It has also helped its businesses interface with state government, the largest buyer of goods and services in the state.

“We collaborate with our many partners to host several opportunities businesses come together and meet the different state agencies and talk with them,” Carter said. “We have more opportunities for connecting our businesses with building partnerships to help them network and grow as certified businesses. There is a lot of continued support. These businesses have worked very hard. The landscape for minority owned businesses is evolving and it’s very important that we don’t lose opportunities for further advancements for our businesses.”

And the Black Chamber also works to create a favorable business climate for its businesses.

“We do advocate for business interests at every level, nationally, locally and within government municipalities,” Carter said. “Our agency is small and we have capacity limitations. But we do all that we can to ensure the Black voice is not left out of the important, impacting issues. We’ve advocated for cause at city council meetings into the wee hours of the morning to support inclusion and representation.”

Over the course of its existence, the Black Chamber has seen its businesses expand into many goods and service areas.

“As we have grown as an agency, we experience our businesses come in from various models,  pop-up, mobile vendors, restaurants and food carts to highly specialized areas,” Carter said. “That is very fascinating to watch. There are a lot more online entrepreneurs and consultants emerging with some highly specialized fields and products. So, they are innovating. A lot of that occurred after the pandemic. People are really trying to leverage technology and work out what is best for them in terms of overhead, managing debt and expenses.”

In addition to its day-to-day services, the Black Chamber also hosts three signature events during the year. Black Restaurant Week in August helps promote dozens of Black restaurants, caterers and pop-up and food cart vendors. The Holiday Black Bazaar held in December allows several dozen Black businesses to feature their goods and services for purchase as holiday gifts.

And then there is its awards program.

“Our Black Business Awards Recognition and Exhibition program is being held this March 26^th at Monona Terrace,” Carter said. “In 2018, I introduced the idea to recognize and highlight business owners that are having great business success within our city. This year is going to be our eighth annual program, and we’ll celebrate the ripple effect of our work and the event theme is titled. “The Era’s Ball.”  We will highlight a decade worth of growth and impact that has occurred and celebrate these successes. We are excited to have some fun with that. Our businesses have a lot to celebrate. They have been resilient and we are inspired by their tenacity. Our awardees for the program are selected via a nomination process from peers, community and chamber recommendations. Finalists are selected by a nominating committee.  There are a variety of ways that our nominees are recommended, we actually receive input all year long. Each year, we really try and do something different and unique with the event theme. Our approach really depends upon the most impressive work that’s occurring within our member businesses, but our main mission is to always have an event that is intentional, inspirational and full of pride.”

On March 26^th, the celebration will begin with a public marketplace free to the community.

“From 11am to 2:30pm, at Monona Terrace, we will offer a free public viewing of the official traveling exhibit of Black Wall Street from the Tulsa Historical Society and museum,” Carter said. “This exhibit is only available to public viewing every three to five years. History often demonstrates  examples of what we are going through right now, a certain shift of business greatness. That story is told through this traveling exhibit. We want people to come out and visit the marketplace and learn this history. Visitors will also have an opportunity to support and shop with local Black business vendors in our Marketplace demonstrating the strength of collective commerce. Some of the vendors will be there all day and we want them to have a great day of sales and interactions with new customers.”

And then the event becomes closed to the public.

“The day then evolves in the The Era’s Ball, also at Monona Terrace, which starts at 4:30 p.m. with formal attire and black-tie cocktail hour, networking, visiting exhibits and continued shopping with our local Black-owned businesses in our Black Wall Street Marketplace,” Carter said. “That is followed by a signature dinner, event program, awards ceremony and dancing.”

The key word is networking, which never ends at a Black Chamber event.

“At the cocktail hour networking is a key business essential,” Carter said. “You never know whom you are going to meet. People find solutions to their business problems all the time. That’s the ripple effect that we are talking about. When you work with one business owner, that impact doesn’t just serve one individual. It goes far beyond one individual, it impacts families and businesses and really the community at large because you can make introductions to people, especially through networking. You just never know where things of that nature will lead you. And we literally have seen the beauty of that. In business, you have to get out and meet people, especially with people who are like-minded.”