WESLEY CHAPEL — Chad Cooper is no stranger to promoting Black- and minority-owned businesses — and now has his sights set on doing just that for Wesley Chapel and Pasco County through his newly formed Wesley Chapel Black Chamber of Commerce.

Just a year ago, he and his family moved to Land O’ Lakes from New Mexico where, in addition to running a financial services business, he was one of the founders of a Black chamber of commerce in Albuquerque that grew into a state-wide organization, the Black Chamber of Commerce of New Mexico.

“We are trying to build a bridge between Black entrepreneurs and all businesses who have Black and minority employees within the broader business community,” says Cooper, when asked why he felt this area needed another chamber of commerce.

Pasco County already has several chambers, including the Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce, serving the entire county; the East Pasco Chamber of Commerce focused on the Dade City-Zephyrhills area; and the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce, which serves Lutz, Odessa, Trinity and Wesley Chapel. Nearby Hillsborough County also has a number of chambers, including one devoted to Black-owned businesses, the Hillsborough County Black Chamber of Commerce.

Cooper belongs to one of the local chambers but insists that none of the chambers in Pasco County are actively serving the special needs of Black and minority entrepreneurs and business owners.

“I got the idea to replicate what we did in New Mexico at a local chamber event here. I was chatting with some people and asked whether there were any programs for the minority community, like micro-lending of small loans under $10,000. It was clear there is a need,” Cooper says.

Over the next months, he and fellow WCBCC directors, Tajuan Devore and Valton King, met with local business owners and leaders to discuss how to set up minority-oriented business lending programs, as well as organize help for such businesses seeking grants, business planning assistance, bookkeeping, marketing support, and web development.

“We eventually decided this was something we could do ourselves,” Cooper remembers. “Word got around quickly on social media. I was completely blown away. There definitely seems to be a need, an excitement for this to happen, a niche that is not being filled.”

Today, an idea arising from a passing conversation has evolved into a state-registered non-for-profit corporation with a website (wcbcc.org), a growing presence on social media, a number of business events, including monthly “Cigar Socials” and “Women Rising Together” networking meetings, and more than 100 business owner and supporter subscribers to the group’s “Business Happenings” newsletter.

“We are thrilled to bring together entrepreneurs and business owners from all walks of life with one shared vision: growth,” Cooper writes on the group’s new Instagram page, which describes the new chamber as “a space where people who are passionate about building and strengthening their businesses can come together, collaborate, and elevate each other.”

The Wesley Chapel Black Chamber of Commerce’s LinkedIn mission statement expands this philosophy further, stating that “through advocacy, education, and strategic partnerships, we aim to foster economic growth, provide resources, and enhance the overall prosperity of our community.”

What that means, in practical terms, is the ability to fill what Cooper calls a “critical gap” in information and services available to Black- and minority-owned businesses in Wesley Chapel and greater Pasco County.

“These businesses often have a hard time finding the resources they need to thrive,” Cooper says.

Cooper stresses that the new chamber also is seeking members among other businesses that have Black and minority employees to provide resources and a bridge to the Black and minority community.

“We are open to everyone — all ships rise if all businesses are doing well,” says Cooper.

The official grand opening of the Wesley Chapel Black Chamber of Commerce will be held in late January or February at a yet-to-be-selected site, according to Cooper.

Once the chamber has a physical home and a staff is hired to handle the day-to-day activities and member support, Cooper expects activities will ramp up exponentially.

According to Cooper, “This Chamber isn’t just about business—it’s about building a collective strength, supporting one another, and lifting our community to new heights.”

Cooper believes that growing up in New Orleans and attending college and working in New Mexico has given him a unique perspective on the needs of Black and minority businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs.

Cooper says those needs include specific programs to empower minority business owners’ access to both major capital and micro-loans as well as offering mentorships, educational resources, networks and partnerships with other local chambers and the Pasco Economic Development Council.

“All of this is to foster both collaboration and inclusivity,” says Cooper. “Historically, Black- and minority-owned businesses have not been involved in community planning and economic development. Our vision is to ensure that these businesses have both a voice and a presence in shaping the region’s economic future.”

Achieving that vision will help the entire community, Cooper insists. “We want local citizens, employers, and residents to play an active role in shaping a stronger, more inclusive economy. When our businesses thrive, our entire community thrives.”

He says his own business, Cooper White and Associates, LLC, is thriving as well. He is a financial planner affiliated with Gateway Financial Advisors, LLC and Cambridge Investment Research.

Cooper received a joint Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Sociology-Anthropology from Middlebury College in Vermont, and an MBA from the University of New Mexico’s Anderson School of Management. He is a past president of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA). Locally, he is a member of the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce, the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club, serves on the Central Florida Urban League board of directors, and is the 2026 secretary/treasurer-elect of NAIFA Florida.