Downtown Black Business Hop one way public can participate in Gem City Black Business Month

To celebrate National Black Business Month, the Greater West Dayton Incubator, Launch Dayton, Dayton Young Black Professionals, and a number of other community partners teamed up to present the first-ever “Gem City Black Business Month.”

Since the inception of National Black Business Month in 2004, the focus has been to “engage, educate and equip Black entrepreneurs with the resources that are necessary to grow their businesses,” said Karlos Marshall, manager of the Greater West Dayton Incubator. “This initiative consists of a variety of events that will occur throughout the month of August in partnership with community organizations, small business owners, and entrepreneurial support
organizations.”

In addition to the workshops and programs available to entrepreneurs, the public is invited to participate by patronizing Black-owned businesses. Download the Bingo scorecard to discover places around the region, or shop, drink and dine around downtown Dayton on the Black Business Hop, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, August 14.

This event invites guests to explore and support the Black-owned shops, studios, salons, restaurants, cafes and more in downtown Dayton. Start the tour with coffee at Third Perk, 146 E. Third St., and spend the afternoon enjoying any and all participating businesses. Participants will use a free app to locate participating businesses. They will travel at their own pace documenting their journey with the app. Each “check in” enters the person into a raffle. Winners will be announced at the conclusion of the Hop at 1Eleven Flavor House, 111 W. First St. “The
Downtown Black Business Hop aims to build awareness of Black-owned businesses, to encourage participants to engage with them, and to generate new customers and support for Black business,” Marshall said.