OKC celebrates and supports minority businesses

Know of an Oklahoma City minority business owner who has demonstrated wise leadership, inspired people or created new and original ideas? Nominations are open to recognize these leaders in four different categories and award them each $1,000 grants as part of the 2021 OKC Minority Enterprise Development Week. To qualify, businesses must be owned, operated and controlled by an ethnic minority and be located in Oklahoma City. Nominations will be accepted through Oct. 1 at www.okcmed.biz.

Oklahoma City Minority Enterprise Development Week, Oct. 11-16, kicks off with an awards ceremony to honor those outstanding minority business owners. Attendees will enjoy live music, food and beverages. Throughout the week, there will be networking events, learning sessions and resources for minority business owners and entrepreneurs. “Commercial Real Estate Decision Making” will be presented by Cushman & Wakefield, “Black Entrepreneurship and Community Growth in Oklahoma City” will be presented via Facebook Live and “OKC Tech ++” will host entrepreneurs and business owners in the tech industry for presentations and a discussion about growth in this important sector. Most of the events are free and open to the public.

The week culminates with a PlaceKeepers Developers Conference on Saturday featuring essential information and contacts for those working or interested in real estate development or investment in minority communities in Oklahoma City. The conference will provide valuable information to take a closer look at several revitalization projects started or completed in northeast Oklahoma City and identify opportunities for new developments by discussing upcoming public and private investments. The event, presented by Northeast OKC Renaissance, is intended to spur project ideas and new collaborations to increase the number and size of real estate development projects in northeast Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City Minority Enterprise Development Week is a collaboration among many partners, sponsors and contributors. The presenting sponsor is First Security Bank, a Black-owned bank that has been helping minority entrepreneurs, real estate developers and small businesses in east Oklahoma City for more than 50 years. Other sponsors include the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Oklahoma City Branch, Cushman & Wakefield, Yelp, Progress OKC, We the People Consulting, Calle 25 Historic Capitol Hill District, OKC Black Chamber of Commerce, Asian District Cultural Association, NE OKC Renaissance Inc. and the Oklahoma City Innovation District.

To register for events or learn more, www.okcmed.biz.