Black Excellence Expo To Showcase St. Cloud Area Businesses and Nonprofits

(KNSI) – The 2022 Black Excellence Expo is Friday and Saturday in Waite Park. The expo will feature at least 32 black-owned businesses and nonprofits from the St. Cloud area. Expo organizer Buddy King says the idea for the expo started with people asking where they could support local black and brown businesses.

“We reached out to all of them, and we said hey, we have an opportunity. We want to put you in front of the Greater St Cloud community and be able to allow you to sell yourself, sell your business, showcase your products, and let people know your services.”

The expo is free to attend. Some businesses and organizations at the expo include Cinnamon Lifestyle, Sisters Loom, and Ashley’s Yummy Rollz. King is the Chief Operating Officer of Higher Works Collaborative in St. Cloud, which connects startup businesses with resources.

“our tagline is bringing people and resources together. And so, what that means is we work to build bridges, so it’s not just bringing the community to the businesses or organizations, but it’s also bringing the organizations and benefits to the community.”

King says the expo is a great marketing opportunity for everyone participating in the event. He hopes the expo can launch more business to move to downtown St. Cloud and help revitalize the area.

“I really want to see a diverse downtown. I want to see a diverse Main Street, so if I go downtown, I don’t want to just see all white businesses. I want to see a variety of businesses that I can support because if there’s a variety, then more people come down there.”

The expo includes speakers Jarrod Hall, Hudda Ibrahim, Maurice Duncan and Friends, Stephen Boose, Habso Mohamed, and GSDC/CEI. This is the third annual event, but it’s the first time it’s been done on a large scale. The first event was held at a local church and a restaurant.

The expo is being held in February during Black History Month. There’s will also be a banquet on Saturday where several local business owners and community members will be honored.

The expo is Friday, February 18th, from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm and Saturday, February 19th from 9 am to 4 pm.

The Higher Works Collaborative 3rd Annual Black Excellence Banquet and Awards is Saturday, February 19, after the expo. The community will celebrate Black Excellence in Greater St. Cloud with live music, awards and recognitions.

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