Michigan Black Business Alliance

As the year winds down, our event schedule is a little lighter. However, we are always here for you at the Black Biz Hub: ?? Monday - Thursday 9AM-5PM! Event updates and RSVP links can be found on our website ?? www.blackbizalliance.com

WE HAVE A LOT TO CELEBRATE AS THE YEAR COMES TO CLOSE! Join us for a festive evening of food, fun, and fundraising to support the Michigan Black Business Alliance! This annual fundraising event is a great way to celebrate the holiday season with friends and family, while also supporting a worthy cause of closing the racial wealth gap.

"I started my business with $27 four years ago-- to having a multi million dollar cleaning company in the city of Detroit." Keep watching to hear how our very own Mario Kelly from Believe 313 Staffing speaks about his entrepreneurship journey and how our Capital Connect program has helped him excel in his business. Our Capital Connect program wouldn't be possible without the support of our corporate partners. Thank you all for your continued support!

MBBA is a proud partner of Michigan Secretary of State's Michigan Business United for Elections Effort. This partnership leverages the political vote and voice of the small business ecosystem. This is a reminder to all to make sure you cast your vote because your vote matters. Black businesses are on the ballot and we encourage all to make your vote count! How can you cast your absentee ballot? Absentee ballots can be submitted either by mail or?hand-delivered to your clerk’s office or their secure drop box. Learn more at?Michigan.gov/Vote.

It's always an exciting week when we can host great events, visit members, and connect with partners! Our team traveled to Lansing with our partners Black Tech Saturdays and LEAP to strategize and visit members in the area. We also traveled to Flint for 100K Ideas Seeds for Growth Summit where our CSO Kaiwan Bowman spoke on their Small Business Access to Capital Panel! It was great to see partners in the room as well (Huntington National Bank, Sarah Anthony, Michigan Economic Development Corporation)!

Our annual holiday fundraiser is around the corner and our booths are selling fast! Guaranteed seating, VIP access, and bottle service all available for you and your friends to enjoy your magical night in style! This year's theme is "Magic of Melanin" and we are asking everyone to wear shades of brown and semi-formal attire! Early bird tickets are currently available for members so make sure to grab as soon as you can. Head to www.blackbizalliance.com to purchase today!

MBBA's Capital Connect Program has empowered over 200 graduates across 11 cohorts—and we’re just getting started! Thanks to our incredible Corporate Members, we can continue supporting Black-owned businesses with access to capital, resources, and opportunities. Want to be a part of this impactful journey? Learn more about our Corporate Memberships and how you can support programs like Capital Connect. Reach out to us at [email protected].

Nominations are Now Open! Know a small business that’s making waves and deserves some recognition? Nominate them for the 2025 Michigan Celebrates Small Business Awards! In collaboration with our partner, Small Business Association of Michigan, the Micro Business Award will now be included as an opportunity for a special business in our ecosystem. Celebrate the success and impact of businesses that are driving Michigan’s economy forward! Visit www.michigancelebrates.org for more details. #MCSB2025 #MichiganCelebrates #SupportSmallBusiness

Hey Linked-In! I know this is super late, but I wanted to highlight the internship I had this past summer! I had the pleasure of being a part of the UpNxt Summer Internship Program at the Michigan Black Business Alliance! The UpNxt Program is a fully immersive entrepreneurship-focused program centered around exposing youth and young adults to entrepreneurship basics through mentorship, development workshops, and employment opportunities. I was paired with the lovely Andrea Davis, RMCP, who is the founder of Linked Workforce, a consulting firm specializing in resource management and workforce planning solutions. I learned so much about the corporate world and what it means to be a true leader. Thanks so much for teaching me! Towards the end of the summer, each intern also got a chance to pitch their own business, which gave me hands-on experience and insight into the entrepreneurial world -- understanding financials, marketing strategies, and familiarity with pitch competitions. I am so grateful for this experience and want to give a special thanks to Taylor N. Smith for this opportunity! Here is the link if you're interested in learning more: https://lnkd.in/ehHitJcp

Our week was amazing! At MBBA, the work never stops! We bonded within our work teams, attended conferences with partners, got recognized for awards, and most importantly, were able to connect with our members! As always, special thanks to our partners that support us doing the work and our members for reminding us why we do what we do! 1. MBBA Hospitality Success Program participants 2. Programs & Membership team bonding 3. NEI Conference 4. Fall Mixer at LYV Detroit 5. Detroit Regional Chamber's Leadership Detroit Award Recognition with Brandon Reed, MBBA External Affairs and member Cooking with Que!