August is National Black Business Month

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Aug. 3, 2021

Media Contact:
Marlane White
Communications Manager
Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce
O: 843-916-7295
C: 843-256-6373
Marlane.White@VisitMyrtleBeach.com

August is National Black Business Month

MBACC Encouraging African American Entrepreneurs to Pursue Their Passions

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – In celebration of National Black Business Month this August, the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce (MBACC) is encouraging African American entrepreneurs to pursue their passions by becoming business owners and operators in the Grand Strand. Plus, throughout the month, the chamber will use their social media platforms to spotlight African American-owned businesses located throughout the region.

African Americans and anyone else interested in becoming entrepreneurs in the Grand Strand are encouraged to contact the chamber in order to seek business development guidance by calling 843-626-7444 or emailing info@visitmyrtlebeach.com. Anyone interested in finding African American-owned businesses in the Grand Strand can do so by using the chamber’s online business directory at MyrtleBeachAreaChamber.com and searching the Minority-Owned Business category.

“Along with recognizing National Black Business Month, the chamber is continuing its ongoing work to further diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts throughout Horry and Georgetown counties through several initiatives led by our DEI Council,” said MBACC Vice President of Business Development Cindy Gettig, who helps run the chamber’s DEI Council. “A main focus of the council is to encourage entrepreneurship and support the development of businesses owned by individuals from underrepresented groups.”

So far this year the chamber has welcomed three new investor businesses owned by African Americans - Color Me Bleu’ Nail Bar, Glad It’s Bows and Coastal Elite Pirates, the Grand Strand’s new professional minor league basketball. On Wednesday, Aug. 4, at 11:30 a.m., the chamber will host a ribbon-cutting for the team in the chamber's lobby at 1200 N. Oak St., Myrtle Beach. The Coastal Elite Pirates team features players from Coastal Carolina University, Southern Miss, Winston Salem State, Young Harris, South Carolina State, Erskine College and Claflin University.  

In addition, the chamber continues to offer DEI-focused business development workshops as part of its Educated Voices On Leading and Valuing Equity (EVOLVE) series. The next EVOLVE workshop will focus on supplier diversity and take place in the chamber’s boardroom on Tuesday, Aug. 31, from 9-10:30 a.m. The session will be led by Erika White, CDE, who serves as the first head of diversity, equity and inclusion for Pennoni Associates, a national civil engineering firm headquartered in Philadelphia. Anyone interested in participating in the free workshop is asked to register in advance on the chamber’s website.

For more information on the EVOLVE series as well as other efforts by the chamber’s DEI Council, visit MyrtleBeachAreaChamber.com/diversity-equity-inclusion.