Machelle Williams is an entrepreneur in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and wants to seek more opportunities for her voice-over business, Machelle’s Voice. To take her business to another level, she decided to participate in the fifth annual Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce (VABCC) Conference & Expo at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia.
Williams, 59, said she was glad she decided to participate in the conference held Aug. 2-4.
“I joined the chamber very recently,” she told The Informer. “My goal is to expand my business in the state of Virginia.”
Williams joined dozens of entrepreneurs, speakers and vendors at the conference that worked from the theme “Automate, Accelerate and Innovate Your Business.” The three-day conference featured information sessions, a Melanin Marketplace with vendors, and entertainment activities such as a comedy show and a dinner cruise.
Behind the Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce
The Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce, founded by Ernisha Hall and Tracey Hall in August 2023 officially as a chamber. It had operated as a business-oriented nonprofit before then. The thrust behind the founding was driven by their passion for entrepreneurship and community development with a vision of serving as an advocate and resource for businesses, primarily, but not exclusively, minority and female-owned firms.
“We sponsor a number of activities related to businesses in Virginia,” said Ernisha Hall, the president and CEO of the Fredericksburg-based VABCC. “We have sponsored an advocacy day in February where we and our members go to Richmond to speak with our legislators about our concerns. Plus, we have a Govcon conference in Richmond in April where government officials talk to entrepreneurs about minority business development programs and hold workshops on how businesses can get certifications to do business with the state.”
The VABCC, was officially established as a Chamber in 2023 and is a member of the District-based U.S. Black Chambers Inc., led by president and CEO Ron Busby Sr..
Hall said her organization is not affiliated with the Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce.
“The Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce focuses on northern Virginia, while we focus on the entire state,” she said.
Annual Conference Emphasizes Networking, Growth
The conference kicked off on Aug. 2, with attendees participating in a speed networking activity where business cards and information were facilitated at a rapid pace.
The following day, the business conference started with sessions under the theme “Automate, Accelerate and Innovate,” throughout the day.
Erin Reddick, the founder and CEO of ChatBlackGPT, a company that specializes in using artificial intelligence for the benefit of the Black community, led a session on the new technology.
“AI technology is there to help you do what you need to do faster,” Reddick said in a room filled with 40 people. “For less than $100 a month, you could exponentially grow your business using AI.”
Entrepreneurs Coach T, Bola Audena and Brian Robertson were participants in a panel discussion called “Resilient Entrepreneur: Turn Setbacks into Success Stories.”
“Resilience is learning from setbacks,” said Robertson, CEO of Marion Marketing Global LLC in Mechanicsville, Virginia. “Resilience is learning from failures. Resilience is learning from mistakes.”
Audena, the CEO of MBA Growth Partners in Rockville, Maryland, said resilience “is accepting and understanding the process of growth.”
Coach T, who runs Fyt 2 Live based in Richmond, said “resilience is a mindset– a thought— and it starts with a choice and ends with a choice.”
After the morning session, attendees participated in workshops of their choice with topics such as access to capital, flipping stocks, resilience, and artificial intelligence as options.
Other activities included a keynote address by Hall on the importance of business and the VABCC and a pitch competition for a $5,000 prize.
A lower level of the hotel was sectioned off for the Melanin Marketplace where vendors ranging from banks to skin-care businesses offered their services and products.
The VABCC engages entrepreneurs from around the state.
Sherrie B. Thomas, co-owner of Global Gifts Travel LLC of Fredericksburg, is well acquainted with the VABCC.
“I am a chamber ambassador,” Thomas, 52. “I go out and talk to other people about the chamber. My goal is to drive membership.”
On Aug. 4, the organization had brunch on one of the hotel’s top floors. Shawn Stallworth, who owns a security services/networking data firm in Richmond, said attending the conference was beneficial.
“The experience of being here, the networking and supportive community was worth it,” Stallworth, 38, said. “Meeting other entrepreneurs, the keynote speakers and the information was valuable.”
