How to empower businesses in Brazil

by THE OLBIOS TEAM

Adriana Barbosa and the PretaHub

THE OLBIOS TEAM

Approximately 56% of Brazilians, a population of 110 million, are of African descent or are of mixed race. Despite this, the Black population is still considered a niche market and its economy is severely underrepresented. The country has approximately 14 million Black entrepreneurs, of which 82% are not registered in the formal economy. They face structural blocks in accessing professional education, financial resources, value chains and support networks.

Adriana Barbosa started her entrepreneurial journey in São Paulo in 2002 by organizing a fair for Black entrepreneurs. This has since become a major cultural and economic success annually reuniting over 700 exhibitors, 50,000 visitors and a revenue flow of around $800,000 in entrepreneurs’ sales. Festival Feira Preta is the largest event on Black culture in Latin America and an equal opportunity space to showcase and celebrate Afro-contemporary trends in the arts and the creative economy.

Barbosa’s organization, Preta Hub, acts as an accelerator and incubator of Black initiatives, mapping its business ecosystem, promoting professionalisation through technical and creative education of entrepreneurs, articulating this segment of the economy and opening commercial channels in the country and across Latin America.