Happy Black History Month!
From barbershops and beauty salons to technology firms, childcare centers and coffee shops, Black entrepreneurship has long been part of the economic backbone of Memphis. This week, The Tri-State Defender will kick-off Black History Month with a community forum designed to elevate conversation, connection and practical insight for current and aspiring business owners.
The TSD in the Community Forum: African American Entrepreneurship will be held Wednesday, Feb. 4, 6-7:30 p.m. at the Raleigh Branch Library, located at 3452 Austin Peay Highway. The event is free and open to the public, though registration is required.
The forum is taking place at a critical moment for Memphis’ business community. With African Americans comprising nearly half of the metropolitan population, Memphis stands out nationally for both the number and density of Black-owned businesses. Tens of thousands of those businesses operate across the region, reflecting deep entrepreneurial drive and strong cultural tradition.
According to the Greater Memphis Chamber last fall:
- Memphis is emerging as a southern innovation hub, with a rising wave of Black founders leveraging the city’s affordable cost of living, strong logistics infrastructure and growing tech talent pipeline to scale high-growth startups.
- Nationally, venture capital investment in Black founders has surged by 30% year-over-year, underscoring the expanding recognition of diverse innovation ecosystems, with Memphis positioned as a leader in the Mid-South for inclusive tech growth.
- Memphis was named one of Business Facilities magazine’s 2025 Top Innovation Hubs to Watch, recognized for its thriving research ecosystem, industry partnerships, and major investments driving the Digital Delta forward.
- Memphis is the only major U.S. city where women own more small businesses than men
However, according to Black Demographics website, the vast majority of Black-owned firms in Memphis are non-employer businesses or sole proprietorships, meaning they do not have paid employees. While starting a business is an important milestone, scaling it into a sustainable enterprise that creates jobs and builds generational wealth remains a significant challenge.
That reality underscores the importance of creating intentional spaces where business owners can learn directly from peers who have navigated growth, financing and operational hurdles.
That is why this forum is so important. The carefully curated panel of business leaders and entrepreneurs will prove to be insightful.
The panel will feature four entrepreneurs and business leaders whose work reflects both innovation and community impact:
- Alandas Dobbins, CEO and owner of Oteka Technologies
- Jozelle Booker, president of MMBC Continuum
- Kevin Kolhelm, CEO and owner of Groovy Greyhound Coffee & Creamery
- Cheonshae Brown, CEO and owner of Little Scholars Academy in Horn Lake, Mississippi
The discussion will be moderated by Lori Spicer Robertson, a communications professional and longtime community advocate, the resident moderator for this series.
Panelists will speak candidly about their entrepreneurial journeys, including lessons learned, mistakes made and growth strategies. Topics will include access to capital, navigating systems not designed with Black founders in mind, building teams and sustaining a business in a competitive marketplace.
Memphis’ entrepreneurial landscape has expanded in recent years, supported by business incubators, nonprofit initiatives and public-private partnerships aimed at increasing minority business capacity. Still, some might say there appears to be a disconnect when certain companies need resources, mentorship and networks that can accelerate growth.
The forum was created to help bridge that gap by facilitating conversations that are both informative and grounded in real-life experiences. Rather than offering theory, the forum is designed to provide attendees with key takeaways they can apply in short order.
The forum welcomes established business owners, as well as aspiring entrepreneurs, students, creatives and community members interested in economic empowerment.
For Memphis, where economic equity remains a challenge, entrepreneurship continues to be one of the most direct pathways to ownership, autonomy and community reinvestment. This important forum will equip attendees with insight to chart their own way forward.
Registration and more information are available at TSD in the Community Forums – TSDMemphis.com.
