Congresswoman Nikema Williams hosts a fair to help small businesses Hustle and Grow
Congresswoman Nikema Williams hosted a small business fair at the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs, featuring prizes, a panel discussion, and networking opportunities, to help small businesses connect, network, and grow. The post Congresswoman Nikema Williams hosts a fair to help small businesses Hustle and Grow appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.
Black News 
Congresswoman Nikema Williams hosted a small business fair at the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE) on Friday, bringing together small businesses, entrepreneurs, and organizations with helpful resources to connect, network, and grow. The fair, titled Hustle and Grow, featured prizes for small businesses, a panel discussion hosted by Airbnb on opportunities for small businesses during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and networking opportunities with representatives from organizations such as PNC Bank, The Atlanta BeltLine, and the DeKalb Black Business Guide.
Justin Carter, a reporter for The Shade Room, acted as the moderator for the Airbnb panel. It featured Kelsey Manor, director of business and small business engagement at Showcase Atlanta; John Moore, a leader with the Urban League of Greater Atlanta; Nia Brown, the regional government affairs representative for Airbnb; and LaNier Echols, an Airbnb host in Atlanta.
The panel touched on how small businesses and Airbnb hosts can capitalize on the global moment and economic opportunities the World Cup presents. The panelists encouraged locals to take advantage of the resources that organizations such as Showcase Atlanta, the Urban League, and Atlanta Black Chambers provide in order to be prepared for this summer and beyond, emphasizing the lasting economic impact on local neighborhoods and businesses.
“In this city, we care about building. We care about opportunity. When we got this World Cup, I heard somebody tell me that they were getting an all-halal menu because Morocco was playing here, and so they had to find a halal meat distributor. And that’s Atlanta,” Brown said. “What’s happening in the Russell Center to make sure that you guys have the skills and opportunities and resources and networks to optimize is unique. This is not just about this [The World Cup], this is the future.”
Williams took the podium after the panel to thank the small businesses, their owners, and people from her Small Business Advisory Council, doubling down on her commitment to uplift small businesses. She noted the hurdles Black business owners face, from a lack of startup funds, equity, and collateral to the Trump administration’s attempts to dismantle programs such as the Minority Business Development Agency.
“I’m fighting for you and all small business owners in the Fighting Fifth, who are working to build wealth and capital. I reintroduced the Minority Entrepreneurship, which will help break down those barriers and give the next generation of minority business owners a fair shot at the promise of America that we all deserve,” Williams said.
“I’m fighting for the reinstatement of the Minority Business Development Agency, because it’s through these investments in our minority-owned businesses that we will close the racial wealth gap once and for all. And I’m going to keep growing the Fighting Fifth Small Business Council because I can’t do this work alone. It takes community. We’ve got to fight in communities, we’ve got to fight in Congress, and we’ve got to fight in courts, because we have to make sure that every small business owner has a chance to thrive.”
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