Inaugural Black Business Expo brings new entrepreneurs to the Public Market

The Rochester Public Market held its first Black Business Expo over the weekend. The idea behind the Saturday event was to offer an opportunity for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) entrepreneurs a chance to kickstart their new businesses.

Yolanda Sheffa is Event Coordinator for the organization Friends of the Public Market and she said this expo highlight’s the market’s commitment to diversity and supporting local businesses.

“I would love to see us do this on a regular basis, and I would love to support other groups as well,” said Sheffa. “I would like to see a Latino one, an Asian market day, maybe an LGBTQ day, just whatever groups that are underrepresented groups to come out to the market and have their day to let people know what they're about and to celebrate diversity, whatever that looks like for anybody. We like to do that.”

Nikki Fluitt was one of the vendors at the market, showcasing a ministry and coaching business focused on spiritual growth. It’s called FightItOut, FigureItOut, LoveItOut.

She said events like the one held Saturday at the Public Market really helps raise the visibility of businesses like hers.

“Sometimes, especially now, our works get lost into whatever everyone else is doing, but to have an event where it points to us, it makes it easier for us to find what we need,” said Fluitt. “Makes it even better, because even going to regular stores, you have to search for our section or search for our products.”

About two dozen entrepreneurs took part in Saturday’s expo, and Public Market Director Jim Farr hopes that some of the business owners could potentially become long-term vendors at the Market.

“Hopefully, they’re going to have a good experience here today, and even if they don’t come back here, they’ll get a lot of exposure and it’ll help their businesses grow,” said Farr.

Farr added that “small businesses are what’s supporting our economy right now, so we need to have more of them. Hopefully, they’ll move into some of the vacant storefronts and things that we have in the city and help us be a more prosperous community.”

City officials said that Friends of the Public Market, which is a volunteer organization, helped many of the first-time vendors navigate the requirements they had to meet to sell their products at the market.