By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
In celebration of National Black Business Month, Ezell’s Famous Chicken, a fast-casual fried chicken restaurant with a total of 17 locations in Washington and Oregon, will host the third annual “Raising Up Black Businesses” (R.U.B.B.) Initiative Black Business Leadership Conference on Saturday, August 17, 2024 at The University of Washington’s Seattle campus.
Established in 2021, the annual conference, which is designed to empower and elevate Black-owned businesses, will offer networking opportunities, educational content, connection sessions, and a series of engaging presenters for local business owners.
“This is our third annual conference, and it is really focused on creating an environment where black business owners and entrepreneurs can come into a space where they can gain knowledge, gather information that can help them to excel in growing their businesses, and better establish their business,” says Lewis Rudd, President and Co-Founder of Ezell’s Famous Chicken.
The cornerstone of the conference is the R.U.B.B. Initiative, which provides small grants to Black-owned businesses. Initially funded with a $10,000 donation from Rudd, his brother Darnell Rudd, and their sister Faye Stephens, and an additional $40,0000 from their charter partner, DoorDash, the fund provided $2,500 grants to 20 Black-owned businesses. Over the course of the first two years of RUBB, $75,000 has been given away in grants to Black-owned businesses, and Rudd looks to continue exploring new ways to provide direct support to all participants.
“Having access to adequate capital has always been a high hurdle for Black-owned businesses, and that still remains very honored today,” says Rudd. “Although, there are various factors that go into the challenges Black-owned businesses face, where one of those happens to be relationships and that is why we encourage Black-business owners to come to the conference to network with people from the finance and banking industry because they can help and direct Black-business owners to resources.”
Meko Lawson, Event Project Manager for the R.U.B.B. Initiative Black Business Leadership Conference, agrees and says that the conference is a valuable resource for business owners,
“I think the business climate in Seattle has changed for Black business owners since the first RUBB Conference,” says Lawson. “We have seen in the last year or two an unprecedented number of opportunities for Black businesses, where Black businesses are able to access funding in a way they have not before. And, since the first conference Lewis and this organization have really focused on preparing Black businesses for the opportunities that are showing up now.”
“If you are a Black business owner and you don’t have the knowledge, infrastructure, or the networking connection that this conference has provided, then you would not be in a position or be in a good shape to take advantage of all of the opportunities that have been showing up,” she continued.
This year’s conference theme is “Ignite & Inspire: Building the Future of Black-Owned Businesses.” The conference will feature Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, and aims to celebrate the achievements of Black-owned businesses, foster a supportive community, and provide attendees with the tools and knowledge necessary to drive their businesses forward.
Based on his personal journey as a Black business owner, Rudd feels that funding and networking play a huge role in the challenges that Black businesses may face when starting a business.
Started by one sister and two sets of brothers from East Texas in 1984, Ezell’s has grown from a single storefront into a multi-location organization that employs about 300 people. Leveraging the strong brand that they’ve established over the years, and their tradition of giving back to the community, Rudd hopes to educate and inspire other business owners by providing them with insightful information from his many years of experience as a successful Black business owner.
“I think that with the experience and knowledge that I have gained during the process of creating this business structure, I can share a lot of information with entrepreneurs and Black business owners that can be helpful to them in the areas of administration, leadership, and team building,” says Rudd.
“Being able to hear from successful Black business owners who are able to give real-life examples, network and collaborate, and gain mentorship if needed, are ways that the conference can help empower Black-owned businesses in ultimately moving their business forward,” says Lawson.
More information about the “Raising Up Black Businesses” (R.U.B.B.) Initiative Black Business Leadership Conference is available online at www.ruddsrubb.org.