DES MOINES, Iowa — Kourtney Perry is the owner of Ladie Lex Scented Candles in Des Moines.
She's been in business for five years and set up shop after feeling frustrated with the restraints corporate America places on Black women.
"When I first started out, and being an entrepreneur, it was back in 2018, you know," Perry said. "I was just tired of the corporate world, not being able to go anywhere."
As a female entrepreneur, she noted some of those barriers still exist
"Starting a business, you don't have the funding, you're doing everything out of your pocket. And so it's a lot of challenges with trying to get capital and moving yourself forward and trying to overcome all of the obstacles that are faced in the minority world," she said.
President and CEO of West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce Katherine Harrington says the inequity for minority businesses is why the chamber holds an annual Athene Black and Brown Business Summit aimed to help entrepreneurs like Perry.
"Everybody knows all the stats are out there. It's a well known fact that they do not get the support they need," Harrington said. "And, historically, they have never got the support they need, right? So, we are here to change that."
The summit is a two-day event meant to provide resources to minority business owners.
"In all, there's about 60 different speakers, and and keynotes that make up the summit. So it's a great way to connect with others, and get all the tips and tools you need to be a very successful business owner," Harrington said.
According to the summit's website, its goal is to "elevate ethnic minorities and bring BIPOC businesses together to assist with connection building, programming, promotion, training" and more.
But Harrington and her team can't be the only ones supporting Black entrepreneurs.
"My advice for supporting black businesses is to show up, just like we show up for everybody else, show up for us. Go into our spaces, ask questions, reach out," Perry said. "And it's not always about buying our products. It's about putting us in positions that we never would have thought of."
The 2023 Black and Brown Business Summit will run from April 20-21, and registration is open now. For more information, click here.