DAVENPORT, Iowa — NorthPark Mall was louder than usual on Saturday as dozens of vendors filled the corridors for the annual Black Business Expo, an event aimed at connecting local entrepreneurs with new customers and long-term support. The event, held on the final day of Black History Month, featured Black-owned businesses from across the Quad Cities, offering everything from hair care and clothing to baked goods, jewelry and community resources.

“It’s a way for our youth to creatively be able to display their talents … but for me, ultimately, the goal is that the businesses are happy that they’ve made new customers,” organizer Tracy Singleton said.

According to U.S. Census Bureau data, Black-owned businesses remain underrepresented nationwide compared to the overall population, and many face challenges accessing capital and marketing exposure. Events like this are designed to increase visibility and help entrepreneurs build sustainable customer bases.

“I see a lot of people that have started businesses out of necessity, but they found a passion and made it a paycheck for them, and so we definitely want to empower and encourage those businesses,” Singleton said.

2026 marks 11 years of the expo. Singleton has been the organizer throughout the years, this year moving it from SouthPark to NorthPark.

“When we first started, I would have to go out to businesses and be like, ‘Please come be a part of our expo.’ I don’t have to do that anymore. They’re coming,” Singleton said.

In addition to retail vendors, the event included outreach organizations offering information on community programs and resources, part of an effort to create a centralized hub for Black-owned businesses in the region. Black Resources, Inc is working to create a centralized network of local black businesses for the public to access.

“When a new Black business starts, we’re trying to create a hub for people to go to our website and everybody just be able to find each other, so it’s been real beneficial,” Black Resources, Inc president Elois Wilson said. “There’s no way really that you can determine: is it a Black business or not a Black business, and unfortunately we’ve had some businesses that go out of business because people didn’t know they were there…so we’re trying to just create a more centralized location.”