Black Business Summit

On June 1 2019, the Pan African Festival of Oregon in collaboration with Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon, the Business Outreach Program and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc, will welcome aspiring and current business owners along with their supporters from across the state to join us for the first ever Black Business Summit in Oregon.

The Black Business Summit will celebrate black business owners and bring together leading business experts to inspire and educate business leaders with new tools, strategies, and best practices to bring back to their companies and communities.

Pan African small businesses are being left out of the economic boom in Oregon. In August 2018, the Portland Business Journal reported that the number of black-owned businesses receiving Small Business Administration (SBA) loans by Oregon banks plummeted in the years following the economic recession, dropping from at least 50 loans per year a decade ago, to single digits in 2010. Recent figures show that only three black-owned businesses in Oregon received SBA loans in 2017. Realizing public goals of inclusive economic development requires an approach targeted towards historically disinvested and disenfranchised groups.

The Summit will highlight business leaders we have met along the way, who will share their inspiring stories of success and perseverance. The Summit programming will build rich moments for dynamic networking opportunities as well as breakout sessions on topics as diverse as taxes, cyber security, branding, marketing, and business growth strategies.

Cost

FREE for previous Pan African Festival business owners and vendors. For all other attendees, summit registration is $45 per person which is tax-deductible. If you are a past Pan African Festival vendor, please call Nafisa Fai at 503-752-2102 to receive your code to register for free.

Click here to register

For more information:

Nafisa Fai, 503-752-2102