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ST. CLOUD A St. Cloud-basedorganization dedicated to advancing the lives and livelihoods of the local African-American community is hosting an expo and event to showcase Black-owned businesses and Black business leaders in Central Minnesota.

Local non-profit Higher Works Collaborative put together the Black Excellence Business Expo to be held Friday and Saturday at the Park Event Center in Waite Park. The event will celebrate Black-owned and run businesses, nonprofits and other organizations.

James Alberts II, chief executive officer for Higher Works Collaborative, said the organization's purpose is to help Black individuals overcome challenges and "to define what it is to be successful inside of a system that is not necessarily welcoming to us."

"We're that bridge," Alberts said."Or at least we try to be for everybody that comes in here."

In this analogy, the Black Excellence Expo Business Expo and accompanying banquet are like the lights on the bridge, Alberts said; they bring attention to the hard work Higher Works Collaborative has already been doing.

There will be more than 30 businesses at the Expo, including more than 27 Blackbusinesses andnon-profits,said Chief Operating Officer Buddy King.

"We wanted to make sure that it's all business excellence, but specifically, it's Black business excellence.Because you matter," King said."And it's important for us to show them that they matter. You have the support of the community. You have the support of us and other organizations, and we all want to see you prosper."

For many, it may be their first expo, or, at the banquet, their first black-tie affair, Alberts said. So in that way, the expo and banquet are also operating as a point of exposure and a way to alleviate fear around newexperiences.

This is the third Black Excellence Business Expo.This year it's put together by Higher Works Collaborative's team of seven. They first highlighted six businesses, Alberts said, and it's grown since then. Office Manager and co-founderNatoyia Alberts said that growth is a reflection of both more Black businesses in the community as well as greater exposure to the event itself.

This year's businesses are largely located in the greater St. Cloud area, King said, though some are from as far south as Minneapolis.

The Black Excellence Gala is a celebration of Black businesses,leaders and culture, and will include award presentations and music.

The expo will also feature break-out sessions with local speakers,including entrepreneur and authorHudda Ibrahim and Youth Coalition founder Maurice Duncan.

Natoyia Alberts said her primary hope is that everyone feels encouraged and empowered, so their business is reflected more in the community.

"When some people get together, they feed off of each other, right?," Natoyia Alberts said, referencing a recent sermon theme from James Alberts."They glean from each other. They get what they need from each other. And what I can get from you makes me better. And what you can get from me makes (you) better. And when we can get together and do that, hopefully, that does this supernova thing in our community where we see our businesses more visibly, and they are growing and they are encouraged by each other."

And when they provide information and opportunity in this way, King said, they are rewarded by seeing people achieve their goals.

"When you have support, when you have somebody giving you that push, when you have the guidance, that's when you're setting the standards," King said."You're empowering, you're giving people the opportunity to be successful. And that's all they're looking for and that's what we're creating."

Case Manager Kiara Cook said several of the businesses exhibiting this weekend were also part of the Initiative Foundation's Enterprise Academy, an entrepreneurship training program of which Higher Works Collaborative is a community partner. Natoyia Alberts said the Higher Works Collaborative helped several of these business owners create their business plans, some of them.

And through its work, Higher Works Collaborative is showcasing what it's trying to promote. The team has worked for months to make that apparent in the gala and expo, James Alberts said.

"Black excellence is not just what we're asking for," James Alberts said. "It's what we're trying to show. We're trying to show a level of excellence ourselves, and we want to be able to bring back ways for us to perfect even that. So it's not a request. It is a statement."

The expo is free and open to the public, and runs from 4-9 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. The Stearns County Health Department and CentraCare will also be there, with COVID-19 vaccines available, Alberts said.

Sarah Kocher is thebusiness reporter for the St. Cloud Times. Reach her at 320-255-8799or skocher@stcloudtimes.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahAKocher.

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Higher Works Collaborative hosting Black Excellence Business Expo this weekend in Waite Park - SC Times