The third annual Black Entrepreneurs Week (BEW) is a weeklong conference celebrating Black entrepreneurship, empowering local underrepresented communities, and fostering entrepreneur-building initiatives. This year, BEW will host the Legacy 1865 Startup Pitch Competition on December 1, 2023, offering a platform for Black entrepreneurs with early-stage and existing tech companies to engage with industry leaders, fellow peers, and capital opportunities. The events will consist of various in-person and virtual events featuring business and community leaders covering thought-provoking topics through interactive panel discussions as well as community-building programs that educate, connect, and inform in accordance with our theme.

BEW seeks to contend with the challenges Black communities face when pursuing financial goals and highlight the progress made possible through collective empowerment efforts. “We’re launching BEW so we can take responsibility for this space we’re creating, along with the eventual outcomes,” says Phillip Yates, Houston attorney and founder of Equiliberty.

“We take this week as a sign of the future–that through our partnerships as a collective, we’ll be able to work and achieve more.”

In 2021, Black spending power reached over $1.6 trillion dollars, yet collective Black net worth declined 14%. BEW’s goal is to provide financial resources to address this problem by encouraging productive use of money and leveraging spending power in order to empower Black communities.

“We want to help people build a strong financial foundation so they can thrive and build wealth,” says Chase Community Manager, Cheri Green.

BEW will feature a City Wide Scavenger Hunt throughout the week to highlight local Black businesses, boost our community’s economy, and strengthen connections with businesses that make Houston thrive.

Equiliberty extends thanks to BEW’s community partners, including but not limited to Chase, United States Small Business Administration, Texas Southern University, Radio One, Houston Community College, Houston Area Urban League, Equiliberty Community Impact Foundation, ION, Intentionally Black, Gbeta, and Impact Hub Houston, to learn more visit

www.blackentrepreneursweek.com.