Black Business Association

What Black Business Association does

The Black Business Association (BBA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1970 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It is recognized as the oldest active ethnic business support organization in California, serving Black-owned and diverse small businesses through a portfolio of programs, signature events, and member services rather than a unified technology product. Core programmatic offerings include BBA Business Ready (business preparedness, certification guidance, capability statement development, and procurement navigation), the Certification Workshop series, BBA Against Hate (an anti-hate webinar series launched in 2022), and the THRIVE FORWARD Small Business Accelerator (a four-week cohort launched in 2024). The organization also runs recurring annual events including the Salute To Black Women Business Conference (23rd annual in 2026), Black Business Day Expo (4th annual in 2026), MLK Day observance, and the Holiday Membership Mixer.

BBA does not operate a proprietary technology platform; its "tech stack" consists of operational tooling (GlueUp for event ticketing, Zeffy for donations, Zoom for workshops, Transistor for the Bloc Power Hour podcast, Google Forms for membership intake) and a website (bbala.org) that serves as the primary content hub. Its competitive advantage derives from 55+ years of brand credibility, a dense two-sided network linking SMB members to named corporate sponsors and government procurement channels (U.S. Bank, LADWP, Northrop Grumman, Kaiser Permanente, Southern California Edison, SoCalGas, City of LA, Caltrans, Metropolitan Water District), and utility-grade member-benefit partnerships (ADP, Spectrum Reach).

BBA funds itself through a mix of annual membership dues, event registration fees, corporate sponsorships, and tax-deductible donations. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: members are acquired through conferences, expos, webinars, workshops, and referral partnerships, then retained via ongoing programming and procurement support. The organization is governed by an 8-member Board of Directors led by President & CEO Sarah R. Harris and Chairman & President Emeritus Earl "Skip" Cooper II, with a small management team (~5) supporting operations, program development, management support, and media/tech. There is no disclosed revenue, no funding history, and no parent company or external equity backing.

Name

Black Business Association

Legal name

Black Business Association

Website

https://bbala.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Black Business Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1970 and based in Los Angeles, serving Black-owned and diverse small businesses in California through certification workshops, procurement navigation, accelerator cohorts, and signature annual events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Development Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Racial & Ethnic Justice Organizations (BPAGAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

Keywords

• Minority business advocacy
• Small business development
• Nonprofit business support
• Community economic development
• Business certification workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

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: Annual membership fees for Black-owned and diverse small businesses to access BBA programs, resources, networking opportunities, and contracting support.
2. Event Revenue: Registration fees for signature events including Salute To Black Women Conference, Black Business Day Expo, and workshops generate revenue while providing value to attendees.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors including U.S. Bank, LADWP, Northrop Grumman, Kaiser Permanente, Southern California Edison, and others sponsor events and programs.
4. Donations: Tax-deductible donations to support the nonprofit's mission of economic empowerment for Black businesses. Accepts donations via Zeffy platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Black Business Association is a nonprofit organization that advocates for and promotes the development of Black-owned and underserved businesses through programs, events, networking opportunities, certification workshops, and resources. Founded in 1970 in Los Angeles, California, it serves as the oldest active ethnic business support organization in California.

