MN Black Business Roundtable

A statewide convening that aligns Black-led organizations and partners to strengthen the collective voice of Black entrepreneurs across Minnesota.

Roundtable Purpose

The Minnesota Black Business Roundtable brings together Black-led organizations, business associations, and economic development partners to align priorities, share intelligence, and strengthen a collective voice for Black entrepreneurs and business owners across Minnesota. Through strategic collaboration and coordinated advocacy agendas, the Roundtable supports equitable economic growth and generational wealth in our communities.

What the Roundtable Does

Convene & Align

Bring organizations together to listen across Minnesota, surface shared pain points, and align priorities.

Share Intelligence

Collect and organize real-time insight about barriers, opportunities, and what businesses are experiencing.

Build a Shared Agenda

Align around priorities like access to capital, procurement equity, and business capacity support.

Publish & Communicate

Share insights through meeting summaries and the State of Black Business in MN Brief.

2026 Goals

Anchor Convenings

Host two cross-sector Roundtable sessions (March & October) to align priorities.

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State Brief

Publish the State of Black Business in MN Brief summarizing challenges and progress.

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Policy Dialogue

Facilitate at least one dialogue with policymakers and public-sector partners to advance priorities impacting Black-owned businesses.

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0% In Progress
Stories & Data

Highlight success stories and data on Black-owned business growth statewide.

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Shared Agenda

Establish a shared agenda focused on access to capital, procurement equity, and business capacity support.

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0% Planning

How it Works

Convenings

Four per year — 2 virtual + 2 in-person, rotating location for in-person sessions.

Anchor convenings

March and October (additional sessions scheduled based on priority topics).

Facilitation

BBN convenes and facilitates the Roundtable through 2026.

Shared workspace

A dedicated Microsoft SharePoint space for materials, updates, and collecting input between convenings.

Follow-through

Meeting summaries, next steps, and shared items tracked in the workspace.

Why This Matters

Minnesota’s Black business community is vibrant but often disconnected across regions and sectors. The Roundtable helps ensure collective insight and data inform funding, policy, and program decisions that affect Black-owned businesses statewide.

Interested in Participating?

If your organization supports Black entrepreneurs and wants to join the Roundtable, click the form below