ST. PAUL — Friday, hundreds of Black business owners gathered at the Capitol to meet with legislators for the second annual Black Entrepreneur’s Day.
Led by award-winning broadcaster and businesswoman Sheletta Brundidge, Minnesotans from across the state came to network and talk with their representatives about Black business needs.
Brundidge worked for decades in the Minnesota media market and told the St. Cloud Times that she wanted to use her platform and connections to open doors for her fellow Black business owners.
“I can get my foot in the door,” she said. “But what about the 400 more business owners who need that same access to survive?”
Brundidge said access to resources for funding and overall information on businesses are among the largest barriers to beginning.
The Texas native founded her production and media company, Sheletta Makes Me Laugh, four years ago and has seen major success, partnering with organizations like United Healthcare and the Minneapolis Police Department.
“Somebody’s going to come to Black Entrepreneur’s Day and get a connection, someone is going get a grant they’ve been praying for, someone’s going to get a legislator to help them do something that they couldn’t do on their own,” Brundidge said.