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Columbia, Mo. (KMIZ)
Columbia College hosted its fourth annual Black Business Expo on Saturday, February 18 in Columbia. The expo was hosted by the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
The Black Business Expo was held from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Southwell Complex on Rangline Street. The expo included live music and entertainment and was free and open to the public.
Columbia College said more than 60 minority-owned businesses attended the event to showcase their products and services.
Organizers told ABC 17 News that they named Saturday’s event after James A. Witt Sr., a Columbia public figure whose impact it has on minority-owned businesses in Columbia.
According to the college, community members had the opportunity to shop for everything from food, fashion, beauty, art, financial services and more.
Organizers told ABC 17 News that Saturday’s exhibition will be held in 2018. It is the first minority in-person trade show in 2020 since the outbreak of Covid.
The college said the 60 attendees were more than double the number of businesses in 2020, making it the largest ever.
Alexandra Gudino, director of Columbia College’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, said one of the goals of the event is to showcase minority businesses and the college is doing everything it can to understand what it’s like to be an entrepreneur.
Also present at the exhibition was Kekez Customs, a small business that customizes various items.
Angel Weir, owner of Kekez Customs, said she was grateful for the networking opportunity. “When it comes to these events, the community is like all my circle of people out there or you know…it lets us all come out and see what we’re doing, so I like that,” Weir said.
Gudino said they had to turn down 10 businesses for the 2023 Expo. However, the college has evicted people and now they are planning to expand for the next expo.
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