Stark County Minority Business Association

06/03/2026

Calling Stark County Black-Owned Businesses!

SCMBA is excited to launch our new Black-Owned Business Directory, a free opportunity designed to help local entrepreneurs increase visibility, connect with customers, and build new business opportunities.

While this directory focuses on Black-owned businesses, it represents one of many programs and resources SCMBA offers to support minority-, women-, and Veteran-owned businesses across Stark County.

Participation is completely FREE, and both digital and printed versions of the directory are planned for release later this year.

If you own a Black-owned business, we invite you to submit your information and help us showcase the talent, innovation, and economic impact of Black entrepreneurs throughout our community.

✨ Free Business Listing
📱 Digital & Printed Directory Coming Later This Year
🔗 Submit Your Business: www.bit.ly/scmbadirectory

The Stark County Minority Business Association (SCMBA) and the Minority Business Assistance Center (MBAC) are committed to strengthening and growing minority-owned businesses throughout Stark County. This directory was created to connect residents, organizations, and businesses with Black-owned and....

06/02/2026

At CLIMB Graduation, we asked participants one simple question:

"How long do you think your pitch will be?"

The answers were optimistic.
The stopwatch had other opinions. 😂

From spot-on guesses to "we're going to have to stop you there," this might be our favorite graduation recap yet. 🎓🚀

06/01/2026

The May 2026 edition of SCMBA On The Move has arrived, and it's worth the read, even as we kick off June!

This issue celebrates the graduation of our inaugural CLIMB Program cohort, recognizing 25 entrepreneurs who have taken an important step in growing their businesses. You'll also find inspiring member and MBAC spotlights, updates on our expansion into Wayne, Carroll, and Tuscarawas counties, upcoming events, and new opportunities to market your business through our upcoming Black-Owned Business Directory and Weekly Member Calendar.

As we head into a busy summer season, catch up on the stories, resources, and opportunities helping entrepreneurs across our region connect, grow, and thrive.

Read the latest issue today: https://canva.link/0xjp7wjolap9eds

05/31/2026

This event is about more than shopping, it's about strengthening our community.

When we support local businesses, we're investing in our neighbors, our families, and the future of our community.

Imagine this: If every person who sees this post invites just 5 friends or family members to attend, we could introduce hundreds of people to local entrepreneurs, small businesses, community organizations, and vendors who work hard every day to serve Stark County.

That's why we're excited to host Shop the Block: Summer Social on Saturday, June 13 from 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM at The Marketplace on 10th Street!

🎶 Live Music
🍔 Food Trucks
🛍️ Local Vendors
🎁 Giveaways
🤝 Networking & Community Connections

Whether you're looking to shop, eat, connect, or simply enjoy a great afternoon with family and friends, this event has something for everyone.

VENDORS: We still have a limited number of vendor spaces available! If you're a business owner, entrepreneur, nonprofit, or community organization looking to connect with new customers and supporters, now is the time to register.

Register Here: www.bit.ly/SCMBASocial

The success of this event depends on all of us. Please help us spread the word by:
✅ Sharing this post
✅ Tagging friends and family
✅ Inviting others to attend
✅ Supporting our local businesses

Let's show up for our community and make this an incredible day for local entrepreneurs and small businesses!

05/30/2026

Vision: Fill the room.

Mission: Accomplished. ✅

Congratulations to the first CLIMB Cohort graduates and everyone who helped make this moment possible.

05/29/2026

As we continue celebrating the success of our first CLIMB (Capital to Launch Individual Micro Enterprise Businesses) Cohort, we want to extend our sincere gratitude to the organizations and community partners who made this program possible.

Because of the support of the Ohio Department of Development, Hoover Foundation, Timken Foundation, KeyBank, PNC Bank, U.S. Bank, City of Canton, Huntington Bank, Sisters of Charity Foundation of Canton, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Farmers National Bank, and the Deuble Foundation, local entrepreneurs were able to participate in 13 weeks of intensive business training, one-on-one counseling, pitch development, and business growth planning.

Your investment in small businesses and entrepreneurship is creating real opportunities for individuals to build stronger businesses, create economic impact, and strengthen our community.

Thank you for believing in the vision of CLIMB and helping our entrepreneurs take the next step toward success. We are excited to see what the future holds for this incredible group of business owners!

05/28/2026

Congratulations to the CLIMB (Capital to Launch Individual Micro Enterprise Businesses) graduates!

Yesterday, we proudly celebrated their businesses, accomplishments, and dedication in completing the full CLIMB program. Over the course of 13 weeks, participants engaged in business training, pitch deck creation, pitch development, and one-on-one business counseling sessions with our staff.

This program was designed to help take these businesses to the next level, and yesterday’s pitches proved just that. Each participant shared their successes, future goals, and plans for continued growth and impact within our community.

We are incredibly proud of all they have accomplished and excited to see what’s next for these entrepreneurs.

Congratulations to our first CLIMB Cohort!

05/21/2026

⛳️ SCMBA is hard at work preparing for our 7th Annual Golf Outing & Reception Fundraiser!

Our team recently met at The Quarry Golf Club to plan for an exciting day of golf, networking, and community impact. We’re grateful to welcome back our incredible sponsors and supporters — and excited to welcome new faces to this year’s event!

Mark your calendars for Friday, September 18!

Join us for the outing and evening reception featuring both a silent and live auction.

Learn more and register here: www.bit.ly/SCMBAGolf26

05/20/2026

SAVE THE DATE!

SCMBA is excited to present Shop the Block: Summer Social! A community open house celebrating local businesses, great food, music, and summer vibes in downtown Canton!

Join us for an afternoon filled with:
🛍️ Local Vendors
🚚 Food Trucks
🎶 Live DJ
🎁 Giveaways
👨‍👩‍👧 Family-Friendly Fun

Join us on Saturday, June 13, 1 PM – 5 PM, at the Marketplace on 10th St. (500 10th St. NW, Canton, OH 44703)!

We’re also looking for amazing vendors, makers, entrepreneurs, and small businesses to be part of this exciting event!

Vendor Pricing:
• $50 SCMBA Members
• $75 Non-Members
• Food Trucks participate FREE!

REGISTER: www.bit.ly/SCMBASocial

Whether you’re coming to shop, support, network, eat, or sell — this is an event you don’t want to miss.

Mark your calendars, invite your family & friends, and let’s support local together!

05/19/2026

Did you know? As part of our CLIMB program, each participant had the opportunity to film their very own marketing promo video for social media!

Our amazing partners at Lucas Live Media came in to not only film professional content, but also coach our businesses on creating impactful social media content and building their brand presence online.

We’re excited to provide opportunities like this to our clients, and even more excited to help share their stories, passions, and brands with the community. Stay tuned for some incredible content coming your way from our CLIMB Service-Based Businesses and Marketplace on 10th St. vendors!