MELANnaire Marketplace

What MELANnaire Marketplace does

MELANnaire Marketplace is a privately held, for-profit traveling pop-up marketplace founded in 2020 in Louisville, Kentucky, by Nachand Trabue. The company curates physical and (newly emerging) online retail space for Black entrepreneurs, business professionals, and small business owners to sell retail products, handcrafted goods, and services. Its core offering operates as a year-round, rotating marketplace that activates more than 20 high-traffic Louisville venues — including Fourth Street Live, Mall St. Matthews (during the November-January indoor holiday season), Waterfront Park, Kentucky Performing Arts, and the Speed Art Museum — and has recently begun staging events in Jeffersonville, Indiana. The technology footprint is minimal: a WordPress-based website (melannaire.com), a HoneyBook-powered vendor portal (melannairemarketplace.hbportal.co), Mailchimp newsletters, and an emerging online storefront at melannairemarketplace.com. No proprietary software platform, AI capabilities, or patents are disclosed.

MELANnaire generates revenue through four streams: (i) per-event vendor booth fees (with standard 10x10 ft and VIP 6-ft-table tiers, plus food and beverage categories subject to health board permitting); (ii) the MELAcircleMembership subscription program offering recurring access to training on funding, financials, and P&L, plus mentorship and quarterly mixers; (iii) the 'Your Product On The Shelf' placement program (up to four products per vendor); and (iv) corporate event bookings managed by a dedicated events department. Customer segments span Black entrepreneurs and SMB vendors (primary), local consumers and tourists, Black business professionals, and corporate clients seeking DEI-aligned community programming. The business is bootstrapped and founder-led, with no disclosed institutional funding beyond a $0 investment from Fund Black Founders recorded in May 2023, and operates with 1-10 employees.

The company's reported outcomes include at least five graduated vendors who have transitioned into independent brick-and-mortar spaces, vendor testimonials citing increased sales, and demonstrated operational continuity through a published 2026 event calendar. Its strategic positioning rests on a community-ecosystem moat (mentorship, graduated alumni, vendor referrals) combined with a distribution advantage from venue partnerships cultivated through the founder's appointment to Mayor Greg Fischer's downtown revitalization board during the pandemic.

Name

MELANnaire Marketplace

Legal name

MELANnaire

Website

https://melannaire.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MELANnaire Marketplace is a Louisville-based, year-round traveling pop-up marketplace founded in 2020 that provides Black entrepreneurs and small business owners with curated retail space, training, mentorship, and a graduation pathway into brick-and-mortar stores across 20+ Louisville venues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pop-Up Retail Marketplace

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Flowers, Gifts & Specialty Occasion Marketplaces (CRAFABAN)

Keywords

• Pop-up marketplace
• Black-owned vendor events
• Vendor booth rentals
• Membership training program
• Corporate event booking

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Vendor Event Fees: Vendors pay fees to participate in MELANnaire marketplace events. Fees vary depending on the market location and event type. VIP spots typically include one 6-ft table and two chairs. Approved vendors receive an invoice after signing the vendor agreement.
2. Membership Program (MELAcircleMembership): The company operates a membership program offering ongoing training on topics such as funding, financials, and profit and losses. Members also receive mentorship, networking opportunities, quarterly mixers, and community service participation. Membership provides a recurring revenue stream and deeper vendor engagement.
3. Shelf Opportunity Program: Brands can apply for 'Your Product On The Shelf' opportunity to have their products placed on shelves within MELANnaire Marketplace, generating placement/sponsorship-style revenue.
4. Corporate Event Booking: MELANnaire Marketplace is available for corporate events. The company books its marketplace presence at corporate functions, generating revenue from event-based engagements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

MELANnaire Marketplace operates a year-round, traveling pop-up retail marketplace and curated venue for Black entrepreneurs and small business owners in Louisville, KY. Vendors rent booth space (standard 10x10 ft, VIP, food/drink, and shelf placement tiers) at scheduled marketplace events across more than 20 partner venues. A subscription-based MELAcircleMembership adds recurring training, mentorship, and quarterly mixers, while corporate event bookings extend the marketplace format to enterprise clients. The offering combines physical event curation, vendor support services, and an online marketplace directory.

