Sunday’s event showcases Black-owned businesses in Akron

Bring your wallet, your curiosity, and appetite — ready to be spoiled by Akron’s Black-owned businesses. 

The Black Exchange: A Marketplace Experience is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 24 from 1-5 p.m. at the Akron Urban League (440 Vernon Odom Blvd.). Organizers plan to showcase a variety of local businesses, ensuring that they are seen, heard and supported during National Black Business Month.

Akron is home to a growing network of Black entrepreneurs, from food trucks to financial services — many of which are expected to participate.

Sponsors of the event include the Black Chamber of Commerce Summit County, which launched earlier this year with the goal of strengthening Akron’s entrepreneurial ecosystem — from mentorship and access to capital to raising visibility. Other sponsors include the Akron Urban League and Signal Akron.

In addition to Sunday’s marketplace, area churches plan to pray for businesses across Summit County.

Earlier this month, the chamber launched a Black Business Crawl, which continues through the end of August.

Editor’s note: Signal Akron is a co-sponsor of The Black Exchange: A Marketplace Experience and a founding member of the Black Chamber of Commerce Summit County.

Managing Editor (he/him)Gary is returning to Akron after previously working at the Akron Beacon Journal as a sports reporter from 2003 to 2006. He is committed to delivering authoritative, trustworthy journalism that is accessible to everyone. Gary mostly recently worked as a newsroom leader in Clarksville (Tenn.), Murfreesboro (Tenn.) and Nashville, where he was the business, race and culture editor at The Tennessean. He is a native of New Orleans and a product of Southern University and A&M College. In his free time, you can find him cycling, playing paintball and smoking meats.

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