On Wednesday, July 20, the first ever “Black in Business” event for Savannah-area black business owners and aspiring black entrepreneurs will take place. The event will include the following panel of successful local black business owners who will share their stories and answer questions about their entrepreneurial journey

• Elbi Elm, Owner, The Culturist Union – A U.S. Air Force Veteran, Elbi has served as a diversity, equity, and inclusion advisor for several non-profit organizations, and was a Georgia Women’s Policy Institute Fellow. She was a winner of Savannah SCORE’s “BizPitch Savannah 2019” Entrepreneurial Competition, was selected for the prestigious American Express “100 for 100” program, and has been featured in a number of local and national publications.. The Culturist Union is a coffee house, artisan marketplace, and creative incubator centered around the artistic and social empowerment of Black creators.
• Kewaan Drayton, Owner, Red Eye Film Productions, The Savannah Underground Theater Company, and Rip-N-Runners, LLC - Savannah-native, Kewaan K. Drayton is an entrepreneur, community organizer, and business consultant. In addition to his professional pursuits, Kewaan serves on the Board of the Greater Savannah Black Chamber of Commerce and is a Certified SCORE Mentor. He enjoys mentoring aspiring business owners and educating male, minority youth on the criminal justice system so that they are empowered with information. 
• James Gardner, Owner, Gibraltar Trucking, LLC - James is a Savannah native. With dreams of starting a trucking company since he was a child, he finally got the opportunity in 2016 with the creation of Gibraltar Trucking LLC. With his motto “Constant Elevation Causes Expansion”, hard work, and dedication, he built his company from the ground up. Starting with a single carrier van, Gibraltar now has a fleet of five fully functional semi-trucks and has become one of the fastest growing trucking companies in the Southeast.
• Ben Polote, Jr. – 2nd Generation President, The Polote Corporation - From an early age, Ben was groomed to lead the firm established in 1970 by his father, Benjamin Polote, Sr.  Since that time, The Polote Corporation has evolved from a home builder to a civil contractor to a large certified general contractor providing construction and project management services to corporations and municipal governments in the USA and abroad. Recently, the company was involved in construction of Savannah’s new Enmark Arena

The event will also include presentations by local organizations that offer resources to assist members of Savannah’s black community to become successful business owners.

The event will take place from 6:00pm to 8:00pm in the Mary C. Torian Auditorium at Savannah State University’s School of Business Administration. The event is FREE.

“Black In Business” is being presented by a partnership among Savannah State University, the Greater Savannah Black Chamber of Commerce, Savannah Technical College, Truist, and Savannah SCORE.

“We are excited and proud to be bringing “Black In Business” to our black community and promoting black entrepreneurship throughout the Savannah Metropolitan area,” said Moncello Stewart, President, Greater Savannah Black Chamber of Commerce.

“The inspiring personal stories of the Black Entrepreneurs on our panel will provide invaluable insights into what it takes to become a successful business owner,” said Warren Bimblick, Chapter Chair, Savannah SCORE.

“We are pleased to be part of this very special event”, said Dr. Brent Stubbs, Vice President for Economic Development at Savannah Technical College. “We look forward to sharing information with our black community about the Career Pathways offered by Savannah Tech that can lead to business ownership.”

The event is FREE, but registration is required. To register, go to https://score.tfaforms.net/17?EventID=a105a000005rOnx

For more information, contact Michael Siegel, Savannah SCORE Vice Chair, at [email protected].