Product overview

MELANnaire Marketplace is a single, unified marketplace platform — a year-round traveling pop-up mall serving Black entrepreneurs. The core offering consists of the MELANnaire Marketplace itself, supplemented by a vendor events program (with scheduled events like Black History Month Exhibit, Kentucky Derby Festival, Juneteenth, and Holiday Markets) and the MELAcircleMembership add-on (which provides trainings, mentorship, and networking for scaling vendors). The Your Product On The Shelf program provides shelf opportunities for vendors, while the Corporate Event Services module extends the marketplace to business locations. An online shopping platform (Shop Online) is also being developed. The ecosystem centers on vendor participation, event management, membership support, and eventually direct-to-consumer e-commerce.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MELANnaire Marketplace A year-round traveling pop-up retail marketplace in Louisville, KY where Black entrepreneurs, small business owners, artisans, and service providers rent booth space to sell retail products, handcrafted goods, and services to the general public (including tourist traffic at downtown venues). Includes business training, mentorship, and a graduation pathway into independent brick-and-mortar retail.
• Vendor Events Scheduled marketplace event series during which vendors apply for and pay to participate in themed events such as Black History Month Exhibit, Kentucky Derby Festival Block Party, Juneteenth celebrations, Christmas In July, Magic Hour networking, and Holiday Market, operating at various Louisville venues throughout the year.
• MELAcircleMembership Subscription membership program providing Black-owned business vendors with structured training on funding, financials, and profit and loss, plus mentorship, quarterly mixers, networking, and community service projects designed to help vendors scale and graduate into their own brick-and-mortar operations.
• Your Product On The Shelf Placement program allowing Black-owned brands to secure shelf space within MELANnaire Marketplace for up to four products, providing continuous in-store exposure outside of vendor event days via an application-based enrollment.
• Corporate Event Services B2B service in which MELANnaire Marketplace is booked by corporations and event organizers to bring the curated Black-owned vendor pop-up marketplace experience to corporate events, employee engagement activities, and DEI/community impact initiatives.
• Gift Shop Seasonal gift shop offering curated Black-owned vendor products during holiday seasons at various MELANnaire Marketplace locations.
• Mentorship Program Structured mentorship program that keeps graduated MELANnaire Marketplace vendors linked back to the community through mentoring opportunities, quarterly mixers, and community service participation.

