When Anika Holmes decided to go to the Art of Black Business reception hosted by the Greater Washington Black Chamber of Commerce (GWBCC) at The Point D.C. in Southwest, she was looking forward to a gathering featuring glitz, glam and fun.
However, even as District business, government and community leaders gathered donning fancy attire, dance music played and hors d’oeuvres and drinks flowed, Holmes said the Oct. 22 event was more than just a party. It was a moment to network, build and celebrate Black business excellence.
“In my mind, it was just going to be a lot of people taking pictures in beautiful dresses, and nice suits. But it became so much more,” she told The Informer. “It was people [who] were connecting to understand how to move their business forward, where they currently sit, and how they can connect with other individuals to really help not only their business progress. But how do they help other businesses progress and do what they do as subject matter experts?”
Those kinds of questions, connections and experiences are exactly what Corey Griffin hoped for at this year’s Art of Black Business reception.
As chair of the GWBCC Board of Directors, Griffin said the organization is working to ensure the District’s Black business community has resources, relationships and opportunities that go beyond the Washington region. In doing so, he is keenly aware of the challenges local Black entrepreneurs are facing and the work necessary for their businesses to thrive.
“This is an important moment for us. We all know that there’s been attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Black federal contractors and federal employees. Black women are under attack. And this moment is creating some uncertainty across our region,” Griffin told the large crowd gathered in the Southwest D.C. restaurant. “But behind those pressures are families and a lot of businesses built through years of hard work.”
The board chair offered a call to action that reverberated throughout the Thursday evening event.
“We must advocate for fair opportunity by helping our members in that,” he declared.
Under the theme “Year of the Member,” the event, which also honored six local business leaders, highlighted the local entrepreneurs, leaders and changemakers contributing to the District’s economy, residents and culture.
“That’s why I love the theme so much: ‘Year of the Member,’” said D.C. Secretary of State Kimberly A. Bassett. “It reminds me that behind every successful business community are people who make it possible— whether it’s an entrepreneur taking a chance on a new idea, or business owners creating jobs in our neighborhoods.”
For Holmes, the event provided a wealth of opportunities to do her part in collaborating with and strengthening local businesses.
“What I came for versus what I got have been two different experiences, and so I appreciate the fact that I can take things back to, one, help grow businesses here in D.C. to create upward mobility for our economy across the board,” she said. “But also look at it from an education and training lens to see how we can take what we know, understand, embrace, and move us forward as a District.”
The Importance of Building Together, International Partnerships
District residents, business leaders and current and past legislators — including Councilmember Wendell Felder (D-Ward 7) and former Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, who served as longtime chair of the Committee on Business and Economic Development— filled the evening reception and fundraiser.
With so many people gathered from various industries, many speakers and guests alike underscored the value in collaboration to help businesses grow and thrive in the nation’s capital.
“I want us to fight the issues that impact the ability to be successful in the District. We can’t do this work alone. We need you. And what works more than any other tactic, is when we walk into a councilmember’s office arm in arm,” Griffin, president and CEO of Global Government and Industry Partners (2GIP), told the people gathered at The Point D.C. “I’m asking you to be involved… Please bring your expertise, identify an opportunity that will help one another move businesses forward.”
The event provided a wealth of opportunities to dive into various facets of the District’s business scene, from talking to attendees to checking out the live auction, featuring African American artisans, and a showcase highlighting local Black beverage entrepreneurs.
“I think it’s always great to bring people together,” entrepreneur Tony Johnson told The Washington Informer. “I saw a lot of business owners that I have not seen in quite a while, and I had two very amazing, synergistic conversations tonight that I’m very excited about.”
After a couple of conversations, Johnson, a member of GWBCC, left the Art of Black Business with ideas and a to-do list.
“One colleague, we used to work together a long time ago. She now has her own company, and we talked about doing some partnership work together. And she has some space, so we’re talking about doing some workforce development training in some of the spaces that she has,” he said. “And I also had another conversation with a gentleman that I saw a couple months ago about doing some international work in Africa. So that was wonderful… and we’re teed up to have another call next week.”
While the event celebrated work happening in the District, several speakers and attendees like Johnson also emphasized the importance of exploring international business relationships.
“We are also a global chamber, from our international missions, trade missions, [and] partnerships,” Griffin said. “Our relations across African, Latin American, and the Middle East, reflect the fruitions of our members.”
Bassett also emphasized the importance of work to expand the District’s business footprint across the world. For the District leader, building relationships beyond the city’s borders is critical.
