Welcome to Breaking the Blueprint — a weblog collection that dives into the distinctive enterprise challenges and alternatives of underrepresented enterprise house owners and entrepreneurs. Learn the way they’ve grown or scaled their companies, explored entrepreneurial ventures inside their corporations, or created aspect hustles, and the way their tales can encourage and inform your individual success.
It could possibly really feel isolating for those who’re the one one within the room who appears to be like such as you.
Assembly friends and mentors with a novel understanding of your lived expertise and enterprise roadblocks will help you join the dots wanted to develop your corporation and neighborhood. Nonetheless, discovering areas for this type of connection may be difficult for Black People.
On this put up, uncover in-person and digital occasions nationwide the place Black entrepreneurs can strengthen relationships and construct experience.
The right way to Put together for Attending a Convention
America Census Bureau reported virtually 1.4 million self-employed Black individuals in September 2022, an 11.9% enhance from August 2022.
Attending conferences, commerce reveals, workshops, and webinars places you in rooms with shoppers and entrepreneurs who’ve recommendation, real-life examples, and funds that may shift the trajectory of your corporation or nonprofit group.
To arrange for attending a convention:
- Assessment the programming, determine which periods to attend, and jot down just a few questions you need to ask throughout Q&As or one-on-one conferences.
- Pack your corporation playing cards, a notepad, and pens.
- Select outfits and footwear that make you’re feeling comfy and assured.
- Ease any nerves by leaning into the joy of bettering your corporation.
By strengthening relationships, sharing experience, and partnering, there are alternatives to create an even bigger pool of assets and open or construct doorways for Black enterprise progress.
Occasions for Black Entrepreneurs
Florida
1. Black Journey Summit
Dates: October 20 – 22, 2023
Location: Miami, FL & Digital
In celebration of Black tradition and enterprise in journey, Black Journey Summit brings collectively business professionals, influencers, and vacationers for a weekend of panels, workshops, vendor buying, and networking alternatives.
Georgia
2. Blk Pod Pageant
Dates: September 30 – October 1, 2023
Location: Atlanta, GA
For aspiring, new, and seasoned podcasters, Blk Pod Collective hosts an annual competition for audio creatives to swap information, be taught new expertise, develop collaborations, and entry potential model partnerships. BLK Pod Pageant may have 4 tracks tailor-made for every stage of podcasting: launching a podcast, present progress, monetization, and crew enlargement.
Tennessee
3. Mogulcon
Dates: November 1 – 4, 2023
Location: Nashville, TN
Mogulcon gives assets for Black ladies in enterprise to speed up their progress and construct sustainable methods for long-lasting success. The three-day convention is an opportunity to be taught from Fortune 100/500 resolution makers, meet profitable entrepreneurs, and generate new enterprise by assembly suppliers and company patrons. Masterclasses will give attention to management, advertising and marketing, e-commerce, provide chain, and monetary stability.
Indiana
4. Summer season Celebration – Indiana Black Expo Enterprise Convention
Dates: July 8 – July 18, 2023
Location: Indianapolis, IN
With a mission to stage the taking part in discipline of enterprise, the Indiana Black Expo Enterprise Convention permits entrepreneurs to be taught from executives and specialists. Periods and workshops will contact on strategic considering, management recommendation, and the right way to safe state and federal enterprise contracts price thousands and thousands.
Iowa
5. Athene Black & Brown Enterprise Summit
Dates: April 20 – 21, 2023
Location: West Des Moines, IA
The Athene Black & Brown Enterprise Summit goals to uplift and elevate entrepreneurs. Programming features a pitch competitors, breakout periods, keynote audio system, coaching, and alternatives for constructing connections.
Multi-Metropolis
6. The Black Girls’s Expo
Dates: A number of dates
Location: Atlanta, GA (Summer season 2023), Chicago (August 4 – 6, 2023), Washington D.C. (Autumn 2023)
Initially an annual expo for small companies and companies, the Black Girls’s Expo, or BWe Subsequent, has developed right into a multi-city way of life exposition. Along with seminars and periods led by business specialists tackling societal points and matters involving wellness, funds, and constructing generational wealth, this expo additionally gives vendor alternatives and assets on enterprise possession.
7. Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Summit
Dates: 2023 (TBA)
Location: TBA (varies annually)
The Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Summit is among the largest conferences for Black enterprise house owners, founders, and traders in the US. With a mission to shut the racial wealth hole, this summit hosts discussions about constructing a significant model, financial equality, fairness, and advertising and marketing.
