The PEARL Foundation, Inc. organizes an annual showcase to support Black-owned small businesses in the Atlanta area.
The foundation’s initiatives span education, food security, and economic empowerment to create pathways for community impact.
Fundraising events like the Dashing Through The Square 5K and Pearls in the Park enable the foundation to sustain its programs and reduce barriers for entrepreneurs.
While we prepare to collectively celebrate Juneteenth and reflect on the ongoing pursuit of economic freedom, The PEARL Foundation, Inc. is turning celebration into shoppable action.
The nonprofit organization, in collaboration with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.®, Rho Zeta Omega Chapter, will host its 3rd Annual Small Business Showcase on June 20 at Georgia’s Smyrna Community Center, bringing together more than 50 Black-owned and local small businesses from Cobb County and across Metro Atlanta.
Taking place during Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.’s annual Black Dollar Days observance and just one day after Juneteenth, the event is a celebration of Black entrepreneurship and a call to invest in Black-owned businesses year-round.
What began in 2024 as a grassroots effort to support women entrepreneurs has evolved into one of The PEARL Foundation’s signature community initiatives, creating opportunities for small business owners while strengthening local economic networks.
“What started with about 30 businesses has now grown to 50 businesses,” said Cassandra R. Williams, chair of the Supporting Women Entrepreneurs Subcommittee for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.®, Rho Zeta Omega Chapter. “It’s a manageable number, but it also gives us an opportunity to showcase a variety of businesses in Cobb County and the Metro Atlanta area.”
The marketplace will feature entrepreneurs spanning fashion, beauty, wellness, food, real estate, photography, skincare, specialty goods, coffee experiences, and handcrafted products. Previous participating businesses have included Just Jai Wear, Sterling Sweets, Lenoir Jones Skincare, Candlelight Inspiration, Frothee Coffee Experience, and DRG Photo Service.
The showcase’s popularity has exceeded organizers’ expectations. This year, 76 businesses applied for vendor opportunities, forcing organizers to cap participation due to venue limitations. The demand has already sparked conversations about expanding the event in the future.
“Maybe it’s a bigger event, or maybe it’s multiple events,” Williams said. “We do know that it’s something that has become kind of a signature event for us that we’d like to continue to do.”
Beyond providing a platform for entrepreneurs, the showcase aligns with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.’s ongoing focus on economic empowerment and wealth building. The event also complements the sorority’s annual Black Dollar Days initiative, an international campaign that encourages communities to intentionally support Black-owned businesses and leverage their spending power to strengthen local economies.
Throughout the observance, the message “Wear Pink, Spend Green and Buy Black” is prevalent, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to entrepreneurship, economic advancement, and long-term wealth creation.
For Williams, the showcase represents a tangible way to put those principles into practice.
“We know economic empowerment is always going to be a pillar or a component of what we do,” she told BOSSIP. “Especially in the environment that we’re in right now, we have to do everything that we can to lift each other up—business owners, encouraging people to start businesses, finding resources so they can fund businesses, buying from each other and continuing to build wealth.”
In many ways, that mission mirrors the broader conversations often sparked during Juneteenth celebrations: how communities can transform freedom into opportunity and ensure wealth-building resources remain accessible for future generations.
That commitment extends far beyond a single event. Since receiving its 501(c)(3) designation in 2008, The PEARL Foundation, Inc. has focused on what its leadership describes as a simple but powerful mission: uplifting communities through education, service, and opportunity.
The organization’s name itself reflects that purpose. PEARL stands for “People Educating and Reshaping Lives,” a philosophy that guides initiatives ranging from scholarship programs and financial literacy efforts to healthcare advocacy, food insecurity relief, and entrepreneurship support.
“Our vision is uplifting community for all to live, learn and thrive,” Stacy L. Grooms, president and chairman of the board of The PEARL Foundation, Inc. told BOSSIP. “Ultimately, all of our programmatic initiatives are really focused on uplifting the community.”
Among the foundation’s proudest accomplishments is its longstanding investment in education. Earlier this year, The PEARL Foundation awarded $70,000 in college scholarships to 14 graduating seniors. Through its partnership with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.®, Rho Zeta Omega Chapter, more than $715,000 in scholarships have been distributed over time, helping students pursue higher education and expand their future opportunities.
The foundation has also expanded its efforts to address food insecurity through its Childhood Hunger Initiative Power Pack (CHIPP) program. Working alongside education partners in Cobb County, the organization provides backpacks filled with food for students to take home on weekends, helping ensure children and their families have access to meals when school cafeterias are closed.
“We’re very proud of the work we’ve done,” Grooms said, noting that many students rely on school breakfast and lunch programs during the week. “These backpacks help bridge that gap and provide support for families until children return to school on Monday.”
Taken together, those initiatives reflect the same philosophy behind the Small Business Showcase: creating tangible pathways for individuals and families to thrive, whether through education, entrepreneurship, or access to basic necessities.
While the Small Business Showcase has become one of the foundation’s signature community initiatives, it is just one part of a broader effort to fund programs and services throughout the year.
To support its scholarship, food insecurity, and community outreach programs, The PEARL Foundation hosts several annual fundraisers, including its signature 5K event, Dashing Through The Square. Scheduled for Dec. 19, the family-friendly walk and run welcomes participants of all ages, including children and pets, and serves as a Peachtree Road Race qualifier.
The foundation has also expanded its fundraising efforts with Pearls in the Park, a social event held at The Battery Atlanta that combines entertainment, vendors, and community engagement with charitable giving.
“In order to do the programs that we just talked about, we have to raise funds,” Grooms said. “These events give the community an opportunity to support the foundation while also enjoying time together for a purpose.”
Those fundraising efforts help make initiatives like the Small Business Showcase possible, allowing The PEARL Foundation, Inc. to expand opportunities for local entrepreneurs while strengthening connections across the small business community.
Unlike many vendor markets, organizers have also worked to reduce financial barriers for participation. Through grants and fundraising efforts, The PEARL Foundation has been able to subsidize vendor costs, helping entrepreneurs gain visibility and access to new customers without absorbing high upfront costs.
“This wasn’t an event about us making money,” Williams told BOSSIP. “This was an event about us supporting the community.”
Williams recalled one entrepreneur who entered the showcase with modest expectations and left having sold every product she brought.
“She said, ‘Oh my gosh, I sold out. I sold out of everything.’” “She didn’t have any high expectations, and she sold out and was so excited. She was just happy to be around people that looked like us and actually sell all of her products.”
Organizers hope attendees and vendors have similar experiences this year and leave with more than shopping bags. Beyond the marketplace, the showcase is designed to foster relationships among entrepreneurs, connect business owners with resources, and create opportunities for long-term collaboration.
“It’s really building a network of business owners and partners that you can continue to grow with,” Williams said. “The businesses partnering with each other is just as important as people coming to shop.”
As Juneteenth celebrations continue and Black Dollar Days encourages communities to put their spending power behind Black-owned businesses, organizers hope the showcase serves as both a marketplace and a reminder that economic empowerment remains one of the most powerful tools for creating lasting community impact.
And that’s certainly something to celebrate.
For more information on The Pearl Foundation, Inc., visit
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