The economic impact of black-owned businesses on Greater Madison will be on full display when the Madison Black Chamber of Commerce hosts its inaugural Black Business Awards Dinner Thursday, Feb. 22 from 5–8:30 p.m. at the Best Western Premier Park Hotel on the Capitol Square.
Established in 2006, the Madison Black Chamber of Commerce is a group of community members working to empower African-Americans to cultivate and expand entrepreneurship, and this first-time event is intended to recognize the economic contributions black businesses make on the local communities they serve.
Sixteen businesses are being honored during the inaugural awards festivities in the following categories:
- Longevity Award: Larry Sain State Farm
- Resilience Award: Buraka
- Investing in Community I: JP Hair Design
- Investing in Community II: One City Early Learning Centers
- Investing in Community III: Latino Chamber of Commerce
- Sustainability: Olson Toon Landscaping
- Home-Based Business Award: Mo’Betta Cookies
- Persistence Award: QB’s Magnetic Creations
- Visionary I: Foster Funeral & Cremation Services
- Visionary II: Genesis Social Services Corp.
- 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
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Camille Carter is president of the Madison Black Chamber of Commerce. Advertisement
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“One of the Madison Black Chamber of Commerce’s goals is to support and empower black business owners, so what better way to do this than with an awards dinner,” says Camille Carter, president of the Madison Black Chamber of Commerce.
Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with members of the business community and hear from renowned speakers like LaFollette grad and Shark Tank contestant Andrew Bentley, former Madison Black Chamber of Commerce President Aaron Perry, and Wisconsin State Rep. Jason Fields (D-Milwaukee).
Membership in the Madison Black Chamber has grown by more than 50% over the past two years, going from about 200 members in 2016 to 312 as of 2018. Integral in that growth and the exposure of local black-owned businesses has been the publication of the Black Business Directory, which was first released by the chamber on February 2016 and just received an updated printing.
“Black businesses are certainly economic contributors to Dane County,” notes Carter. “It’s estimated that the 312 businesses [in the directory] employ 800 people. We hope this awards dinner brings together the business community so everyone can see how these businesses are making a difference in the Greater Madison community.
“We’re fortunate to have two successful entrepreneurs who hail from Madison and a state representative who values what black businesses bring to the state of Wisconsin,” Carter adds. “We are looking forward to hearing how Andrew Bentley’s upbringing in Dane County has affected his life now as a business owner of Father Figure. Aaron Perry, founder of the Men’s Health Center, will share his entrepreneurial insight as he was also featured on national television, appearing on Megyn Kelly Today. Lastly, Jason Fields will talk about the state of black businesses in Wisconsin and how the government can partner with them moving forward.”
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Brand building
Bentley is a particularly interesting subject as a “local guy made good” who’s returning to Madison to speak about the power of business to transform communities.
Bentley is CEO and founder of Father Figure, the first clothing and accessories company devoted to dads who take care of their children.
“I’ve wanted to be a dad for as long as I can remember,” says Bentley. “When I became a dad two-and-a-half years ago, I wanted to spend as much time with my son as possible. Thankfully I had paternity leave that I used when my wife went back to work.
“As I became a stay-at-home dad, I realized that most parenting brands and products were designed for the mother experience,” Bentley continues. “After talking with a lot of my dad friends and conducting some research, I saw clearly that there was a big need for a lifestyle brand focused on dads. I left my job at Google and started the company.”
That leap was a big one, but one that’s so far paid off for Bentley and his young startup company, especially through the attention the company garnered after its appearance on ABC’s Shark Tank.
“It was a tremendous opportunity for the business and at the same time a rigorous process,” notes Bentley. “There were around 50,000 applications to be on the show and less than 200 entrepreneurs were aired. I knew getting on the show would have been an unmatched publicity opportunity. It also was an opportunity to team up with a veteran investor. I wanted a deal!
“Once I knew I was on the show I spent 10 to 12 hours a day, three weeks straight, preparing for my time in the tank. This sprint-like preparation process forced me to get to know my business and my business plan on a deeper level. I didn’t get a deal but I saw a giant leap in traffic to my website and sales as a result of my appearance.”
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Andrew Bentley, CEO and founder of Father Figure. |
Bentley says he was intentional about his pitch and the visuals of his appearance on the show. “I had a chance to tell the country how much I love taking care of my son, and I did it with two of my dad friends of color on stage next to me. I recognize that having three dads of color on television lovingly holding their babies doesn’t happen all that often. For me that’s a tremendous win and I’m proud it happened.”
The Madison native also made sure to plug his hometown.
“I love Madison,” he says. “Even though I now live on the East Coast, my heart will forever be back home. For this reason, I represented Madison when I was on Shark Tank. At the beginning of my pitch on the show I say I’m from Madison, instead of my new adopted city, Washington, D.C.”
Bentley states he feels honored to have the opportunity to speak at the inaugural Black Business Awards Dinner. “I’m going to be bursting with pride for all the black business people in attendance there. It’s a community I can’t wait to get to know more and learn from. I can’t imagine a better event for me to be a part of.
“I’m going to mainly talk about the power of business to transform communities as I see it,” Bentley adds. “In my previous work at Google, I saw the potential of the private sector to transform communities, in partnership with communities. This social impact component of business is especially important for black businesses to consider in this country. This vision drives what I’m doing with my startup, Father Figure. And I’ll also be talking about love. That’s what everything in the world boils down to.”
Tickets for the inaugural Black Business Awards Dinner are $50 and can be purchased at madisonblackchamber.com.
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