FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Rose Barboza
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (207) 849-0008

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Join Black Owned Maine for a Night of Celebration, Education, and Networking!

Portland, Maine – Black Owned Maine (BOM) invites you to a vibrant evening of Black-focused celebration, education, and networking, dedicated to fostering the growth and success of the Black entrepreneurial community.

Event Details:

• Date: Tuesday, July 16
• Time: 5:30 to 8 PM
• Location: Cloudport Multispace, 63 Federal St Portland, ME

This exclusive event features a distinguished guest speaker who will share their insights on building a strong company culture and empowering the Black community. The evening's ambiance will be set by Angolan artist DJ Gerson, who will provide a soundtrack of soft amapiano and Afro/Hip-hop lo-fi beats, perfect for mingling and networking.

Attendees can look forward to a selection of food and beverages, including both alcoholic and nonalcoholic options. The event is an opportunity to dress to impress, with a photographer and videographer on hand to capture the evening's moments and offer professional headshots.

For those eager to voice their thoughts on Black empowerment, our staff will be available to record your insights.

This event is ONLY for Black entrepreneurs currently in the BOM network and those who are eligible to join now or in the future. If you are unsure if this event is for you, please reach out to us at the contact info below.

RSVP: Eventbrite

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About Black Owned Maine

Black Owned Maine (BOM) is a dynamic Black-led and Black-serving nonprofit organization based in Portland, Maine. Founded in June 2020, BOM operates at the intersection of race and socioeconomics, driven by a commitment to business education and advocacy. BOM provides Black businesses with the critical support they need to thrive and grow, fostering an ecosystem that empowers Black entrepreneurs with the tools and resources necessary for success. Our mission is to sustain and innovate an ecosystem of Black entrepreneurs in Maine. Our vision is a world where Black entrepreneurs have the same access to business resources as their non-Black counterparts.

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Join us to make this vision a reality and build a stronger Black entrepreneurial ecosystem in Maine!

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Attention to social justice for Black Americans grew in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. While some people took to the streets and joined protests, others focused on supporting Black-owned businesses. In Maine, this spirit fueled the formation of Black Owned Maine, which promotes Black business owners and their products and services. We talk with some of these entrepreneurs—and what it means to support their work. This show is part of our yearlong series on the changing face of Maine.

MAINE, Maine — When the world erupted in protest around the murder of George Floyd, Rose Barboza knew she wanted to do something. As a single mom with COVID concerns, she was reluctant to take to the streets and join in the protests. So, she created a nonprofit called Black Owned Maine with the idea of raising awareness about Black-owned businesses so that people can support these businesses throughout the state. She recognized that there was no public list or directory of these businesses. 

This marks the fourth time that the nonprofit has given out financial relief to families and people who need it during the pandemic.

PORTLAND, Maine — Maine has a shortage of stylists who know how to work on and style hair for Black women, men, and children. Rafiki Shop in Portland aims to change that.

The staff hopes to boost the number of stylists able to work with Black hair and bring more Black-owned businesses to our state.

So on a snowy Saturday night in Portland, dozens of people came to a Black hair show...

BRUNSWICK, Maine - In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement in the summer of 2020, head women's track and field coach L.J. Que along with students Claire Traum '21, Gillian King '22, and Jada Scotland '23 approached Jerry Edwards '04 and Rose Barboza of Black Owned Maine...

Rose Barboza was at home with her four-year-old child in late May of this year when she saw news coverage of the death of George Floyd, and watched the video of the 46-year-old Black man being handcuffed and pinned to the ground as Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck long after Floyd was dead…

When Rose Barboza lost her job last spring, she never imagined she would soon gain two new business ventures and more than 14,000 Instagram followers as a result.

Barboza, 30, is the founder and co-director of Black Owned Maine, a passion project she started as a way to bring attention and support to businesses owned by Black people statewide...

Rose Barboza’s brainchild went live back in June. Furloughed from her tourism job due to the coronavirus pandemic and grieving the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers, the Saco resident spent three days using her rudimentary coding skills to build a simple website called Black Owned Maine, a directory of bookstores, mechanics, food trucks, dentists’ offices, and other businesses owned by Black Mainers. “There are all these big directories that list Black-owned businesses, and Maine is never on them,” she says. “I was like, I wish Maine was on that list. And then I realized I can actually do that myself.”...

Interview with Black Owned Maine