We Exist Because Minnesota's Economy Works Better When Black Businesses Grow.
That belief is the foundation of everything the Minnesota Black Chamber of Commerce does. It is why we were founded. It is why we show up every day. And it is the standard against which we measure our success.
The Gap We Were Built to Close
Minnesota has long celebrated its economic strength — 17 Fortune 500 companies, a thriving technology sector, a nationally recognized healthcare industry. And yet, for Black entrepreneurs in Minnesota, that strength has never been equally accessible.
Black-owned businesses in Minnesota face documented barriers that are not the product of individual failure. They are the product of systems: lending systems that deny Black entrepreneurs at higher rates, procurement systems that steer contracts away from Black-owned vendors, and professional networks that have historically excluded Black businesspeople from the relationships that drive growth.
The Minnesota Black Chamber of Commerce was founded to dismantle those barriers. Not through symbolic gestures, but through programs, partnerships, advocacy, and the cultivation of a statewide network of Black entrepreneurs committed to each other's success.
What We Do
We run the 10,000 Black Business Program — Minnesota's most comprehensive business development initiative for Black entrepreneurs, providing education, coaching, technical assistance, and peer community at every stage of business ownership.
We operate a Capital Center that connects Black entrepreneurs with the grants, loans, CDFIs, and investors that can fuel business growth. We run a Procurement Center that prepares Black-owned businesses to compete for — and win — corporate and government contracts. We produce the State of Black Business in Minnesota, the definitive annual data resource on Black entrepreneurship in the state.
And we advocate. We engage legislators, regulatory agencies, and corporate leaders on behalf of Black entrepreneurs across Minnesota — making the case for policies that create a level playing field and holding institutions accountable for the commitments they make.
Who We Serve
The Minnesota Black Chamber serves Black entrepreneurs across the entire state — from the Twin Cities metro to Duluth, Rochester, Saint Cloud, and every community in between. Our members include early-stage entrepreneurs building their first businesses and established business owners preparing to scale. They work in construction, healthcare, technology, professional services, retail, food and beverage, and every other sector of Minnesota's economy.
What they share is a vision: a Minnesota where Black business ownership is a driver of economic equity — not just for individual entrepreneurs, but for the communities they are part of and the state they are building.
Our Standard
The Chamber holds itself to a high standard: every program should produce measurable business outcomes. Every partnership should create real opportunity. Every policy position should advance the economic interests of Black entrepreneurs in Minnesota.
We do not celebrate effort. We measure results. And we report them honestly — to our members, our partners, and our community.
“We are the connective tissue between the ambition and the action.”
This is the Minnesota Black Chamber. This is your organization.
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Mission & Vision
OUR MISSION
“To strengthen Minnesota's economy by advocating for, investing in, and connecting Black-owned businesses with the resources and opportunities they need to grow.”
OUR VISION
“A Minnesota where Black entrepreneurs have equitable access to capital, contracts, and networks — and where Black business ownership is a primary driver of economic equity and community prosperity.”
WE BELIEVE
Black business ownership is one of the most powerful tools for building economic equity in Minnesota. When Black entrepreneurs build successful businesses, they generate jobs, create wealth, and reinvest in their communities. They strengthen neighborhoods, diversify supply chains, and contribute to a more equitable economy for everyone in Minnesota.
The Minnesota Black Chamber exists because that belief demands action — because access to capital, contracts, networks, and expertise is not equally distributed, and because an organization dedicated to closing that gap produces outcomes that matter far beyond the business community.
OUR COMMITMENT
We connect you to the resources, relationships, and opportunities you need to build a stronger business and a more equitable economy.
- Resources — practical tools, funding, technical assistance, and education
- Relationships — networks, mentors, peers, corporate partners, and policymakers
- Opportunities — contracts, capital, markets, platforms, and advocacy wins
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