The Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce opened its new facility Tuesday on East 11th Street in downtown Wilmington.
In addition to providing the Chamber a new home to support minority owned businesses throughout the state, its new 10 thousand square-foot headquarters houses its Business Incubator program.
DEBCC Board member Trisha Moses said those supports are meant to keep minority-owned businesses above water.
“A lot of businesses kind of fail within the first two to three years of them starting up, and it's usually because of, not just for finances, just because they didn't have the right mentors or supports in place,” Moses said. “And that is something that the Delaware Black Chamber will provide here in this space.”
The program, which partners with Western Governors University’s School of Business, has 10 offices available for fledgling businesses. Two spaces are already filled, and the program has a waitlist of 25.
DEBCC as a whole has more than 750 members enrolled and more than 30 community partners.
Moses is a business owner herself and says she and the Chamber overall prioritize giving back to the community and removing obstacles for other business owners statewide.
Businesses enrolled have access to workshops, mentors and assistance with licenses and taxation.
DEBCC founder, president and CEO Ayanna Khan said she’s excited to support entrepreneurs and the community statewide through the Business Incubator program.
“The future looks like the space being at capacity, filled with just innovative, creative individuals that are benefiting from the programming that we have to offer, that is going out and continuing to create jobs, help grow the economy and grow their own spaces and eventually just grow into their own right,” Khan said.
Moses concurred and said she’s looking forward to giving folks in the early stages of entrepreneurship support.
“We may have experienced [struggle], but we know that there are ways to kind of get through it with excellence,” Moses said. “So my role is to support Ayanna – she is the CEO – and also the Board and their initiatives to continue the organization, to make sure that we're maintaining and expanding, growing our footprint across the state,” Moses said.
Moses highlighted the DEBCC will not just serve its base in Wilmington. It’s a statewide program.
“We're here to advocate and to help build and create resources directly for you,” Khan said, speaking to Delaware business owners. “This is yours. This is your space.”
All legal, registered entities can apply for space in the Business Incubator program, though its waitlist is currently at 25 businesses. From there, the DEBCC has a vetting process in place to find the right fit.