Product overview

The Black Business Association (BBA) operates as a nonprofit membership organization offering a portfolio of programs, events, and resources rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include the BBA Business Ready program (providing business plan development, certification workshops, and procurement navigation) and BBA Against Hate (equity and inclusion webinar series). Major annual events include the Salute To Black Women Business Conference, Black Business Day Expo, and MLK Day observance. The organization also provides membership access to advocacy, contracting opportunities, and networking, along with a media platform (The Bloc Power Hour podcast) and a Bids & Procurement Resource Center aggregating opportunities for members. This is a program and event-driven organization, not a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Program Annual membership program for Black-owned businesses and supporters, providing access to networking, advocacy resources, and program participation.
• Business Certification Workshops Educational workshops designed to assist Black-owned and small businesses in obtaining certifications relevant to contracting and procurement opportunities.
• Networking and Advocacy Events Programs and events that connect Black-owned and underserved businesses with corporate partners, government agencies, and procurement opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 55+ years of continuous service to Black-owned businesses
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Our Weekly NewspapercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 November 2022BBA partnered with Our Weekly Newspaper on the #StopTheHate campaign to call out and dismantle hate in all its forms while promoting safety for all citizens. The partnership aligns with BBA's non-partisan approach to combating hate through advocacy and community empowerment.
• Brotherhood CrusadecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 November 2022Curtis R. Silvers, Jr., Executive Vice President of Brotherhood Crusade, served as inaugural guest speaker for BBA Against Hate Webinar Series. Organizations share solidarity in combating hate and supporting communities of color.
• LA vs. Hate / United Against Hate WeekcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBBA Against Hate Webinar Series was launched in conjunction with LA vs. Hate's United Against Hate Week (November 13-19), demonstrating regional coordination in anti-hate efforts.
• Black Women for Positive Change WDCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Stephanie E. Myers, Co-Founder, served as guest speaker in BBA Against Hate Webinar Series in December 2022.
• Faith and Community Empowerment (FACE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHyepin Im, Founder & President of FACE, served as guest speaker in BBA Against Hate Webinar Series in February 2023.
• ADPcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerADP partnership offers exclusive promotions for BBA members including free payroll services, HR resources, and compliance tools. Shevene Jackson serves as designated ADP Representative for BBA members.
• Spectrum ReachcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSpectrum Reach Pay It Forward Program provides advertising grants to BBA members. Since 2021, the program has empowered over 2,000 multicultural-owned businesses with grants to access advertising tools and creative services.
• National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Los Angeles ChaptermajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization for Salute To Black Women Business Conference, Vendor Faire & Awards Luncheon, contributing to event success and community outreach.
• Forgiving For Living, Inc.majorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization for Salute To Black Women Business Conference, supporting the annual event celebrating Black women business leaders.
• Earl Skip Cooper II FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkip Cooper II founded the Earl Skip Cooper Foundation to continue his humanitarian work of 'serving humanity.' BBA maintains close ties as Skip serves as Chairman and President Emeritus of BBA.
• Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment CommissionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLA Sports & Entertainment Commission's Business Connect Program supports minority-, women-, LGBTQIA+-, persons with disabilities-, and veteran-owned businesses through professional development and networking opportunities shared with BBA members.
• Prom Dress Drive / 10th Annual Prom Dress & Tux Gift-AwayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting the 10th Annual Prom Dress & Tux Gift-Away and Resource Fair. BBA's Salute To Black Women 2026 serves as official drop-off site for formalwear donations supporting students.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC): National nonprofit federation of Black chambers of commerce that supports Black business growth through advocacy, capacity building, and corporate partnerships. Closely comparable to BBA's advocacy, certification, and procurement-support mission, with an affiliated-chamber model versus BBA's single-state model.
• National Black Chamber of Commerce: National membership-based nonprofit advocating for Black-owned businesses across the U.S. Directly comparable to BBA in mission (advocacy, contracting access, certification navigation) and revenue model (membership dues, events, sponsorships), but operating at national rather than state scale.

Broad incumbents

• National Urban League: Historic national nonprofit advancing economic empowerment for African Americans and other underserved communities through programs, advocacy, and partnerships. Comparable to BBA in mission of Black economic empowerment and corporate partnership development, but at much larger scale and broader programmatic scope.
• National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC): The largest U.S. corporate-minority business development organization, certifying MBEs and connecting them to corporate members. Comparable to BBA in facilitating Black/minority business certification and corporate contracting access, but operates nationally and at significantly larger scale with a broader minority scope.

Others

• Black Enterprise: Long-running media, events, and education platform serving Black professionals, entrepreneurs, and corporations. Comparable to BBA in serving the Black business community and producing flagship events, but primarily a media/marketing entity rather than a membership association.

Emerging players

• Supplier.io: SaaS platform that helps corporations manage diverse supplier sourcing, certification tracking, and spend analytics. Comparable to BBA in enabling corporate-minority business connections, but as a B2B software provider rather than a community-led nonprofit.
• B2Gnow: Software platform for compliance, DBE/MBE/WBE certification management, and supplier diversity reporting used by governments and corporations. Comparable to BBA in serving the minority business certification and contracting space, but as a tech vendor that automates processes BBA performs manually.

Regional players

• California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce: Statewide California nonprofit advocating for Hispanic-owned small businesses with certification, contracting, and event programming. Comparable to BBA in California focus, nonprofit structure, event-driven revenue, and minority business development mission, but serving the Hispanic community rather than the Black community.
• Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce: Regional chamber of commerce serving the broader Los Angeles business community with advocacy, networking, and policy work. Comparable to BBA in geographic market (LA) and event/membership model, but not minority-focused and serves a wider cross-section of businesses.
• Greater Philadelphia African American Chamber of Commerce: Regional African American chamber serving the Philadelphia metro area with advocacy, certification, and contracting support for Black-owned businesses. Highly comparable to BBA in mission, structure, and event-based revenue model, but operating in a different geography (Mid-Atlantic vs. West Coast).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BlackBusinessAssociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blackbusinessassociation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Black Business Association