Hundreds gather at Capitol for Black Entrepeneur's Day

ST. PAUL — Friday, hundreds of Black business owners gathered at the Capitol to meet with legislators for the second annual Black Entrepreneur's Day.

Led by award-winning broadcaster and businesswoman Sheletta Brundidge, Minnesotans from across the state came to network and talk with their representatives about Black business needs.

Brundidge worked for decades in the Minnesota media market and told the St. Cloud Times that she wanted to use her platform and connections to open doors for her fellow Black business owners.

“I can get my foot in the door," she said. "But what about the 400 more business owners who need that same access to survive?”

Brundidge said access to resources for funding and overall information on businesses are among the largest barriers to beginning.

The Texas native founded her production and media company, Sheletta Makes Me Laugh, four years ago and has seen major success, partnering with organizations like United Healthcare and the Minneapolis Police Department.

“Somebody’s going to come to Black Entrepreneur's Day and get a connection, someone is going get a grant they’ve been praying for, someone’s going to get a legislator to help them do something that they couldn’t do on their own,” Brundidge said.

Investing in Black businesses

The event received over 400 registrations. Booths were set up around the rotunda in the Capitol with volunteers handing out assigned, pre-made, and individualized schedules for all business owners who signed up. Each entrepreneur was directed to one of the 56 legislators who attended to speak with throughout the event.

Sponsors from numerous Fortune 500 companies were present and talking with attendees: AARP Minnesota, Comcast, Clear Channel Outdoor, Clockwork and Northwestern Mutual.

In 2023, small businesses in Minnesota saw big wins. The legislature appropriated $18 million to the Small Business Partnership Program and $5 million for Launch Minnesota to assist in startup growth.

Minnesota Senator and first Black Senate President Bobby Joe Champion (DFL-59) told the crowd that despite money being the biggest disparity for Black business owners, there are other ways to invest.

“I think it’s important for us to invest in those dreams,” he said. "(By) investing in training and opportunities.”

The chair of the Committee on Jobs and Economic Growth noted passage of the PROMISE Act last legislative session, a law that appropriated $125 million in grants and loans to entrepreneurs in the state that were heavily impacted by the economic strain of the last three years.

“It is good to invest in Black entrepreneurs,” Champion said. “It’s good for the rest of the state.”

Champion was joined by House Speaker Rep. Melissa Hortman (DFL-34B), Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy (DFL-64) and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan.

"You belong here"

Like many business owners, Antionette Lee works another job, and was unable to attend the event. She told the St. Cloud Times that won't stop her from continuing to advocate for her growth as a businesswoman.

Lee is the founder and CEO of No Limit Painting in St. Cloud, an art service business aimed at healing community and building connections. The mother of three works as a family advocate in District 742 and utilizes creative outlets to connect with underprivileged children in schools and across the community.

She said partnering with the Initiative Foundation non-profit was crucial in helping her know where to start creating her business. Five years later, she now partners with several Black women owned businesses in St. Cloud where they work to give back to the community and mentor other startups.

“It would have been helpful to have other people that look like myself that I could have went to as mentors, that understands the struggles and creates a safe space for you to say, ‘Hey, I have no clue what I’m doing, but this is what I’d like to do,” she said.

Today, she said the biggest barrier to sustaining her business is access to funding.

“I am an LLC, and a lot of funding or grants or programming are super supportive of non-profits,” Lee said. “And it kind of leaves us individuals that have LLCs, that are also doing the work and showing up in our communities, you don’t qualify for a lot of the funding.”

Brundidge said that it’s crucial for Black business owners to bring concerns like these directly to their representatives.

“They are supposed to listen to your concerns, but we’ve always felt disconnected or frustrated,” she said. "You belong here, this is where you need to be."

— Sam Woodward is the Minnesota elections reporting fellow for USA Today. You can reach her at swoodward@gannett.com or on X @woodyreports.

This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Black Entrepeneur's Day at Capitol: Hundreds meet with legislators