Black-Owned Business Excellence's 5th Annual Symposium Is Jan. 31 to Feb. 2

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January 26

Kicking off Black History Month, the fifth annual Black-Owned Business Excellence (BOBE) Symposium will take place from Wednesday, Jan. 31 to Friday, Feb. 2. The symposium aims to educate and inspire historically underserved business owners with the tools and resources they need to launch, revive and expand their businesses, and will be held at Tacoma's Watson Signature Event Center (11521 Bridgeport Way Southwest Lakewood) as well as online. The Seattle Public Library is a co-sponsor of the event.

Now a nonprofit, BOBE started as a collaboration of organizations and individuals to support, educate, inspire and elevate businesses that are owned by underserved business owners in Washington State. As a Library community partner, BOBE members offer their business and finance expertise to the broader community through Library programs and elsewhere.

Exploring how to reverse economic disparity for BIPOC entrepreneurs, this year's Symposium includes small business panels with local business leaders, networking events and workshops on topics such as integrating AI. The kick-off event is a virtual watch party of the documentary - "The Cost of Inheritance."

BOBE panelists Keisha Credit, Darnesha Weary, Chef Dayo, Monika C. Mathews, Chris Odum, Umi Wagoner pose for a selfie and at the 2023 Symposium. Photo by Melissa Humes.

In his Thursday keynote address, nationally known entrepreneur and author Shawn D. Rochester, author of "The Black Tax," will share an economic framework that can help close the racial wealth gap. On Friday, Joi-Lin Hunt, tax attorney and entrepreneur who has founded businesses including Créme de la Crème Hair and a multi-million car dealership, will share thoughts on "Growing and Protecting Your Business."

Jenefeness Franke, BOBE organizer, shared this comment about what the symposium brings to attendees, five years in: "The Black-owned Business Excellence Symposium is a multi-day movement that builds on and extends many efforts to enhance connections with and between Black-focused business groups and entrepreneurs while exploring the economic framework that is necessary to close the racial wealth gap," she said. "Black-Owned Business Excellence (BOBE) will foster a deeper understanding of the complexities surrounding reparations and the potential pathways toward racial healing and justice TOGETHER."

Find out more about the BOBE Symposium and register at this EventBrite link. The virtual event costs $40, while the in-person event has a fee of $75. Scholarships are available for those who might benefit from having the registration fee waived; email L2B@spl.org for details.