MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Minneapolis Black Business Week Continues Through Sunday With Markets, Food and Entrepreneur Support

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (July 31, 2026). Minneapolis Black Business Week enters its final three days Friday with business development programs, food events and community markets designed to celebrate Black entrepreneurship and connect business owners with practical resources.

The City of Minneapolis is hosting its sixth annual Black Business Week through Sunday, Aug. 2. The celebration leads into National Black Business Month, observed throughout August, and invites residents to learn about entrepreneurship while supporting Black-owned businesses across the city.

Although the city’s official week began Monday, several major events remain, giving residents opportunities to meet local entrepreneurs, shop from Black-owned businesses and connect with organizations that help businesses start, grow and compete.

MinneapoliMedia witnessed that entrepreneurial momentum firsthand Wednesday in downtown Minneapolis, where Nature’s Syrup Beauty celebrated the grand opening and ribbon-cutting of its flagship store at 733 Marquette Avenue.

The opening drew civic and business leaders, customers, family members, community supporters and fellow entrepreneurs who gathered to celebrate founder De’Vonna Pittman and the company’s journey from homemade formulations to a permanent downtown storefront.

Founded in 2017, Nature’s Syrup Beauty produces plant-based hair and skin-care products developed especially for curls, coils and textured hair. Its product line includes shampoos, conditioners, curl rejuvenators, hair oils, body butters and lotions.

The new flagship opened through Chameleon Shoppes, an initiative of the Minneapolis Downtown Council and Downtown Improvement District that connects local entrepreneurs with previously vacant downtown storefronts.

The opening offered a timely example of what Black Business Week is celebrating: a Minneapolis-grown, Black-owned company expanding its presence, establishing a permanent home for its products and contributing to the continuing revitalization of downtown.

The flagship is intended to operate as more than a retail store. Customers will be able to shop Nature’s Syrup Beauty’s complete product line while participating in workshops, product demonstrations, wellness events and other community programming.

Friday’s Black Business Week schedule begins at the African Development Center, 1931 South Fifth Street, with a Business Roundtable and Parking Lot Festival.

A breakfast roundtable featuring a speaker, networking opportunities and business resources is scheduled from 8 to 10 a.m. The parking lot festival will follow from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., bringing together local vendors, food, drinks, music and community activities.

The celebration will continue Friday evening with TASTE at NEON, a three-day event organized by the Northside Economic Opportunity Network at NEON Collective Kitchens, 2041 West Broadway Avenue North.

Friday’s session, scheduled from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., will focus on starting a food business, navigating licensing requirements and finding available resources. Participants will also be able to meet food entrepreneurs and tour NEON’s new Collective Kitchens.

TASTE at NEON will return from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday with food markets, tastings and community networking. Food trucks, local vendors, caterers and restaurant owners from North Minneapolis are expected to participate.

On Saturday, the Northside Epicenter will host its Black Business Summit and Market from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 705 42nd Avenue North.

The event will feature more than 20 Black-owned businesses, food trucks, activities and community resources. Organizers have also announced free herbal education classes and free haircuts at the Epicenter’s on-site barbershop.

A Black Business Summit Pitch Competition will take place from noon to 2 p.m., providing entrepreneurs with an opportunity to present their business ideas.

The remaining events build on a week of workshops, networking sessions and public celebrations held across Minneapolis. Earlier programs addressed contracting, business certification, marketing, branding, accounting, taxes, commercial real estate, legal services, business insurance and entrepreneur wellness.

The city’s kickoff summit at the Coliseum Building included workshops on building a strong business, developing a textured hair-care company and starting a podcast. The gathering also featured a keynote presentation by entrepreneur and media personality Sheletta Brundidge under the theme, “Let Your WHY Build Your WEALTH.”

Other events included a contracting and business certification workshop at the Metropolitan Economic Development Association, the Black Business Exchange at the Camden Social and a wellness workshop focused on helping entrepreneurs protect their businesses during burnout or unexpected life events.

The week’s programming reflects both the promise and practical needs of entrepreneurship. Beyond celebrating established companies, the events offer information about licensing, certification, contracting, business planning and the professional networks entrepreneurs need to sustain their work.

For residents, Black Business Week also provides a direct way to participate. Shopping at a neighborhood business, hiring a local service provider, attending a market or introducing others to a Black-owned company can help entrepreneurs develop stronger customer relationships beyond a single commemorative week or month.

Some remaining events require advance registration. Residents should review the individual event listings before attending.

MinneapoliMedia | Community. Culture. Civic Life.

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