Event center opens in Phoenix to help minority business owners, nonprofits

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The 100-plus-year-old building off 14th Street and Van Buren in downtown Phoenix has a lot of history, and some local entrepreneurs are looking to create more.

The founders of the nonprofit Archwood Exchange have just converted Arnold’s Old Pickle House into a multi-purpose business hub.

The 13,000-square-foot facility will provide various resources to help black business owners and nonprofit groups expand and grow.

“This can serve as a one stop shop,” said Ali Nervis, with Archwood Exchange. “If you need access to capitol, if you need a mentorship, if you need classes, if you need specific education, all of these resources will exist under this one roof.”

The facility is called the Archwood Exchange at Eastlake.

It is being set up to provide small business owners with office space while allowing them to conduct classes, workshops, conferences, fundraisers, and other events.

“We’re talking about after-school programs, dance classes, yoga meditation, incubator space for people to come together and meet at a very low cost,” said Havana Dickerson with Archwood Exchange.

For years, Archwood Exchange hosted Black Business Marketplace events in different locations where people can sell their goods and services.

Now, the marketplace events will be held in the new business hub.

Evelia Davis owns the Latha Restaurant and Bar in Phoenix, which she opened last year.

She attended several marketplace events in the past and said having a place to share ideas and meet other business owners played a key role in her success.

“There were people who supported you, provided information and directed you to resources,” said Davis. “All of these things make a huge difference when you are starting out.”

Many business owners have already taken advantage of the facility, which is supposed to be completed by November.

“From pickles to productivity, to just empower the community,” said Henry Dickerson with Archwood Exchange. “I guess this building has always fed the community, and we plan to continue doing that.”

A ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony for the Archwood Exchange at Eastlake will be held on Sept. 7.

More information on the resources available can be found on Archwood Exchange’s website.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.

Copyright 2024 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.