Stark County Minority Business Association

09/08/2026

VENDORS & TRUNK-OR-TREAT CARS WANTED!

SCMBA is getting ready for Shop the Block: Fall Festival & Trunk-or-Treat at Marketplace on 10th, and we want you to be part of it!

VENDORS: Showcase your business, products, or services to the community. Vendor spaces are $25 for SCMBA Members and $50 for Non-Members.

TRUNK-OR-TREAT: Businesses, organizations, churches, schools, community groups, and families are invited to decorate a trunk and pass out candy. Participation is FREE!

Not participating? Come enjoy an afternoon of local shopping, food trucks, Trunk-or-Treat, kids’ activities, a live DJ, giveaways, raffles, and more. Admission is FREE and open to the community!

Vendor and Trunk-or-Treat spaces are limited. Sign up today to secure your spot!

https://bit.ly/SCMBAFALL

09/07/2026

Yesterday, we proudly hosted our Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic Business Reception, bringing together our SCMBA community for an afternoon of connection, celebration, and entrepreneurship!

A special thank you to our keynote speaker, Timmy Newsome, for sharing his time, story, and insights with our guests. We are also incredibly grateful to our event sponsors and supporters: ALW Consulting, City of Canton, Mayor William V. Sherer II, SARTA, U.S. Bank, ICAN Housing, Cathy Andrews, Dr. Neil Harding, Dr. Brian Simmons, and Bob Smith.

And, of course, thank you to all of our amazing SCMBA Members, MBAC Clients, community supporters, partners, and special guests who joined us and helped make the reception a success!

Next up: our Annual Golf Outing & Reception on Friday, September 18! You do not have to golf to join us. Come out for the reception and enjoy food, auctions, and networking for just $35 per ticket, all while supporting SCMBA and the Will Dent Scholarship Fund.

Interested in joining us? Email [email protected] to reserve your reception ticket!

09/06/2026

Last week, our Director of Programs & Finance, Ken Hill II, had the opportunity to speak with students participating in the CENTERED Workforce & Leadership Academy!

Ken led a conversation around financial confidence, helping students understand the importance of making smart financial choices today to build a stronger future tomorrow. We’re always excited to connect with the next generation of leaders and share practical tools they can carry with them into adulthood, the workplace, and beyond!

Thank you to CENTERED for inviting SCMBA to be part of this important work!

09/05/2026

Golf for a cause. Support a future business leader.

SCMBA’s Annual Golf Outing & Reception is more than a day on the course—it helps us invest in the next generation of business leaders, including providing a $2,000 Will scholarship to a deserving student pursuing a future in business.

There are so many ways to support, even if you’re not golfing! Purchase a hole sign for just $125 and put your business or organization front and center on the course while helping us make an impact.

Every sponsorship, sign, golfer, and contribution helps us continue supporting students, entrepreneurs, and small businesses in our community.

Contact us today to support a student and our mission!

09/04/2026

Last month, we kicked off our Fueling Business Growth series in New Philadelphia!

SCMBA & MBAC team members Elise Watkins, Nicole Speller, Ken Hill, and Macy Alexander shared practical tools and strategies to help businesses scale, strengthen their operations, and become funding-ready.

Thank you to all of the local businesses and entrepreneurs who showed up, connected, and invested in their growth. We’re excited to continue bringing resources and opportunities to businesses throughout the region!

09/03/2026

We’re excited to welcome Timmy Newsome to Canton as the keynote speaker for SCMBA’s Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic Business Reception this Sunday! From his career as a standout running back for the Dallas Cowboys to becoming the Founder & Chief Technology Officer of Newtec Business Solutions, Timmy’s journey reflects leadership, entrepreneurship, innovation, and excellence.

We’re also incredibly grateful to the sponsors and supporters helping make this event possible: ALW Consulting, City of Canton, Mayor William V. Sherer II, SARTA, U.S. Bank, ICAN Housing, Cathy Andrews, Dr. Neil Harding, Dr. Brian Simmons, and Bob Smith. Thank you for investing in SCMBA and the entrepreneurs and businesses we serve.

We are officially at capacity for this year’s reception and look forward to seeing our SCMBA community in action as we come together to celebrate HBCU Black College Football, entrepreneurship, business, and community.

09/01/2026

We can’t wait for this exciting weekend!

08/31/2026

We are so excited to join the YStark! community!

Tomorrow's Sunrise Session speakers are Ashley Gantz and Elise Watkins of the Stark County Minority Business Association (SCMBA)!

Ashley Gantz, PhD, is a scholar, author, and artist from Canton, Ohio. A proud graduate of Malone University, Northwestern State University, and Faulkner University, Ashley holds a doctorate in Humanities with a concentration in Language and Literature.

Her multifaceted career began as an intern with the American Kennel Club in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she contributed to the Legislative Affairs Department. Today, she brings a unique blend of academic rigor and creative vision to SCMBA’s business development efforts.

Elise Watkins, a native of Akron, Ohio, serves as SCMBA’s Marketing & Communications Coordinator. She earned both her bachelor’s degree in Communication and master’s degree in Marketing from Walsh University.

With a strong connection to Stark County, Elise has held several positions within the Stark County Catholic Schools marketing department, most recently serving as Director of Marketing for St. Thomas Aquinas High School. She is motivated by the difference this work can make for generations to come and is dedicated to contributing to the economic betterment of communities across Stark County and beyond.

Join us tomorrow morning at 8:30 AM at the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank to hear more about their work with SCMBA and their upcoming golf outing!

08/30/2026

⛳ Your business could be seen front & center on the golf course!

Purchase a SCMBA Hole Sponsorship for just $125 and get your business in front of golfers, community leaders, and local professionals — all while supporting SCMBA’s mission and programs.

Get your hole sign today before our Annual Golf Outing & Reception on Friday, September 18!

Visit www.bit.ly/SCMBAGolf26 or email [email protected] to learn more.

08/28/2026

We had to hop on the trend… because supporting small businesses is kinda chic.

And so is golfing for a good cause, making new connections, supporting future business leaders, bidding in our silent auction, and spending a Friday afternoon giving back to our community.

Join us for the SCMBA 7th Annual Golf Outing & Reception Fundraiser on Friday, September 18 at The Quarry Golf Club!

Whether you golf, sponsor, advertise, attend the reception, donate to our auction, or simply help us spread the word, every bit of support helps SCMBA continue providing resources, opportunities, and programming for entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout our region.

⛳ Golf: $125 individual | $500 foursome
🥂 Reception: $35
🤝 Sponsorships starting at $125
📣 Digital ads starting at $25

Learn more: www.bit.ly/SCMBAGolf26