Home Madison Inaugural Black Chamber of Commerce Business Awards Set for Thursday

Inaugural Black Chamber of Commerce Business Awards Set for Thursday

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JP Hair Design, Foster Funeral and Cremation Services, Savanna Beauty Supply, Hedi Lamarr Rudd, Madison365 and Mo'Betta Butter Cookies are just some of the local businesses being honored at the inaugural Madison Black Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.

The Madison Black Chamber of Commerce will host a banquet on Thursday to celebrate sixteen businesses and organizations run by people of color that have made a difference around Dane County, including Madison365.

“Shark Tank” contestant and Madison native Andrew Bentley, Men’s Health and Education Center Founder Aaron Perry and Wisconsin State Representative Jason Fields will be guest speakers at the event, which is being held at the Best Western Premier Park Hotel from 5 – 8:30 pm on Thursday, February 22.

Sixteen local businesses and organizations headed by people of color will receive awards for representing and empowering the communities they serve around Dane County.

“I know what doing this means to the Chamber,” Black Chamber president Camille Carter told Madison365. “It means that these black businesses definitely have an economic impact on the Madison community and we want to highlight their accomplishments. But the Chamber really wants to highlight the fact that we do have successful black businesses that are doing well in Madison and our business awards dinner will be an opportunity to come together as a community and celebrate.”

Carter understands that many people around Dane County, even people of color, view Madison area as being some disempowered and underrepresented place in terms of black ownership. But Carter says there are many black men and women starting businesses and that the perceptions of Madison are evolving.

“It is changing for the positive,” Carter said. “As more black entrepreneurs are in the community, people are becoming more aware of the things they are doing. We have identified over 311 businesses of color that are operating in Madison in our Black Chamber of Commerce directory. And that improved over our previous directory list which had over 200. It is trending upward. The change is happening right now.”

Here is a list of the award winners to be recognized during the banquet:

  • Longevity award: Larry Sain State Farm
  • Resilience Award: Buraka’s
  • Investing in Community 1: JP Hair Design
  • Investing in Community 2: One City Early Learning Center
  • Investing in Community 3: Latino Chamber of Commerce
  • Sustainability: Olson Toon Landscaping
  • Home Based Business Award: Mo’ Betta Cookies
  • Persistence Award: QB’s Magnetic Creations
  • Visionary 1: Foster Funeral & Cremation Services
  • Visionary 2: Genesis Social Services Corporation
  • Creativity Award: Vernee Nycole House of Beauty
  • Model Retail Award: Savanna Beauty Supply
  • Urban Business Award: Urban Construction Administrations
  • Vendor Award: Tappestry Design
  • Media Award: Madison365
  • Photography Award: Hedi LaMarr Photography

Carter said she is happy for all the award winners and is hopeful that the Black Chamber of Commerce Awards Dinner sets an example for how much the Chamber supports and empowers Black business owners.

“It will be a fun evening and certainly everyone is welcome,” Carter said.

Tickets are $50 and available at https://www.madisonblackchamber.com/black-business-awards-dinner/.