Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce

What Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce does

The Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit membership organization founded in 1998 by Rosetta Miller Perry, the publisher of the Tennessee Tribune. Headquartered at 41 Peabody St., Nashville, TN, it serves African-American businesses, entrepreneurs, professionals, and students across 14 counties of the greater Nashville Metropolitan Area, reporting 561 members and $10MM+ in economic impact through member businesses and programs. The Chamber positions itself as the preeminent resource for the African-American business community in Nashville, providing networking, business and leadership education, advocacy at City Hall and the state Capitol, supplier-diversity introductions, and policy leadership on initiatives such as the Equal Business Opportunity Program and Small Business Reserve Program.

The Chamber operates a four-tier annual subscription membership — Connect ($100), Learn ($250), Grow ($500), and Prosper ($1,000) — with progressively richer benefits including directory listings, Tennessee Tribune newspaper features, social media promotion, radio exposure (92.1 WQQK FM), email blasts, exclusive luncheons, and Leads Exchange access. Member management and the online business directory are delivered through the third-party GrowthZone platform, integrated into the Chamber's WordPress website. Programmatic offerings beyond membership include the USBC Entrepreneur Training Program (a 15-week course partnered with U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. and powered by University of Phoenix), the Rising Star Awards, the Intercollegiate Corporate Connection for college students, and weekly Leads Exchange meetings where members deliver 60-second elevator pitches.

Revenue is generated primarily through membership dues, supplemented by corporate sponsorship and event revenue. The Chamber maintains a roster of major corporate sponsors — including HCA Healthcare/TriStar Health, Amazon, AT&T, Bridgestone Americas, Regions Bank, Pinnacle Financial Partners, First Horizon, Baker Donelson, Mortenson, and Turner Construction — and hosts signature events such as the Annual Luncheon and the Inaugural Gala (launched 2019). The organization is governed by a Board of Directors currently chaired by Susan Vanderbilt, with Carolyn Waller serving as President since 2013, and is operationally staffed by 11–50 employees.

Name

Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce

Legal name

Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce

Website

https://nashblackchamber.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit founded in 1998 that supports African-American businesses, professionals, and students across 14 Nashville-area counties through tiered membership, networking, advocacy, and entrepreneur training programs, serving roughly 561 members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The Chamber generates revenue primarily through membership dues at four tiers (Connect $100, Learn $250, Grow $500, Prosper $1,000). Membership provides access to networking events, business development resources, leads exchange programs, visibility benefits, and advocacy representation.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) membership organization that supports African-American businesses and business professionals in the Nashville Metropolitan Area. It sells tiered annual memberships (Connect $100, Learn $250, Grow $500, Prosper $1,000) that include business directory listings, networking access, media exposure, Leads Exchange participation, and advocacy representation. Beyond memberships, it delivers programs such as the Leads Exchange, Rising Star Awards, Intercollegiate Corporate Connection, and the 15-week USBC Entrepreneur Training Program powered by University of Phoenix.

Product overview

The Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce offers a tiered membership platform with four levels (Connect $100, Learn $250, Grow $500, and Prosper $1,000) providing progressive benefits including business directory listings, networking events, Leads Exchange programs, and promotional opportunities. The Chamber operates several programs including the USBC Entrepreneur Training Program, Rising Star Awards, and Intercollegiate Corporate Connection. Member services are delivered through GrowthZone for directory and event management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Connect Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• 561 members served including corporations, small to medium businesses, nonprofit organizations and individuals
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and moderate.

• U.S. Black Chambers, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Nashville Black Chamber is affiliated with the national U.S. Black Chambers organization. Susan Vanderbilt serves on the USBC board. The Chamber partners with USBC for the 15-week Entrepreneur Training Program powered by University of Phoenix.
• University of PhoenixcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with USBC to power the 15-week Entrepreneur Training Program that helps businesses compete for contracts and access capital and resources for growth.
• HCA Healthcare/TriStar HealthcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor corporate sponsor of the Chamber, serving as Luncheon Sponsor for the 20th Anniversary Celebration and Inaugural Gala Sponsor in 2019.
• AmazonmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of the Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce.
• AT&TmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor providing procurement and career opportunities for Chamber members.
• Baker DonelsonmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor - law firm providing legal services and career opportunities.
• Bridgestone AmericasmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of the Chamber.
• First Horizon BankmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor providing financial services and career opportunities.
• MortensonmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerConstruction and development company serving as corporate sponsor.
• Pinnacle Financial PartnersmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerFinancial services firm serving as corporate sponsor.
• Regions BankmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerFinancial institution and corporate sponsor; Branch Manager Kimberly Powell serves on the Board of Directors.
• Turner ConstructionmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerConstruction company serving as corporate sponsor.
• Tennessee State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner; TSU President Dr. Glenda Baskin Glover keynoted NBCC Annual Luncheon; Isaac Addae serves as assistant professor on the Board; Chamber's Intercollegiate Corporate Connection program connects with TSU students.
• Tennessee TribunemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerAfrican-American newspaper that features Chamber members in articles as a membership benefit at higher tiers.
• Nashville Area Chamber of CommercemoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional chamber partnership for business community collaboration.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• SCORE: National nonprofit providing free business mentoring, education, and resources to entrepreneurs. Overlaps with the Chamber's USBC Entrepreneur Training Program on the business-education side, though SCORE is not demographic-specific.
• Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA): U.S. federal agency supporting the growth of minority-owned businesses through capital access, contracting, and education. Provides overlapping services to the same member base but as a government resource rather than a membership organization.

Regional players

• Greater Houston Black Chamber of Commerce: Black-focused regional chamber serving Houston's African-American business community with comparable tiered membership, networking, advocacy, and corporate partnership programs. Operates the same model in a different major metro.
• Atlanta Black Chamber of Commerce: Black-focused regional chamber serving Atlanta's African-American business community with comparable mission, tiered membership structure, and corporate diversity-supplier programming. Functions as a regional peer in another large Southern metro.
• Black Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida: Regional Black chamber serving Central Florida's African-American business community with comparable tiered membership, networking, and advocacy programs. Operates the same model in a different geographic market.
• Charlotte Mecklenburg Black Chamber of Commerce: Black-focused regional chamber in the Charlotte, NC metro with comparable membership-based model serving African-American businesses via networking, advocacy, and corporate partnership programs.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. National umbrella organization for Black chambers of commerce. Nashville Black Chamber is directly affiliated with USBC, with Board Chair Susan Vanderbilt serving on the USBC board, and jointly delivers the 15-week Entrepreneur Training Program powered by University of Phoenix.
• National Urban League: National civil rights and economic-empowerment organization running overlapping business development, education, and advocacy programs targeting African-American communities. Operates at broader scale through local affiliates and could compete for corporate sponsorship dollars.
• National Black Chamber of Commerce: Separate national Black chamber organization operating at broader geographic scale, providing advocacy, networking, and resources to African-American businesses nationally. Represents a broad incumbent competing for the same member base from a national perspective.

Direct peers

• Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce: The general Nashville-area chamber of commerce operating in the same metropolitan market with the same membership-based business-advocacy and networking model. The Nashville Black Chamber even has a formal partnership with this organization, making it the closest geographic peer operating at greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/nashvilleblackchamber

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce