The Enoch Pratt Free Library is expanding its youth entrepreneurship efforts with PrattForm, a new year-round program that helps teens grow their business ideas with continued mentorship and support.
Category: BUSINESS
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Fast Beauty Initiative aims to boost D.C.’s beauty industry
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) has launched the District’s new Fast Beauty Initiative at Yeleen Beauty Makerspace, which aims to ease licensing requirements and help local entrepreneurs grow in the $60 billion beauty industry.
Posted inBUSINESS
Meet the leaders combatting heat, pollution and inequity in urban areas
Black-led environmental justice organizations like WE ACT for Environmental Justice and Green Scheme are tackling pollution and extreme heat to protect underserved communities and improve their health and living conditions.
Posted inBUSINESS
Pastor Jamal Bryant launches digital protest of Dollar General
Pastor Jamal Bryant has launched an electronic protest of Dollar General, calling attention to the company’s practices in Black communities. Bryant says the chain contributes to health disparities and food insecurity. Rather than call for a full boycott, he is urging a digital protest to demand change without harming those who rely on the store.
Posted inBUSINESS
Black Founders Table turns intention into infrastructure for entrepreneurs
Black Founders Table (BFT) is carving out an ecosystem where Black entrepreneurs can scale their companies with strategy, mentorship and policy influence. Rather than offering surface-level support, BFT equips founders with practical tools to commercialize ideas, secure contracts and gain long-term influence.
Posted inBaltimore News
Greater Baltimore Urban League builds pathways from classrooms to boardrooms
The Greater Baltimore Urban League is transforming lives by equipping youth and entrepreneurs with the tools to lead, succeed and build wealth. Through programs like the Saturday Leadership Program and hands-on business coaching, GBUL empowers future leaders with life skills, mentorship and access to real opportunities.
Posted inBUSINESS
Marylanders weigh in on their favorite local gems
Maryland ranks second in the U.S. for its share of Black-owned businesses, with 10 percent of companies owned by African Americans, according to a 2025 Pew Research Center report. To celebrate this entrepreneurial spirit, the AFRO spoke with residents about their favorite Black-owned businesses, highlighting local gems from bookstores to restaurants.
Posted inWord In Black
Inside the soon-to-open Obama Presidential Center
The Barack Obama Presidential Center, set to open on Chicago’s South Side in spring 2026, will be a first-of-its-kind presidential library and community hub. The 19-acre campus will feature green spaces, a library branch, a podcast studio, and areas for public events, while the museum building—shaped like four hands coming together—will house exhibits on Obama’s presidency and the foundation’s programs.
Posted in!Front Page
City of Gods: Where Baltimore fashion meets communityÂ
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Staff Writer msayles@afro.com Credit: All photos by Devin Allen Back in 2009, a group of local players in Baltimore’s fashion scene came together to open City of Gods, an urban apparel store in West Baltimore’s Hollins Market neighborhood. What began as a collaboration between multiple independent clothing brands quickly became a […]
Posted inFinancials
Maryland Bankers Association to host community talk on credit equity at Coppin State
The Maryland Bankers Association and the Center for Strategic Entrepreneurship at Coppin State University will lead a conversation on credit equity in Maryland on Oct. 24.
Posted inBaltimore News
4th annual Baltimore Together Summit to spotlight strides in economic growth
The fourth annual Baltimore Together Summit will take place on Oct. 27, bringing together city leaders, entrepreneurs and community stakeholders to celebrate progress and discuss strategies for an inclusive economy. The gathering will spotlight achievements in Black-owned business growth, neighborhood revitalization and workforce development while unveiling the latest Baltimore Together 2025 Progress Report.
Posted inBaltimore News
Karson Institute’s five-year anniversary celebration reflects on the past, looks ahead to the future
By Karson Institute for Race, Peace and Social Justice The Karson Institute for Race, Peace and Social Justice marked its five-year anniversary with a VIP reception on Oct. 8 at Loyola Notre Dame Library, followed by a symposium on Oct. 9 at Loyola University Maryland. These events convened educators, officials and community leaders for reflection […]