More than marketing: Inside Cocoapreneur’s support ecosystem for Black business owners in Pittsburgh

When Khamil Bailey moved to Pittsburgh for college in 2005, she noticed a lack of community support for Black businesses in the city compared to her New Jersey hometown.  Ten years later, the now 36-year-old CEO sought to fill in the gap. She started Cocoapreneur, an organization that aims to promote Black-owned businesses in Pittsburgh and provide them with resources they need to prosper. It focuses on supporting the entrepreneurs, not just bringing in customers, Bailey said, emphasizing that systemic change is the goal.  “When we impact the business owner positively, it snowballs into the business and then outward into the community,” Bailey told Technical.ly. Cocoapreneur has evolved from what started as an Instagram page into an LLC with up to 300 paying members to date, according to Bailey.  Black entrepreneurs in Pittsburgh pay a tiered fee ranging from $12 to $30 a month to get their business information added to Cocoapreneur’s online directory, which includes local storefronts, restaurants, service providers like accountants and attorneys and nonprofits. The directory’s goal: To serve as a resource for locals looking to buy products or services from Black-owned businesses.  Building a brand by supporting business owners Cocoapreneur aims to be more than just...