Summary:

The 7th Annual Black-Owned Business Excellence (BOBE) Symposium will be held at the Seattle Public Library, aiming to provide small Black-owned businesses with practical workshops, funding pathways, and insights into policy frameworks shaping economic opportunity. The event, themed "Power Moves: Beyond Boundaries - From Vision to Legacy," will feature a keynote address on wellness as a business strategy, an Entrepreneur Power Panel, and a systems change panel. Breakout sessions will offer targeted, skill-building workshops, and the day will conclude with a Community & Business Leadership Awards Ceremony. Scholarships and reduced registration fees are available to ensure accessibility for early-stage and community-based entrepreneurs.

As small Black-owned businesses across Washington confront rising operational costs, limited access to capital, and mounting burnout, the 7th Annual Black-Owned Business Excellence (BOBE) Symposium will take place at the Seattle Public Library, gathering entrepreneurs, capital providers, and policymakers for a full-day public event aimed at long-term sustainability and business survival.

This year’s theme, “Power Moves: Beyond Boundaries — From Vision to Legacy,” reflects a growing shift in Black entrepreneurship away from short-term hustle and toward systems literacy, wellness, and strategic legacy-building. The symposium is designed for small business owners, founders, and early-stage entrepreneurs, offering practical workshops, funding pathways, and insights into policy frameworks shaping economic opportunity.

Founded in 2020, BOBE was created in response to the persistent disparities Black business owners face in accessing loans, government contracts, and advisory resources. In Washington State, Black entrepreneurs represent a small but growing percentage of business owners but remain underrepresented in public and private small business funding. These conditions directly impact long-term survival and the ability to build generational wealth.

“BOBE exists because talent alone is not enough,” said Jenefeness Franke, MBA, co-founder and executive officer of Black-Owned Business Excellence. “Small business owners need access, protection, wellness, and systems literacy if they’re going to endure economic and political shifts without burning out.”

The morning program will begin with a welcome session that situates Black business ownership within today’s economic and policy environment. A Leadership & Community Video will feature elected officials and business leaders speaking to the systemic issues that shape entrepreneurial outcomes for Black-owned businesses across Washington.

The keynote address, “Wellness as a Business Strategy: Building Sustainable Businesses Without Self-Sacrifice,” will be delivered by Dr. Margaret Towolawi, a physician and lifestyle medicine expert. Dr. Towolawi will explore how stress and burnout affect decision-making, leadership

capacity, and business longevity, arguing that wellness is not an accessory to entrepreneurship but a foundational element of strategy.

Later in the day, the Entrepreneur Power Panel will offer firsthand perspectives on navigating early business growth. Moderated by Franke, the panel will feature Olympia Edwards, Lawrence Mwantimwa, Dei’Marlon Scisney, and Shontia Whitehead in a discussion that links mentorship, mental health, technology, and community infrastructure to real-world business decisions.

A second panel, moderated by Monika Mathews, will turn the focus to systems change. Zenovia Harris, Cedric Austin, Schanice Staples, and Shaude’ Moore will discuss the barriers and opportunities tied to capital, contracts, and public procurement—and what ecosystem leaders can do to reshape access.

Afternoon breakout sessions will offer targeted, skill-building workshops. Topics include SBA-aligned financing and capital navigation led by Evergreen Business Capital and Business Impact Northwest; digital branding with Keisha Credit; mental health and leadership sustainability with Ashley McGirt-Adair; building investable businesses with Dr. Ebony Grey; ethical AI and cultural sovereignty with Giselle Fuerte; and personal wealth-building strategies with Alexandria Ware and Katie Hodge.

The day will also feature a Community & Business Leadership Awards Ceremony, honoring individuals and organizations making measurable impacts in Washington’s Black business ecosystem. Award presenters include Meko Lawson, Frederick Brooks, Jenine Lewis, and Marsha Mutisi.

To ensure that early-stage and community-based entrepreneurs are not excluded by cost, BOBE 2026 offers scholarships and reduced registration fees. Franke emphasized that this event is built for working business owners, not corporations.

“This symposium is not for corporations,” said Franke. “It’s for real business owners navigating real constraints who deserve access to information, capital, and community.”

The event will be held in a civic venue to reinforce its public mission: economic access, transparency, and collective progress. Registration is open to the public. For more information or to apply for scholarships, visit www.bobe-wa.org