BECO EXPO 2024: A Celebration of Black Excellence and Innovation
On June 29th, 2024, the Black Eco Chamber proudly hosted the first annual BECO EXPO at the beautiful Dumas Bay Centre in Federal Way, marking another event dedicated to empowering Black entrepreneurs, innovators, and community leaders. The event brought together a vibrant and diverse crowd, all united by a shared passion for economic empowerment and sustainable growth within the Black community.
We can’t begin to thank our wonderful panelists for such dynamic and thought provoking discussions centered around education in the Black community, how to journey through the process of starting and building up your own business, and of course, one of our major highlights: The Money Mindset panel which included all the ways to grow and manage your personal and business finances from real estate and mortgage to crypto currency and insurance to SBA, bank, and CDFI loans.
Attendees actively participated in various sessions, with lively Q&A segments that showcased the community’s eagerness to learn and collaborate. Some of our VIPS took advantage of networking breaks in our Smoke and Sip Lounge areas in the Dumas Bay courtyards to further meaningful connections, foster new partnerships and discuss business ventures.
Highlights included a powerful opening address by Melina Abdullah, the running mate to Dr. Cornel West who’s campaigning on the Independent ticket. Sister Abdullah emphasized the importance of collective effort in driving not only voter awareness, but also the ability for voters to have expanded availability of choice during election season and how those choices affect our community’s best interest. For more information, please visit cornelwest2024.com to get information about their efforts to increase ballot choice in Washington State.
Celebrating the Legacy of Dr. Maxine Mimms
The Black Eco Chamber was more than excited to present our first ever Cultural Icon Award to Dr. Maxine Mimms, whose granddaughters accepted the award on her behalf. A champion of all that is excellent in black culture, Dr. Mimms’ has left an indelible legacy on so many, directly and indirectly through her work in education and civil rights. To read our full proclamation in awarding the Cultural Icon Award to Dr. Maxine Mimms, please click here.
“As teachers we are the facilitators to remind you of your past and bring you to the future.”
Dr. Maxine Mimms
The night was capped off with an electric performance by our founder, Creative Artist and Entrepreneur, Shyan Selah who performed a selection of songs from his upcoming album release, The Cafe Noir Project – a unique multi-media musical experience that first launched at Starbucks in Seattle at the historic corner of 23rd and Jackson.
The BECO EXPO 2024 not only highlighted the successes and challenges faced by Black entrepreneurs but also served as a catalyst for future initiatives. Immediate feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, with many praising the event’s organization and the valuable insights gained. The event underscored the importance of continuing to support Black-owned businesses and sustainable practices.
For those who missed the event or wish to relive the experience, click here for the full photo gallery and check back frequently for event video to be posted soon!
We are proud to have worked with black-owned and women-owed businesses, PhatFactoryDJ BBQ and Diamond Clean SEA in providing great soul cooking and bar and beverages respectively for our attendees. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to our sponsors, vendors, partners, speakers, and volunteers including our Gold Sponsors Yield Bank and Hidden Gems Financial, Gesa Credit Union, Modern Woodmen of America, and Evergreen Business Capital who made BECO EXPO 2024 possible. Your contributions were integral to the event’s success, and we are deeply grateful for your support.
“We aim to be solution developers engineering new ways to re-imagine equity.”
Shyan selah (founder of the black eco chamber)