DANVILLE — Entrepreneurship at its core is an act of freedom — the pursuit of dreams, breaking of barriers, and the creation of opportunities where none existed before, Lewisburg Mayor Kendy Alvarez said at a special Juneteenth session of StartUp Danville.

Just as Juneteenth represents systematic change, Alvarez continued, “entrepreneurship represents the liberation of ideas. Despite barriers such as economic exclusion, Black entrepreneurs continue to forge paths of innovation and self-sufficiency.”

At the morning session, two prominent area Black business owners discussed the challenges they face, and the roads to success they are taking. 

The first presenter was Robert Byers, the owner of B In It To Win It Fitness LLC, which focuses on holistic health and wellness. He said B In It To Win It Fitness offers personalized fitness programs to help individuals achieve their health goals.

The second presentation was Equila Phelps, the founder of Equila’s Voice-over Productions. Phelps voice-over business has gained recognition for her versatile and professional voice services, catering to a wide range of industries.  The common challenge they face is how to expand their new, but growing businesses. 

Access to capital is an ongoing issue with small business entrepreneurs, said Steve Stumbris, executive director, Bucknell’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

“It seems like it should be easy to get access to capital, but when you start out credit is a big deal and if you don’t have a current credit history that can become an issue,” Byers said. “It can be a bit of a more difficult situation for people like me who are looking to expand. It is a challenge I know we face.”

Phelps hasn’t run into those issues, she said.

“But there are certain grants I find are available to people in minorities, and that is beautiful,” she said. “I am beginning to see revenue possibilities for those people who have been less fortunate.”

Phelps and Byers agreed that working with the SBDC offers opportunities to network, “and sometimes who you know helps a start up business gain traction,” Byers said.

More information about Robert Byers and his business can be found at https://www.facebook.com/binittowinitfitness.

Learn about Phelps and her professional services at https://voice123.com/voice-actor/equilaphelps.