Black businesses and Black communities deserve a voice in the conversations that shape their futures. The 2026 Washington, DC Fly-In brought that commitment into focus, bringing together the Advancing Black Businesses Foundation, Atlanta Black Chambers, and partners for several days of advocacy, relationship-building, policy conversations, and community.
From meetings on Capitol Hill to the BLOOM Howard Conference at Howard University and Public Policy Talks Live DC, the visit connected business priorities with broader conversations about opportunity, investment, and economic progress.
Together, these experiences reflected a shared purpose: making sure Black businesses and Black communities have a seat in the rooms where decisions are being discussed.
Policy. Purpose. Progress.
Bringing Business Priorities to Capitol Hill
The Fly-In included Capitol Hill meetings and a productive conversation with U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff. These meetings provided an opportunity to bring Black business perspectives into spaces where public policy is discussed. For entrepreneurs and business leaders, policy connects to practical questions: Who can access opportunities? How can businesses grow? What investments can strengthen the communities they serve? Showing up for these conversations is part of the work of advocacy. It creates space for business and community perspectives to be heard and for relationships to develop around shared priorities.
Connecting at Howard University
The visit continued at the BLOOM Howard Conference at Howard University, where business, health, education, public policy, and community leadership came together under one roof. That range of perspectives matters. Business growth exists alongside the health of communities, access to education, and the policies that influence opportunity. Bringing these areas into conversation creates room to consider how they connect. For the Fly-In participants, the conference was another setting for introductions, relationship-building, and engagement with people whose work intersects with the future of Black businesses and communities.
Public Policy Talks Goes Live in DC
Public Policy Talks Live DC brought the conversations held every Thursday morning into a live Washington, DC setting. The discussion centered on Black economic power, access to government contracting, entrepreneurship, generational wealth, community investment, and the policies affecting businesses and communities. These topics speak to both immediate business needs and longer-term goals. Access to contracting can connect entrepreneurs with opportunities to compete. Conversations about generational wealth and community investment look toward what business success can make possible for families and neighborhoods over time. Taking Public Policy Talks live in the nation’s capital carried those priorities into the same city where many of the decisions influencing them are debated.
The Relationships Behind the Work
The photos from the Fly-In tell a story of meetings, conversations, introductions, partnerships, laughter, strategy, and Black excellence. They also capture the human side of advocacy. Alongside formal meetings are moments when people connect, exchange perspectives, and learn more about one another’s work. Those relationships are an essential part of building a stronger business community. They create connections through which ideas can be shared, priorities can be understood, and future collaboration can take shape. The Fly-In brought advocacy and community together, reflecting the value of being present in both the policy conversation and the relationships that support it.
A Seat in the Conversation
At the heart of the 2026 Washington, DC Fly-In was a commitment to participation. Black businesses and Black communities must be represented in the conversations about economic power, entrepreneurship, investment, and opportunity. For Atlanta Black Chambers, the visit reflected that commitment through engagement on Capitol Hill, connections at Howard University, and dialogue through Public Policy Talks Live DC. The work is carried forward by people willing to show up, build relationships, and bring community priorities into the discussion. Alongside the Advancing Black Businesses Foundation and partners, Atlanta Black Chambers brought those priorities to Washington with a clear message:
Recent Comments