–––– Entrepreneurship • Pillar Three
Building Businesses.
Creating Jobs.
Strengthening communities across the Charlotte metro.
Small businesses are the foundation of thriving communities. Entrepreneurship creates opportunity, innovation, and real economic mobility — and Charlotte added more than 2,100 Black-owned employer firms between 2017 and 2022.
Why Entrepreneurship Matters
Entrepreneurs don’t just own businesses.
They create jobs
Every new hire is a household with more stability than it had last year.
They circulate dollars
Money spent with local owners stays and recirculates in the neighborhood.
They invest in place
Storefronts anchor corridors, sponsor teams, and hold blocks together.
They inspire the next
A child who sees ownership up close learns it is available to them.
Challenges & Solutions
Every gap has someone in the room who fills it
Business owners tell us the same eight things get in the way. The Expo floor is organized around answering them in person, in one day.
The Challenge
Who you’ll Meet
Access to capital
Banks, CDFIs, investors, grant programs
Markings that convert
Brand strategists, ad buyers, content studios
Technology & AI Adoption
Software vendors, IT consultants, AI trainers
Scaling pass the founder
Business coaches, operators, fractional execs
Hiring & Retention
Staffing partners, HR advisors, PEOs
Legal & Compliance
Attorneys, accountants, insurance brokers
Networks & Mentorship
Chambers, founder peer groups, mentors
Winning bigger contracts
Corporate procurement, government agencies
Legal & Compliance
Attorneys, accountants, insurance brokers
Benefits · Startups
Learn. Launch. Network.
If you’re pre-revenue or in your first two years, the Expo compresses months of research into a single walk of the floor.
Benefits · Startups
Learn. Launch. Network.
If you’re pre-revenue or in your first two years, the Expo compresses months of research into a single walk of the floor.
Corporations
Meet qualified, ready-to-contract suppliers in one place.
Discover new suppliersStrengthen supplier diversity goalsSupport regional economic development
Sponsors
Put your brand where the region’s next generation of businesses is being built.
Visibly support entrepreneurshipIncrease brand visibility all weekendDevelop tomorrow’s customers
Join the Business Community
Exhibitor space is limited and sells by category. Claim yours before your competitor does.
Get Involved
Find Your Place at Metro Black Expo
Whether you’re looking to improve your health, grow a business, expand your education, build wealth, or invest in the community, there’s a place for you at the Metro Black Expo in Charlotte.