Overview: Honoring Legacy and Economic Excellence in Minnesota
Contributing Writer Tony Kiene highlights the Minnesota Black Chamber of Commerce's unveiling of the inaugural Minnesota Black Business Hall of Fame class. Read about how local pioneers are receiving their well-deserved recognition and what to expect at this year's "Renaissance Reimagined" gala.
On Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, the Minnesota Black Chamber of Commerce (MBCC) will host its annual gala at the InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront Hotel. Presented by Wells Fargo, this year’s theme is “Renaissance Reimagined: Where Culture Meets Commerce.”
The 2026 edition of the MBCC gala is bringing something new to the table, as it will honor nine individuals being inducted into the inaugural class of the Minnesota Black Business Hall of Fame, which was announced live last Friday morning on WCCO/CBS News Minnesota.
Among the inductees is Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder CEO and Publisher Tracey Williams-Dillard.
“For decades, Tracey has been a staple of excellence in our community,” said Yolanda Pierson, president and CEO of the Minnesota Black Chamber of Commerce. “Not only has she successfully led the state’s oldest Black-owned business into the 21st century, she’s provided guidance and a platform to scores of young writers, editors and content creators, who’ve only helped to build upon the newspaper’s already indelible legacy. And it’s incumbent upon us to follow that lead.”
Of this distinction, Williams-Dillard said, “It’s such a tremendous honor to be recognized by such an important organization that is supporting legacy businesses such as the MSR, while likewise spotlighting new and emerging companies that are making a critical difference in the community. It means a lot for us to acknowledge and lift up our own. So many times, Black businesses go underrecognized, are underappreciated.”
The other members of the Minnesota Black Business Hall of Fame’s maiden class are Frederick Blockton, president of UpNet Technology; Frank Brown, owner and president of Minuteman Press Uptown; Frederic Estes, business leader and legacy steward; Gloria Freeman, founder and CEO of Olu’s Home Inc.; Lea Harget, CEO of JOG & Associates and founder of the Molly Group; Ezell Jones, entrepreneur and founding visionary; Prince Wallace, manufacturing entrepreneur and business leader; and Sharon Smith-Akinsanya, founder and CEO of the Rae Mackenzie Group.
Pierson, who began her tenure as president and CEO this past January, has set forth a clear vision designed to advance the MBCC by strengthening connections across the business community, expanding access and opportunity for Black entrepreneurs, driving measurable and lasting economic impact, and establishing a true statewide presence for the organization.
“The MBCC seeks to usher in a new economic renaissance, to make sure that Black businesses in Minnesota are bankable, structurally stable and sustainable. It’s about more than solopreneurs creating their own legacies. It’s also about crafting an enduring, community-wide legacy,” Pierson said.
Regarding her decision to launch the Minnesota Black Business Hall of Fame, Pierson said she’s received a lot of questions to the effect of “Why this? Why now? Why you?”
“It’s because history can’t wait,” she said. “The legacies that have been built by pioneers like these have gone unnoticed for far too long. They haven’t always received their due credit.”
“This first class of inductees represents generations of impact across an array of business fields,” Pierson said. “They’ve created jobs, generated revenue, mentored countless others and effected lasting social, cultural and economic impact. We want to give them their flowers while they’re still here, and make sure their stories are remembered.”
In addition to honoring the inaugural class of the Minnesota Black Business Hall of Fame, the MBCC will also present its annual Black Business Excellence Award, Economic Impact Award and the award for its 10,000 Black Business Program (10K BBP), a transformative business accelerator and grant program designed to empower and support Black-owned small businesses in Minnesota.
Emceed by Emmy Award-winning journalist and KSTP-TV anchor Brandi Powell, the MBCC’s “Renaissance Reimagined: Where Culture Meets Commerce” takes place Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront (11 E. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55101), followed by an afterparty from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. featuring St. Paul’s own DJ A-Quil.
Ticket and table sales close Friday, July 31, 2026. For more information and to reserve a seat, visit the MBCC online.
Presented by Wells Fargo, community sponsors of the MBCC gala are Blue Cross Blue Shield Minnesota, Cargill, Huntington Bank and the Rae Mackenzie Group. Entrepreneur sponsors include Andersen Windows & Doors, Children’s Minnesota, Cummins, First Independence Bank, Ramsey County, U.S. Bank and Xcel Energy.
Tony Kiene is the executive assistant and contributing writer for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. He welcomes reader responses at tkiene@spokesman-recorder.com.