BROCKTON — Nurse-turned-CEO Esther Wamburu riveted the crowd with her story of building her company. It now grosses $2.5 million and employs more than 200 people, she said.

The CEO and founder of Stoughton-based Scituate Light Caregivers spoke to about 70 Black entrepreneurs and people eager to support them at a Black business roundtable hosted by Brockton Community Access.

Wamburu sought help from folks like Algeria Marsh of the state's Supplier Diversity Office and Jason Hunter of the Greater Brockton Workforce Board.

"This process really works," Wamburu said.

Marsh and Hunter were on hand for the Oct. 18 session, which was part presentation, part networking event and all business.

Delivering high quality service

Eval Silvera, one of Brockton's best-known entrepreneurs, was on the panel. That didn't stop the Brockton Beer Company co-founder from scribbling notes fast as he heard about new ideas and programs.

Out of the 255 breweries in the state, five are Black-owned, Silvera said.

Opening wasn't easy.

"We went through a lot of struggles to get there," Silvera said of the June opening of the taproom.

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Silvera said he's been pushing to deliver a high-quality customer experience, something he admits hasn't always been synonymous with Brockton. He said it hasn't been hard to find good people, but it has been tough to keep them.

"It's not just a job," Silvera said of the hires he makes for the 121 Main St. brewery and taproom. "You're part of the history we're building here downtown."

'We have to just go for it'

About $240 million has been allocated statewide for workforce development over the next three years, said Christine Abrams, president and CEO of the Commonwealth Corporation, which organized the event. Part of the quasi-public organization's work is to ID and tear down existing and historical barriers that have held back some groups, she said.

One major way to overcome those barriers is for Black entrepreneurs to help each other, several attendees said.

"We are learning from each other," said Yves Cajuste, a well-known figure in Haitian-American journalism who now leads the Greater Brockton Minority Business Association.

Tracye Whitfield, a Springfield city councilor and executive director of the state's Coalition for an Equitable Economy, said minority business owners need to think big.

"A lot of times we rent from each other, when we should be owning the real estate," Whitfield said. "Sometimes we have to just go for it."

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Marsh, one of the panelists, said that inclusion is everybody being involved.

"I'm very proud of who I am and where I came from and what I can provide to help someone else succeed," Marsh said.

Some of the discussion at the event was simply acknowledging the joy of being in a room full of other Black entrepreneurs and business people. In a state like Massachusetts that's 70% white, most rooms aren't like that.

Whitfield talked with the crowd about struggling to "put on that face" going in to an office that was 98% white. She found working from home freeing, she said.

"I want to bring my whole self," Whitfield said.

Workforce development is on the mind of the newest addition to the city's legislative delegation. Rita Mendes, a Brockton Democrat, is representative-elect for the majority-minority 11th Plymouth House district. Mendes said she aims to join the Workforce development committee when she starts her term in January.

Resources for Brockton-area businesses

• Greater Brockton Workforce Board (various programs supporting local businesses)

• Greater Brockton Minority Business Association (networking and information on grants and loans)

• Massachusetts Express Grants Program (up to $30,000 in grants for marketing, social media etc.)

• Commonwealth Corporation (training and funding opportunities)

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This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton: Black entrepreneurs share their success stories