group, which specializes in the rail construction industry, is a panelist, as well as a judge for the Business Pitch Contest. A first generation immigrant, Warega came to the U.S. to get a college degree, but began working toward the dream of owning her own business.
After being laid off from her administrative job during the Great Recession, Warega started her own company in an industry that lacked minority women-owned businesses. While the journey was difficult, she says in the long run, it was worth it.
“It was tough, I can tell you that, but it never ends because business is always an ebb and flow,” Warega says. “There’s highs and lows no matter which year it is.”
After 12 years and the corresponding amount of gray hairs, Warega is finally exactly where she wants to be.
“Now I have clients that call and say, ‘Hey, we’re pursuing this, are you interested?’ Or, ‘We have this coming up, we want to include your team,’” she says. “And as a small business, that’s what you want to aim for—where you don’t need them, they need you.”
Cooper emphasizes that the Expo is open to everyone, and encourages folks of all backgrounds to attend.
“When people hear Black Business Expo, they may think it’s [only] for Black people. That’s not the case,” says Cooper. “It’s open to anyone, to everyone. The whole idea is to bring people together to support and celebrate these Black businesses.”