Shark Tank star Daymond John has announced the return of “Black Entrepreneurs Day” in a bid to give black business owners a boost for the fourth year running. The day is intertwined with business and entertainment to celebrate and empower black entrepreneurs who own and operate small businesses.
The event will return on November 1, 2023, and will feature a lineup of celebrity guests such as Whoopi Goldberg and Shaquille O’Neal and insights from top Black business leaders, according to CNBC News.
The event will take place at the Apollo Theater in Manhattan and be broadcast online via livestream. Also, the event is free to attend and will be available across Black Entrepreneurs Day’s website and social media platforms, including Facebook and YouTube.
“This year is special because of the list of returning sponsors, including JP Morgan Chase, The General, Shopify, T Mobile, and Lowes,” said John in an interview with BET.com. “I’m starting to get excited about it. As you start to get into your groove, you start to see who are your friends and cohorts and who are the people who really have your back. These brands have got my back.”
Black Entrepreneurs Day was first created to address “frustration over injustice” following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. It was launched later that year to “celebrate” Black business owners amid a focus on systemic racism and economic inequities, according to CNBC News.
The event has attracted big corporations like JPMorgan Chase’s Chase for Business and Shopify. However, the enthusiasm among corporate sponsors has gone down compared to when it was launched in 2020, according to CNBC News.
“It was very easy [to get corporations on board] the first year,” John said. “I said, ‘Will you stand by me and say that you are on the right side of this discussion?'”
This year’s celebrity speakers and other influential voices will join John on stage to share their entrepreneurial experiences. There will also be a musical performance by Rick Ross in honor of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, BET reported.
John’s event has also partnered with the NAACP to give eight entrepreneurs $25,000 issued through the NAACP Powershift Entrepreneur Grant.
