‘Forging Our Own Path’: MDEAT, Commissioner Bastien partner to host business forum for Black History Month | Business

On Thursday, Jan. 20, in honor of Black History Month, Miami-Dade Commissioner Marleine Bastien and the Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust brought together a panel of speakers to discuss Black entrepreneurship and wealth.

The event, coined “Forging Our Own Path: Skills, Enterprise, & the Black Pursuit of Economic Justice,” drew roughly 40 guests to the Miami Dade College – North Campus. Attendees got to hear from a series of experts that included Michaeljohn Green, Chief of Economic Development and Strategy of the Miami Downtown Development Authority; Noelle Jackson, founder of Office Logic; Beatrice Louissaint, president of the Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council; and Ramona Hall, CEO of Phillips Concessions. The panel was moderated by G. Eric Knowles, president and CEO of the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce.

“The first people who came to Miami were entrepreneurs, African-Americans and Bahamians,” Bastien said. “They built strong businesses that are still viable today. Black people had to pull themselves up by their bootstraps.”

Also in attendance was Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who highlighted the statistical value of Black businesses in the county. According to Levine Cava, Black businesses in Miami-Dade County generate over $2.3 billion in revenue annually and employ more than 12,000 individuals. Miami’s Black consumer market is further valued at $5.5 billion.

The event in part informed attendees of the county’s various resources for local entrepreneurs.

“My district is very interested in investing in startup businesses, especially businesses led by young entrepreneurs with bright ideas,” Bastien said.

Levine Cava’s office offers grants and scholarships to support new entrepreneurs, in addition to a newsletter and a weekly Friday morning discussion to keep local business owners up to date with the latest resources.

Meanwhile, panelists shared their insight into what makes a business successful.

“You have to have a product someone wants. It’s all about marketing,” said Knowles.

Jackson said she offers entrepreneurs sessions with a licensed therapist to make sure they are founder-ready. She also has a grant writing hub.

“We need to support our own community. In Asian, Latino and Jewish communities, they go and support their own, and we need to support our own,” said Jackson.

One attendee, Anabelle Duncan, expressed her excitement before the panel began.

“I’m looking forward to learning about Black leaders and founders in the community that I can get some wisdom from to add knowledge and insight to my business, things that I don’t know yet,” said Duncan, founder of The Gala Empire LLC. Gala, which stands for “Got a lot accomplished,” is a mentorship program that teaches interpersonal skills to kids through sports and entrepreneurship.

“My family didn’t really come from all of this knowledge and a lot of the times they have gotten misled or conned out of whatever they owned,” said Larissa Macko, another attendee. “It was really important for me to come for knowledge and learn the ropes of what the American dream and opportunity is. If it weren’t for the sacrifice of a lot of Black Americans I wouldn’t have the opportunity to even be here today.”