Leaders from across Texas will gather in Fort Worth this week to promote the state’s Black-owned businesses.
The Texas Association of African American Chambers of Commerce will hold its 2026 annual conference Sept. 23-25 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Fort Worth South Hotel & Conference Center, 100 Altamesa Blvd. E.
“For three days in Fort Worth, the Texas Association of African American Chambers of Commerce brings together Black entrepreneurs, chamber leaders, and community advocates from across the state,” officials said on the organization’s website. “Everyone’s talking about A.I. We’re here for R.I. — Real Intelligence: the strategy, the capital, and the connections that actually move Black-owned businesses forward.”
The organization, which represents more than 30 Black chambers, advocates for more than 350,000 Texas Black-owned businesses.
“See with your own eyes that Black chambers of commerce and the businesses they represent are actually working on real solutions to the challenges faced by Black-owned businesses and creating a sustainable Black economy,” Charles O’Neal, president of the Texas Association of African American Chambers of Commerce, said in a Facebook video promoting the conference.
O’Neal said it is important for business owners to understand that “there is work being done to ensure the improved quality of life for Black Texans; improved sustainability, profitability and viability of Black-owned businesses; and that your presence at the Texas Association of African American Chambers of Commerce annual conference lends your voice to making those plans and strategies that improve economy to come true.”
The state conference comes a week after leaders with the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce held their 2026 national conference in Fort Worth.
Amy Brown, chief sales and strategy officer at Visit Fort Worth, said the city has a robust convention schedule.
“Looking ahead to a strong 2027, Fort Worth will host more than 200 meetings, conventions and events,” Brown said. “We look forward to welcoming returning groups including Texas FFA and Texas Division of Emergency Management as well as new additions like National Beta Club and NCAA Men’s Basketball.”
Local leaders speaking at the state Black chambers conference include Michelle Green-Ford, president and CEO of the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce; Sharon Douglas, owner and CEO of Potere Construction; and Velenda Dewberry, director of southeast region sales for Visit Fort Worth.
Sessions will include keynote speakers, access to capital, artificial intelligence workshops, awards dinner, vendor hubs and a 2027 legislative update. An economic summit starting at 10 a.m. Friday will advance business development, including networking, government contractors and business-to-business opportunities across the public and private sectors.
Earlier this year, Green-Ford said the Fort Worth Black chamber’s financial strength increased with new community partnerships and corporate sponsorships as the group tackled obstacles to government contracts.
After the city suspended DEI initiatives to comply with federal orders, the organization emphasized certifications for minority- and women-owned firms to increase competition for city contracts.
“We have to go forward, and we cannot let the vision to support our minority- and women-owned businesses fall — and we haven’t done that,” Green-Ford previously said. “So let’s go!”
Eric E. Garcia is senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org.
At the Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
This <a target=”_blank” href=”https://fortworthreport.org/2026/09/22/black-business-leaders-to-emphasize-economic-development-at-fort-worth-conference/”>article</a> first appeared on <a target=”_blank” href=”https://fortworthreport.org”>Fort Worth Report</a> and is republished here under a <a target=”_blank” href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/”>Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.<img src=”https://i0.wp.com/fortworthreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/cropped-favicon.png?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1″ style=”width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;”>
<img id=”republication-tracker-tool-source” src=”https://fortworthreport.org/?republication-pixel=true&post=795833&ga4=2820184429″ style=”width:1px;height:1px;”><script> PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: “https://fortworthreport.org/2026/09/22/black-business-leaders-to-emphasize-economic-development-at-fort-worth-conference/”, urlref: window.location.href }); } } </script> <script id=”parsely-cfg” src=”//cdn.parsely.com/keys/fortworthreport.org/p.js”></script>