New York
8. CultureCon
Dates: A number of dates
Location: New York Metropolis (October 7 – 8), Los Angeles (June 17)
CultureCon, hosted by The Inventive Collective NYC, brings collectively inventive entrepreneurs and change-makers who need to make a cultural impression with their companies and artwork. Attendees can entry activations, hearth chats, and panels with tastemakers, celebrities, and business specialists. Black-owned corporations may arrange store at CultureCon’s small enterprise market.
Ohio
9. Black Tech Week
Dates: July 18 – 20, 2023
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Coinciding with the annual Cincinnati Music Pageant, Black Tech Week is a convention for tech professionals and funders. Founders, executives, and specialists converse on matters starting from fundraising, buyer outreach, the ability of neighborhood, provide chain logistics, content material advertising and marketing, and crafting the way forward for tech and enterprise.
Texas
10. AFROTECH Convention
Dates: November 1 – 4, 2023
Location: Austin, TX
For Black professionals, innovators, engineers, and enterprise capitalists inquisitive about all issues tech and Web3, the AFROTECH Convention is three days of hearth chats, interactive reveals, panels, mixers, pitch competitions, and stay music performances. Matters vary from creating viral merchandise, the creator financial system, strategic enterprise progress, the right way to elevate funding, cryptocurrency, and extra.
11. SXSW
Dates: March 10 – 19, 2023
Location: Austin, TX
SXSW is understood for its forward-thinking keynotes, panels, and workshops on expertise, enterprise, movie, music, and tradition. Amongst its 350+ introduced periods, SXSW 2023 will embrace applications on Wellness Shouldn’t Suggest Whiteness, Black Girls Breaking Boardroom Obstacles, and Remodeling Tech with the Black Tech Ecosystem.
12. Advertising and marketing for the Tradition Summit
Dates: 2023 (TBA)
Location: Houston, TX (varies annually)
Hosted by the African American Advertising and marketing Affiliation, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs, and creatives collect on the Advertising and marketing for the Tradition Summit to be taught greatest practices and enhance their expertise. Its theme modifications from 12 months to 12 months, however at its core, attendees make collaborative connections and acquire insights from panels and displays on content material creation, monetization, workflows, and extra.
13. Texas Black Expo
Dates: Might 18 – 21, 2023
Location: Houston, TX
Celebrating 20 years, the annual Texas Black Expo is an opportunity for small companies, non-profits, and multi-million greenback organizations to assemble below one roof to achieve shoppers and generate extra financial progress.
Virginia
14. Virginia Black Enterprise Expo
Dates: August 11 – 13, 2023
Location: Fredericksburg, VA
Throughout Nationwide Black Enterprise Month, the 4th annual Virginia Black Enterprise Expo options stay demonstrations, enterprise schooling from native business specialists, networking alternatives, and buying. Registration for vendor cubicles is solely for Virginia Black Enterprise Listing members. This nonprofit group will increase the visibility of Black-owned companies from Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.
Digital Solely
15. Black Entrepreneurs Day
Dates: 2023 (TBA)
Location: Stream stay from the Apollo Theater
Daymond John, an investor on Shark Tank and the Founder & CEO of FUBU, curates an annual celebration of entrepreneurs. The live-streamed occasion options one-on-one conversations between Daymond and Black superstar enterprise leaders, spherical desk discussions, a number of pitch competitions for grant cash, and musical performances.
16. Kidpreneur Enterprise Initiative
Dates: Might 6 – June 10, 2023
Location: Digital
For youths with an entrepreneurial spirit, Zawadi Cultural Collective and Black In The Valley are working collectively to supply mentorship with a digital six-week program. Throughout Kidpreneur Enterprise Initiative, key mentors and visitor audio system will information youth individuals (ages 10 – 16) by the right way to construct a enterprise from scratch. By the top of this system, the kidpreneurs may have the chance to launch their companies at a Juneteenth Market.
Washington, D.C.
17. ByBlack Convention
Dates: 2023 (TBA)
Location: Washington, D.C.
In partnership between the U.S. Black Chambers Inc. and the Nationwide Affiliation of Black Owned Broadcasters, the ByBlack Convention is an annual three-day occasion to encourage collaboration and foster collective financial energy for Black-owned companies. The convention brings collectively entrepreneurs, media house owners, creatives, and company executives to learn the way they’ll scale and get extra visibility for his or her corporations.
It’s time to interrupt limitations collectively.
Take a look at the above occasions and take into account attending one which appeals to your present objectives as a rising entrepreneur. Reminder: you possibly can write it off as a enterprise expense.
