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QCity Metro is hosting its first ever Women Thrive Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday October 7, 2023.
The Black Wall Street Times spoke with Revenue Strategist, Bethany Lane, about why bringing together the business women of Charlotte makes perfect cents.
“A few years ago, we launched our business newsletter and it was specifically for people interested in entrepreneurship or current business owners. We had over 2,000 people sign up for that,” remembers Lane.
“Our business articles about Black-owned businesses were always performing really well and got a lot of engagement on our website and social media.” Lane continued, “We realized that we have a lot of entrepreneurs in our readership and audience and have since been thinking through different ways we could be more help to them.”
She added, “There’s been a lot of recent statistics about how minority women and specifically Black women are the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs, and our audience is reflective of that fact.”
The Women Thrive Conference invites women in entrepreneurship to spend the day learning how to take their business to the next level.
Attendees will fall in one of two categories, helping them decide which sessions to attend throughout the day.
“The Women Thrive Conference is for every female entrepreneur no matter what phase you’re in,” says Lane.
Lane furthered, “Whether you’re an established entrepreneur and it runs in your blood or if you don’t have an idea yet, come on out. If you already have a brick and mortar and you’re trying to expand or you need help taking your digital presence to the next level, we’re here for you.”
“This conference is about connecting women with resources in the community because all of the speakers are Charlotte women who are experts in their field,” says Lane. “So it’s really about connecting them with all the other women there who are entrepreneurs, speakers, big company reps, and more.”
“There are a lot of networking events, and young professional societies in Charlotte but it can be a little nerve wracking to go in there and just start from scratch cold-introducing yourself,” Lane asserts. “We wanted to create a space where everyone is here to grow and to learn. We really designed the Women Thrive Conference in a way so that the day doesn’t feel so boxy and strict.”
Never boxy nor strict, QCityMetro has intimately connected to the Charlotte community, speaking the city’s language and keeping readers engaged and connected since 2008.
Asked about their wildly popular ‘Black Trivia Night’, Lane stated, “There are not a lot of places in Charlotte included that are super duper Black friendly. So we have to curate those places for ourselves. Our staff is all Black and we’re the ones creating the questions calling our friends and family asking questions to be sure they’ll hit on trivia night.”
She continued, “Just like the Women Thrive Conference, a lot of work and effort went into those questions because we want everyone to feel seen. Our community is always the priority. This is an environment where Black folks can feel appreciated for who they are.”
QCity Metro is a digital news platform covering a wide range of topics vital to Charlotte’s Black community, including news, politics, culture, and entertainment.
Founded in 2008 by prolific journalist Glenn Burkins, QCity Metro has been at the forefront of breaking news, business, things to do, and endeavors aimed at elevating Black experiences in Charlotte.
Learn more and register here for QCity Metro’s Women Thrive Conference.
Visit their website, follow them on social media at @qcitymetro on Twitter and Instagram.