Eight years after its local start, the Cape Fear Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week has grown to involve more organizations and has attracted additional sponsors. This year’s event, which kicks off Tuesday and concludes Saturday, invites attendees to collide (intentionally), socialize, stretch their thinking, celebrate and gain a host of ideas and new colleagues.
Described by its organizers as “a platform for fostering an inclusive network of professional minority entrepreneurs,” MED Week aims to acquaint participants with resources to stimulate and expand their enterprise, spur innovation and connect with experts and trailblazers in a variety of industries.
All of the week’s events require advance registration.
MED Week opens Tuesday evening with Intentional Collisions, a program of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce in partnership with its minority business councils. The goal is to bring together people who may not interact in daily life. It takes place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Los Portales Taqueria No. 2.
“Amplify the Legacy: Sustaining Women’s Business Enterprises,” takes place Wednesday from 2 to 4 p.m. It features a panel of four non-traditional female entrepreneurs and advocates “who have made significant and enduring contributions to impact women’s entrepreneurial development,” according to organizers. Wilmington entrepreneur Stephanie Lanier is the moderator of this session, held at Cape Fear Community College’s Union Station.
On Thursday, the focus of MED Week’s Networking Social is on health care, with an emphasis on rural healthcare delivery and opportunities for minority and women business enterprises. The speaker is Roxie Wells, Senior Vice President and Chief Physician Executive in the Novant Health Coastal Market. The event begins at 6 p.m. at Union Station.
The two-day 3 Chambers Fest takes place Friday and Saturday, showcasing hip-hop, martial arts and anime culture through a variety of live music performances, immersive art and film experiences, according to its organizers. Festival activities take place in several locations and conclude with a MED Week Anime After Party at Waterline Brewing Co.
Saturday’s sessions take place at Genesis Block, a minority business incubator. From 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., it’s a Fireside Chat luncheon featuring U.S. State Department procurement expert Anthony Josey. He will talk about how disadvantaged businesses can qualify for and land government contracts.
At 1 p.m., Genesis Block hosts “Converting Conversations to Contracts,” a resource information fair in a trade show format.
For more details on Cape Fear MED Week, click here.
One indicator of Cape Fear MED Week’s expanded reach and impact is the decision by Wendy Coulter, founder of the NC Women Business Owners Hall of Fame, to collaborate on Wednesday’s women’s panel event. She also scheduled her organization’s gala to coincide with MED Week. It takes place Thursday from 5:30 to 10 p.m. at the Embassy Suites and celebrates the Hall of Fame’s sixth class of honorees.
Minority Enterprise Development Week was created by presidential proclamation in 1983. It launched in Wilmington in 2015, hosted by the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with the help of community partners.
In 2021, the chamber took over as the primary host. This year, support and organizational help have come from the chamber, the YWCA Lower Cape Fear, the city of Wilmington, New Hanover County, Brunswick Community College, CFCC’s Small Business Center, UNCW and Genesis Block, as well as from a variety of local businesses.
