AFRO News: Black Business Matters Expo to celebrate 133 years in print
REGINALD F LEWIS MUSEUM IS HOSTING THE BLACK BUSINESS MATTERS EXPO. AND IT’S ACTUALLY COMING UP THIS THURSDAY. JOINING US LIVE WITH MORE IS THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE AFRO NEWS, TONY DRAPER. GOOD MORNING. HOW ARE YOU? GOOD. SO TONY TELL LIKE THE AFRO IS STILL IN PUBLICATION. YOU’RE JUST SAYING THAT PEOPLE CAN NOT JUST READ IT ONLINE. YOU CAN ACTUALLY GET A PHYSICAL COPY. YOU CAN ACTUALLY GET A PHYSICAL COPY. SO THE AFRO WAS FOUNDED IN 1892. SO THIS WEEK, APRIL THE 13TH, ACTUALLY REPRESENTS OUR 133RD BIRTHDAY. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. DON’T LOOK A DAY OVER 100. OH, WOW. YOU DON’T LOOK A DAY OVER 29. BUT THE NEWSPAPER ITSELF AND YOU GUYS ARE TRYING TO CONNECT PEOPLE, RIGHT? YOU’RE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TOGETHER. SO TELL ME ABOUT THIS EXPO. SO THE EXPO, THIS IS OUR FIFTH ANNUAL BLACK BUSINESS MATTERS EXPO. THAT’S A MOUTHFUL. IT IS, ISN’T IT? AUGUST IS NATIONAL BLACK BUSINESS MONTH THROUGHOUT THE NATION. AND SO FOR FIVE YEARS, WE’VE BEEN CELEBRATING IT BY HAVING A AN EXPO WHERE WE. BRING EXPERIENCE BUSINESSES AND NEW BUSINESSES AND, AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE A BUSINESS IDEA TOGETHER FOR WORKSHOPS AND DISCUSSIONS AND A PANEL SORT OF LIKE TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO EXPAND THEIR BUSINESS, HOW TO GET THEM STARTED IN THEIR BUSINESS. WELL, IT’S AN EXPERIENCE. THE BLACK BUSINESS EXPO. AND SO WE WILL TAKE OVER THE ENTIRE ORIGINAL LOUIS MUSEUM, ALL THE PUBLIC SPACES. AND SO WHEN PEOPLE FIRST COME IN, I HAVE TO TELL YOU, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS. THEY’LL GO RIGHT TO THE FOURTH FLOOR. THERE’LL BE A SIP AND SAY, BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY RIGHT HERE IN MARYLAND, BLACK OWNED WINERIES, A TEQUILA. PRODUCER. WHOA. THAT’S AWESOME. SO YOU’RE GOING TO GET THEM DRUNK FIRST, AND THEN YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE THEM MEET EVERYBODY. BASICALLY. RIGHT? I KNOW YOU’RE SORT OF LOOSEN PEOPLE UP A LITTLE BIT AND SAY, OKAY, SO THEY’LL GET A CHANCE TO SAMPLE, TO PURCHASE AND TO FIND OUT ABOUT HOW THEY DO THAT. SO THAT’S ON ONE FLOOR OF THE EXPO. ANOTHER FLOOR OF THE EXPO WILL HAVE SPONSORS WHO WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THEIR OFFERINGS. THERE WILL BE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS THERE AND OTHERS THERE WILL BE A PANEL DISCUSSION THAT I’M GOING TO MODERATE WITH LEGACY BUSINESSES ON ONE HAND, AND THOSE BUSINESSES WHO MAY BE FIRST, FIRST GENERATION ON THE OTHER. AND THERE’S A POWER PITCH COMPETITION THIS YEAR. OH WHAT’S THAT? SO IT’S LIKE A A LOCAL SHARK TANK. OH, COOL. THEY COME WITH THEIR IDEAS. WELL, NO, THEY’VE ALREADY SUBMITTED THEIR VIDEOS AND THEIR IDEAS. AND SO FROM THOSE WE NARROWED IT DOWN TO THREE FINALISTS. AND THEN THEY THEY’LL PITCH, IF YOU WILL, AT THE EXPO. AND JUDGES WILL DECIDE WHICH ONE WINS THE GRAND PRIZE. OH, THAT’S EXCITING. HAVE YOU YOU’VE DONE THIS BEFORE? NO. THIS IS OH, THIS IS THE FIRST. THIS IS THE FIRST. OH, THIS WILL BE FUN. WE DID A SPONTANEOUS PITCH ONE YEAR WHERE WE JUST SAID FROM THE AUDIENCE, YOU KNOW, WHO HAS A GREAT BUSINESS IDEA YOU WANT TO SHARE WITH US? AND, YOU KNOW, ENTREPRENEURS ARE HAPPY TO TELL YOU ABOUT THEIR BUSINESSES, AS WE’RE HAPPY TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE AFRO. SO PEOPLE POPPED UP AND DID IT. BUT THIS YEAR IS DIFFERENT. THEY ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH A PRELIMINARY COMPETITION. THE JUDGING WAS, I DON’T KNOW, IT WAS CHALLENGING TO DO THAT AND THEN NARROW IT DOWN SO THEY CAN’T SHOW. VIDEO ON THURSDAY THE 14TH OF AUGUST. SO IT’S ALL THEM PRESENTING THEM. THEY I DON’T REMEMBER HOW LONG THEY GET TO PITCH IT, BUT THEY CAN BRING THEIR PROPS. THEY CAN BRING THEIR FANS, BUT THEY CANNOT BRING ANY VIDEO. NO VIDEO THIS TIME. WELL, THAT’S VERY EXCITING. SO IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO COME TO THIS EXPO, HOW DO THEY GO ABOUT DOING THAT? THE BEST WAY TO DO IT IS TO GO TO AFRO TICS. TICS DOT AFRO TICS. WE’LL PUT IT ON OUR WEBSITE AND THEY CAN GET TICKETS THAT WAY. IT’S FROM 430 UNTIL 730. THURSDAY, AUGUST THE 14TH AT THE REGINALD LEWIS MUSEUM DOWNTOWN. AND THEY GET A BONUS. THEY’LL GET TO SEE WHATEVER THE EXHIBITS ARE THERE AT THE MUSEUM. THAT’S AND THERE’S SOME GREAT EXHIBITS THERE. THE MUSEUM. TONY, THANKS SO MUCH FOR COMING IN. REAL
AFRO News: Black Business Matters Expo to celebrate 133 years in print
AFRO News is celebrating 133 years in publication during the Black Business Matters Expo at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum this August.
AFRO News is celebrating 133 years in publication during the Black Business Matters Expo at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum this August.