07/10/2026
ESSENCE Festival of Culture Weekend gave us the celebration — but this room gave us the assignment. Maroon was proud to host the Happy Hour at Essence in partnership with StartUp Noir NOLA/GNO, Inc. and Camelback Ventures, bringing together angel investors, visionary entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and ecosystem builders for an intentional evening of capital, connection, and community.
And the setting mattered: The Monarch, a beautiful Black-owned hotel right here in New Orleans, became the backdrop for exactly what we believe in — Black ownership, Black innovation, and Black spaces being used to build the future. Shout out to Ryan Bates The Monarch New Orleans!
Thank you to our panelists who grounded the conversation and pushed the room beyond inspiration into action:
- Salem Habte of StartUp Noir NOLA, who moderated with clarity and purpose;
- Shawna Young of Camelback Ventures, who reminded us that founders need more than money — they need coaching, community, and a real Rolodex;
- Ryan Bates of Bates Development, who helped us think bigger about ownership, real estate, neighborhood equity, and wealth-building.
And to the founders who pitched — this is where the work continues:
Lo Williams-Thomas of Zenistry Labs
Shay Claiborne of Milestone Mate
Ashton Hilliard of Build-a-Way
Joel Holton of Gro Enterprises
Amber Bonner of Zokyo
Johnnie James of PoH Farms
Melanie Richardson of Training Grounds
Kwame Terra of bEHR Health
Damon Burns of Munivestor
The takeaway is simple: Don’t let Essence be the end of the connection. Follow them. Fund them. Introduce them. Mentor them. Hire them. Open a door. Make the call. Send the email. Move the capital.
Black founders don’t need applause that disappears after the weekend. They need relationships that convert, rooms that remain open, and ecosystems that keep showing up.
At Maroon, that’s the work. Beyond Essence. Beyond the happy hour. Beyond the pitch. The assignment is support. The goal is scale. The future is Black-built.