“International relationships can create opportunities for our residents and businesses,” said Bassett, who manages and oversees relationships with more than 180 embassies and diplomatic missions in her role as secretary of state. “The Black business community doesn’t just stop in D.C.’s borders. … And that’s what makes the chamber’s work so important — helping D.C. businesses see themselves as players in the global market.”
Encouraging Resilience
Throughout the evening, speakers, honorees and attendees discussed the importance of finding ways to overcome various obstacles affecting businesses— from accessing capital to building and maintaining loyal clientele, and creating a legacy in the District and beyond.
For Griffin, understanding the importance of resilience is a key part of creating lasting businesses.
“Resilience means diversifying customers; it means entering into new markets and strengthening operations,” he said. “It means supporting one another through these moments. It also means refusing to accept diminished opportunity. We cannot accept that as an inevitable fate.”
Legacy Award winner Alexes Haggins, one of six people honored during the Oct. 22 event, knows a lot about what it takes to bounce back after challenging moments.
The awardee’s business furthers a legacy started by her father, Bernard Haggins, who first owned a flower shop on the same block as her establishment, Flowers by Alexes, 851 Upshur Street NW. After serving as a delivery driver for Colonial Florist, first located on Georgia Avenue, her dad took over the shop after the former owner retired in the late 1960s. He relocated the shop to Upshur Street and changed the name to Flowers by Alexes to honor his baby girl in 1993, but the business was forced to close after his death in 2004.
“Entrepreneurship is a lifelong journey of learning. There are highs that make you feel like you’re on top of the world, and those that make you question everything,” Haggins said during her acceptance speech. “It’s about remaining consistent, producing good fruit, and understanding that while you’re building, you have a responsibility to give back, and this year God told me something about leadership.”
Haggins, who opened Flowers by Alexes in 2022, revealed she was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent surgery to treat the disease.
While addressing her health challenges was a priority, so was running her business.
“If you’re an entrepreneur, you know how difficult it is to surrender control, but I’ve learned that surrender is not weakness; it is wisdom,” she said. “I was forced to step away from the daily operations of my business, and in that stillness, God began to work on me. He showed me that leadership isn’t about being needed for everything. True leadership is building something that can continue to thrive even when you’re not in the room.”
Further, she received an important life lesson.
“[God] reminded me that before I am a business owner, I am a mother, a woman, and I am His daughter,” she said on Oct. 22, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. “And the business I’m building should never cost me the life I’ve been blessed to live.”
With the right support, Haggins has been able to heal while keeping Flowers by Alexes surviving and thriving.
As she grows her business, the 45-year-old mother and breast cancer survivor is being intentional about how she contributes to her community.
“Legacy is what we pour into others while we are still here, and it’s the opportunity we create for another small business owner is the door we open for someone else, and it’s choosing collaboration over competition,” she said. I don’t just want to build a successful business; I want to help build success.”
She then offered advice to overcome obstacles while sharing her own goals for the future.
“To every entrepreneur in this room, I leave you with this: Don’t let a difficult season convince you that your purpose has expired. Keep showing up. Keep planting. Keep giving. And up above all, keep God first,” she said. “I’m not finished, and Flowers by Alexes is not finished. … And lastly, I do not want to leave my city a storefront. I want to leave an empire, and I want to be remembered for the lives I helped.”
Helping Businesses to Fight Challenges and Win
Working to help others navigate challenging times became a common thread for many at the Oct. 22 event.
“It’s people for people,” Holmes told The Informer, after witnessing interactions at the Art of Black Business. “I think [people are] going to sit and help [other] people to understand where their niche is, and how they can push forward to be more economically sensible.”
For Johnson— president of Captivate Perspectives Corporation, a company that focuses on professional and workforce development as well as project management services— being part of organizations such as Greater Washington Black Chamber of Commerce is a helpful way to find resources to beat hard times. Further, he emphasized the importance of the village mentality, that is central to teachings across Black communities and the African diaspora.
“Things look very different,” said Johnson, who is also a member of the D.C., Prince George’s, and Northern Virginia Chambers of Commerce. “But I definitely think one of the things in the Black experience we know is that we have been through difficult times before, and we have been able to work together in difficult times to get through it.”
Griffin said that it requires a united front to combat the hurdles of today and those ahead.
“We have to fight and I’m asking you all to join with us to make certain to back on these policies that will erode Black ownership,” the GWBCC board chair said. “And we’re not going to stand for it.”
As the event concluded, Bassett — who also accepted an award on behalf of Business Advocate of the Year honoree D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser — offered encouragement to the local entrepreneurs gathered at the reception.
“Don’t give up, just keep working, keep thriving and keep winning,” she said.
