Black Business Network

St. Paul | Minneapolis

Black Business Network (BBN) unites and empowers Black-owned businesses, entrepreneurs, and professionals across Minnesota through community support, economic development, and advocacy.

Our Mission

The purpose of the Black Business Network (BBN) is to unite and empower Black-owned businesses, entrepreneurs, and professionals in Minnesota through community support, economic development, and advocacy, while creating opportunities for connection, collaboration, and collective advancement.

Food Truck Fridays

Food Truck Fridays begins April 3—bringing community, visibility, and sales opportunities for Black-owned businesses.

Vendor / Retailer Interest Sponsor a Friday

Come to an Event!

Join us at one of our events and connect with Black entrepreneurs, community leaders, and supporters across Minnesota. Whether you're networking, learning, or celebrating, your presence helps strengthen and uplift our local businesses. Be part of the movement—attend today!

BBN

News & Updates

Monthly Theme: Women Who Lead

March highlights the leadership, resilience, and innovation of Black women entrepreneurs. In recognition of Women’s History Month, BBN is spotlighting women-led businesses while supporting increased visibility, access to opportunities, and community engagement across MN.

View Women-Led Businesses

Food Truck Fridays Update

Food Truck Fridays will now run April 3, 2026 through November 20, 2026, happening every other Friday, due to logistical coordination with the city. This seasonal series creates consistent visibility for Black-owned food trucks and small businesses while giving the community an easy way to shop and support locally. Vendor and retailer interest is open now.

Become a Vendor

Website + Resource Library Updates

BBN’s Resource Library is live and growing. We’re actively improving formatting, navigation, and website integration while adding new tools and updates weekly. Full template rollout is targeted for March 15, 2026, with full Notion-to-website integration targeted for April 1, 2026.

Visit Resource Library

Live Funding Opportunities — Updated Weekly

BBN’s Live Funding Opportunities page helps businesses stay on top of grants, RFPs, and other funding resources. We update this list weekly so you can quickly spot new opportunities and deadlines without digging through multiple sites.

View Funding Opportunities

Organizational Update: Executive Director Hiring

BBN has moved from the search phase into interviewing Executive Director candidates, and we remain on track with our goal to hire by the end of Q1 2026. This role will strengthen capacity and improve consistency across programs and community support.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

We extend our sincere thanks to Rooted Philanthropic, District 5, ESABA, the University of St. Thomas Family Business Center, and Sheletta Makes Me Laugh for their generous support of Black Business Network. Your commitment helps empower Black-owned businesses, entrepreneurs, and professionals across Minnesota by strengthening economic opportunity, community support, and long-term growth. We are deeply grateful for your partnership and continued investment in the success of our communities.