Brown Mamas Marketplace Returns: Pittsburgh’s Black Women Entrepreneurs Shine On Small Business Saturday

Founder of Brown Mamas Inc., Muffy Mendoza, opened up recently to Trib Live about the next iteration of the Brown Mamas Marketplace taking place on Nov. 30. The marketplace will center around Black women-owned businesses on Small Business Saturday and will feature vendors and educational opportunities for those in attendance.

Mendoza told the outlet that she intentionally scheduled the event to take place on Small Business Saturday because she wanted it to be an opportunity for Pittsburgh-based Black-owned businesses that don’t have storefronts to set up temporary shops for the event.

The roster of the marketplace is set to include vendors focused on selling food, clothing, and jewelry, and the marketplace will also be backed by several influential community organizations, such as the Pittsburgh Black Breastfeeding Circle and Black Women for a Better Education.

Mendoza originally started Brown Mamas in 2012 with the sole goal of helping provide resources to support local Black mothers to improve their long-term health and economic outcomes.

She recalled how little information there was at the time in her area of the business field.

“There was not a lot of information out there about how to start a business or how to maintain one,” Mendoza said. It inspired her to start hosting the Brown Mamas Marketplace, a space for solely Black and mother-owned businesses to sell their products and get exposure.

“I did that because I needed space, and I knew other moms needed space, so why not create the space?,” she continued. “I needed tips and tools on the legality of owning a business. I needed to find an accountant. There was nowhere to go to find that.”

She’s tried to ensure other Black mothers don’t find themselves in the same situation as she was by including speakers at this year’s iteration of the Black Mamas Marketplace. On the roster to speak are expert professionals in the business field, like lawyers and accountants. Attendants of the event will get to hear from Tayler Clemm, better known as DAWA Mama, who focuses on teaching about womb wellness, and Kahlil Darden, the founder of Young Black Motivated Kings and Queens.

Mendoza wanted the Brown Mamas Marketplace to focus on three integral areas of her identity: womb, wealth, and wellness.

Mendoza said, “Brown Mamas Marketplace is about creating a place where moms can sell their products, be supported by the Pittsburgh community, and also learn about different aspects of business. As a mompreneur, you have to be holistic in your approach to living a good life,”

The event will take place at Emerald City in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, located on Smithfield Street. It will run from 12 P.M. to 4 P.M.

“We just wanted all different types of mom-owned businesses to be represented and helping them get the tools they need to create community for themselves,” Mendoza noted. She added that Brown Mamas Marketplace will be back in the spring of 2025 and that she hopes to expand even further on her mission.

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