Black people make up 32% of the population in Maryland however, we own 9% of employer firms and receive 5% of state contracts. Those statistics mean that our businesses aren’t scaling. Our members are committed to doing the work to create viable businesses that provide the products and services that our customers need. BFT is committed to creating an environment that provides the products and services that WE need to scale. We do this through:
Building community with other founders to better understand our collective needs and help each other access effective programs and engage our political and administrative leaders
Partnering with other business organizations to create a shared agenda around business and economic development across the state
Engaging ecosystem leaders to better understand and prioritize our needs in the funding and programmatic initiatives
Establishing BFT as an ecosystem leader that represents some of the voices of Black founders across the state
In 2025, we established the annual BFT MBE Day (not associated with MBE Night) as a day for Black founders to meet with legislators in Annapolis, attend hearings and learn about proposed bills that will impact our businesses. After a group debrief, we attend MBE night organized by former Delegate Herman Taylor.
