Black Commerce

JUNE 14-16, 2023
RENAISSANCE DOWNTOWN HOTEL
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Creating Space for Innovation and Elevation

Conference Begins June 14

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POWERED BY

Media Sponsors:

What is Black Commerce?

The inaugural HUxPNC Black Commerce Conference is a new and innovative entrepreneurship experience exclusively for Black entrepreneurs and their supporters. This conference will empower the current and next generation of business owners with resources, information, tools, skills, and opportunities to collectively launch and scale their impact locally, nationally, and worldwide.

The Howard University and PNC National Center for Entrepreneurship

We empower the next generation of Black entrepreneurs and expand the resources to enhance the capacity of Black-owned businesses.

The Howard University & PNC National Center for Entrepreneurship invites you to experience “Black Commerce: The Future of Entrepreneurship,” an inaugural national conference to empower the next generation of Black entrepreneurs and expand the resources to enhance the capacity of Black-owned businesses. This conference will connect and convene Black entrepreneurs, investors, scholars, families, educational institutions, local and federal government, corporations, and nonprofits to collaborate on strategies to collectively grow the impact of Black-owned businesses locally, regionally, and nationally and to share information and resources. The conference will include fireside chats, workshops, panel discussions, a resource fair, a fashion show, and an awards gala that serve to inspire, encourage, empower, and support Black entrepreneurs across the country.

Our conference is designed for entrepreneurs seeking to expand their knowledge, scale their business, create relationships, and gain a myriad of resources. Attendees will benefit from the following sessions:

Elevating Emerging Resources

The “Elevating Emerging Resources” Track will include workshops and activities which provide small-business owners with resources, skill development, and industry specific knowledge to help entrepreneurs looking to scale or grow their business ventures.

Empowering The Ecosystem

The “Empowering the Ecosystem” Track will focus on discussions uniting both research and practice toward building robust networks to support Black entrepreneurs.

Investing and Impact

The “Investing & Impact” Track will focus on leveraging and learning strategies to fund, finance, and grow Black-owned businesses as well as Black communities.

General Registration $99

General Registration for Black Commerce: The Future of Entrepreneurship is $99. The following items are included with registration:

Access to panels and fireside chats with an impactful and creative focus
Opportunity to network with peers and industry experts
Breakout meet-ups with like-minded entrepreneurs
Swag Items
Access to evening events except the Awards Gala
Complimentary collaboration meals

The conference will have video recording and/or live stream of programs/events by Noir Prism and WHUT / Howard University Television, which may be used for on-air broadcast, live streaming, social media distribution, and/or general promotion of WHUR / WHUT/ Howard University programming and services. Your attendance grants WHUR / WHUT / Howard University permission to include your image, likeness, and/or audio recording in all forms of communication listed above.

VIP Registration $199

The VIP Registration rate is $199. It includes all of the items listed above, as well as exclusive VIP access, swag, wristband, and Awards Gala.

Black Commerce Conference Awards Gala Registration

The Black Commerce Conference Awards Gala will be a celebration of Black entrepreneurship and a centerpiece for the entire conference. Acknowledgements and award recognitions will be given and dinner will be served during the awards portion, with live music/dancing afterwards.

Location

Black Commerce: The Future of Entrepreneurship will be located in Washington, D.C., at the Renaissance Washington, D.C. Downtown Hotel.

D.C. is the nation’s capital and full of a number of museums, historical areas, and is affectionately known as “Chocolate City.” The District is the birthplace of Marvin Gaye, Taraji P. Henson, and Dave Chappelle, and was recently named one of the Best Cities in the US by Travel + Leisure. It is the home to Howard University, founded in 1867.

Book Your Stay

The Renaissance Washington, D.C. Downtown Hotel will serve as the official location of Black Commerce: The Future of Entrepreneurship. The hotel is located in downtown Washington, D.C., near the Convention Center and Capital One Arena in the Penn Quarter neighborhood.

The Rooming Link is now closed.

About the Center HUxPNC National Center for Entrepreneurship

The National Center represents all Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and serves as a leader to enhance innovation and entrepreneurship instruction, provide real-world learning opportunities for students, and provide opportunities for faculty to engage in interdisciplinary innovation and entrepreneurship research. The National Center will also be a significant national resource of best practices for Black entrepreneurs in innovation, entrepreneurship, technology commercialization, and business growth by providing an entrepreneurial network across all HBCUs and Black business development centers. The National Center is located on Howard University’s campus and includes four regional Centers of Excellence: 1) Howard University, 2) Morgan State University, 3) Clark Atlanta University, and 4) Texas Southern University.