With a new name, and a new format the previous Black Business Awards, the Madison Black Chamber of Commerce (MBCC) will look to demonstrate the resilience of Black entrepreneurs.
The event, now titled The Black Chamber Resiliency Showcase, will take place Thursday, May 6, 4-6 p.m., in a virtual format.
In the past, as many as 250 people attended the event, and MBCC President Camille Carter said the chamber has been able to create an experience that mimics the previous years’ excitement and networking capabilities. The event will use a program that allows participants to virtually move around a room and meet with one another.
“We’ll have a combination of open networking and speakers because we definitely feel that that is essential,” she said. “Part of our mission is to build community and what we have learned from many of our businesses is that we need one another, we need to know one another and network with one another.”
This year’s theme is “Celebrating the Resiliency of Black Owned Businesses,” and Carter said the reason for that comes from an obviously tremulous year.
“We wanted to take into account how business thrived despite the circumstances. It is one thing to survive a catastrophic event — COVID, Black Lives Matter — but it is another to actually thrive. We really wanted to shine a light on businesses that deserve recognition but really highlight their resiliency and how they have managed to pivot and actually not just survive but thrive.”
The keynote speaker will be Loida Nicolas Lewis, the wife of Reginald Lewis, the first African American entrepreneur to build a billion-dollar business. Attendees will receive a copy of Reginald Lewis’s book, “Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun?: How Reginald Lewis Created a Billion-Dollar Business Empire.” Jason Fields, president and CEO of MadREP, also will speak.
“We are excited as we focus on the book to learn about the legacy of Reginald Lewis through the eyes of his widow Loida Nicolas Lewis. We are excited to have her on our platform to give us an upfront and personal overview of her husband and their enterprise,” Carter said.
She noted that Fields is a returning speaker, as he was the inaugural speaker several years ago and she expects him to have an important outlook on what opportunities are available to the businesses.
Tickets for the event are $35 and can be purchased at madisonblackchamber.com.