Quantifiable outcome

• At least 5 businesses have graduated from MELANnaire Marketplace into their own brick-and-mortar spaces
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bates Community Development Corporation (Bates CDC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Founder Nachand Trabue serves as executive director of Bates CDC, a nonprofit community development organization. This dual leadership role enables strategic alignment between MELANnaire's vendor development mission and Bates CDC's community development programming, creating mutual benefit and shared community impact in Louisville's underserved neighborhoods.
• Smoketown Business CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNachand Trabue co-founded the Smoketown Business Coalition, which works in tandem with MELANnaire Marketplace to revitalize Louisville's historic Smoketown neighborhood — one of Louisville's oldest African-American neighborhoods and where Trabue is a fourth-generation resident. The coalition supports entrepreneurial ecosystem development in the community.
• Mayor Greg Fischer / Louisville Metro GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNachand Trabue was appointed to Mayor Fisher's downtown revitalization board during the pandemic (around 2020–2021). This appointment led directly to the partnership with a downtown developer and the expansion of MELANnaire to Fourth Street Live and downtown brick-and-mortar space, enabling vendors to access tourist dollars.
• Downtown Developer PartnercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFollowing Trabue's appointment to the mayor's downtown revitalization board, a downtown developer partnered with MELANnaire Marketplace, enabling the company's downtown expansion and Fourth Street Live presence. This partnership was instrumental in moving MELANnaire from a single-event pop-up to a sustainable downtown retail operation.
• Fourth Street Live (Louisville)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerFourth Street Live hosts monthly outdoor festivals where MELANnaire Marketplace operates, providing high-traffic retail space for Black-owned vendors. This partnership gives vendors exposure to the large foot traffic and tourist spending that Fourth Street Live attracts in downtown Louisville.
• N'spire Network for Women IntlminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Nachand Trabue, N'spire Network for Women Intl is a global organization focused on uplifting and empowering women worldwide. While led by the same founder, it represents a distinct initiative that shares MELANnaire's empowerment mission and may cross-promote opportunities within the MELANnaire community.
• Leadership Louisville (Bingham Fellows Program)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNachand Trabue was nominated for and participated in the Bingham Fellows program, run by Leadership Louisville — a premier leadership development organization in Louisville. Through this program, Trabue connected with community leaders (including Ben Simmons) who have become supporters and contributors to the MELANnaire mission.
• Mall St. MatthewscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMall St. Matthews hosts MELANnaire Marketplace's holiday market from November through January, providing large-scale indoor retail space. This is one of Louisville's largest malls and a high-traffic shopping destination, giving vendors significant exposure during the critical holiday shopping season.
• Louisville Waterfront ParkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured venue partner for MELANnaire Marketplace events. Louisville Waterfront Park is a major civic venue that provides outdoor event space for the marketplace, attracting diverse local and visiting audiences.
• University of Louisville (UL)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured venue partner for MELANnaire Marketplace events, providing campus-adjacent event space that connects vendors with university community members, students, faculty, and visitors.
• Kentucky Performing ArtsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured venue partner hosting MELANnaire Marketplace events at one of Louisville's premier performing arts venues, providing cultural-event foot traffic and visibility for Black-owned vendors.
• Brown–FormanminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured venue partner for MELANnaire Marketplace events. Brown–Forman is a major spirits and wine company headquartered in Louisville, and its facilities host marketplace events that attract diverse audiences.
• Belle of LouisvilleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured venue partner — the Belle of Louisville is a historic steamboat and popular event venue on the Ohio River, providing unique event space for MELANnaire Marketplace.
• Kentucky International Convention Center (KICC)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured venue partner for MELANnaire Marketplace events, providing large-scale convention space that accommodates multiple vendor booths and attracts regional visitors.
• Speed Art MuseumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured venue partner hosting MELANnaire Marketplace events. The Speed Art Museum is Kentucky's oldest and largest art museum, providing a culturally engaged audience for Black-owned vendors.
• Louisville Community College (LCCC)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured venue partner for MELANnaire Marketplace events, providing community college campus space that connects vendors with students and the broader Louisville community.
• Buy Local Louisville FairminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured partner for MELANnaire Marketplace events at the Buy Local Louisville Fair, a local business advocacy event that aligns with MELANnaire's mission of supporting local Black-owned businesses.
• Smoketown Arts FestivalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured venue partner for MELANnaire Marketplace events. The Smoketown Arts Festival is held in Trabue's home neighborhood of Smoketown, strengthening MELANnaire's community roots and local brand identity.
• 500 West (500 W)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured venue partner for MELANnaire Marketplace events at the 500 West event space in Louisville.
• Leadership LouisvilleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured venue partner hosting MELANnaire Marketplace events. Leadership Louisville is a premier leadership development organization that also provides event facilities for community programming.
• Norton Sports & Entertainment (Norton SLS)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured venue partner for MELANnaire Marketplace events at Norton Sports & Entertainment facilities, attracting sports and entertainment-oriented audiences to the marketplace.
• Manhattan on Broadway (Co-founded by Nachand Trabue)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManhattan on Broadway was the original events space (co-owned by Nachand and her husband) where MELANnaire Marketplace first launched in 2020 as a one-day Black Businesses Matter pop-up event. The event outgrew this space, catalyzing MELANnaire's expansion into a traveling marketplace with downtown brick-and-mortar presence. The events space continues to serve the Smoketown community for celebrations and community gatherings.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Brooklyn Flea: One of the largest recurring pop-up marketplaces in the U.S., operating curated weekend markets with vetted vendors of vintage, crafts, and food. Comparable to MELANnaire on the pop-up marketplace operating model, booth-fee economics, and curated vendor approach, but in a different geography and without the Black-owned curation thesis.
• Official Black Wall Street: Online directory and marketplace connecting consumers with Black-owned businesses across the U.S. Directly comparable to MELANnaire in mission (curating Black-owned businesses for discovery and purchase) and target audience, though it operates purely digitally.
• WeBuyBlack: Online marketplace dedicated to Black-owned businesses, allowing merchants to list and sell products directly to consumers. Comparable to MELANnaire as a curated commerce destination for Black-owned brands, but operates as a pure e-commerce platform rather than physical pop-ups.
• BLK MKT Vintage: Curated vintage and goods marketplace spotlighting Black-owned brands, with both physical pop-up events and an online shop. Closely comparable to MELANnaire in combining curated Black-owned retail curation with a hybrid physical/digital marketplace model.
• Black-Owned Brooklyn: Online marketplace and directory promoting Black-owned businesses, particularly in the Brooklyn/NYC area. Comparable to MELANnaire in mission (aggregating Black-owned brands for consumers) and vendor/consumer target, though it focuses on digital discovery rather than pop-up retail.

Broad incumbents

• Urbanspace: Established operator of curated food halls, markets, and pop-up retail concepts in major U.S. cities. Comparable to MELANnaire in operating curated physical marketplace experiences for SMB vendors, but at significantly larger scale and broader vendor scope without the Black-owned specialization.

Emerging players

• Renegade Craft Fair: Curated pop-up marketplace for independent makers and small brands, operating recurring fairs in multiple cities. Comparable to MELANnaire's curated pop-up vendor model and booth-fee economics, though it focuses on craft/DIY goods broadly rather than Black-owned curation.
• Support Black Owned (SBO): Mobile-first directory and discovery platform helping consumers find Black-owned businesses. Adjacent to MELANnaire's mission of driving demand to Black-owned merchants, but operates as a discovery layer rather than a transactional marketplace or pop-up operator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/manhattan-on-broadway

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MELANnaire Marketplace