By Ryan O’Connell Associate Editor By Sarah Daponde Asst. Arts & Features Editor The Center for Inclusive Excellence (CIE) hosted seven local Black-owned businesses - from a bakery to a chocolatier to a CBD vendor - as part of the “Black Excellence Expo” Feb. 27. Jerome Burke, director of the CIE, said he was thrilled with the turnout. “I’m feeling great seeing people show up, seeing people spending, understanding the spirit of this event is to highlight Black excellence,” he said. Burke said the idea for the expo came from wanting to do some Black History Month programming at the CIE. He added supporting Black business owners financially is a great way to recognize and positively impact the Framingham community. “We’ve always been encouraged to start our own business, invest in yourself, really uplift yourself and your family and your community,” said Burke. “I do believe that we have a role in terms of recognizing and highlighting those individuals.” This was the first time the CIE has hosted local Black business owners, Burke said, and having seven in attendance was “a major win.” The CIE is already looking forward to next year’s expo, he added. “This is something that I think should now be a staple.” Burke said he hopes students were inspired by the expo to start their own business ventures. “When you think about higher education and FSU as an institution, we should encourage students to be supervisors and managers,” he said. “If there is not a space for you in someone’s workplace, create your own,” he added. “We want students to be able to think that way. To be like, ‘Hey, I can do this.’” Zeb Baffour, a freshman, said he enjoyed Patricia Lincoln’s table. Sharon Young, owner of Patricia Lincoln, gets many of her ingredients, including shea butter and cocoa butter directly from Ghana, as well as hand-made crafts. Baffour said, “I’m from Ghana, so I can resemble myself going to Ghana and getting … the beads for my sister, and also the gold on the wrists for my mom. “I used to buy those, so it just brings back memories,” he added. Additionally, Young also sells CBD products for health, wellness, and skin care. She said she was inspired to start by her mother and brother, who both had terminal illnesses. “I wanted to locate an oil to alleviate the pain,” she added. She named her business “Patricia” after her mother and “Lincoln” after her brother in memory of them. Nicholas Garcia, a senior, taste-tested a Nigerian meat pie from Mama O’s Bakery. Garcia said he’s Brazilian and has had meat pies before, but this was his first time eating a Nigerian meat pie. He added he thought the expo was important since “as college students, we live pretty insular lives. “It’s important to have different perspectives,” he said. Mama O’s, owned by Rachael Oluokun, sells custom cakes and baked goods, as well as traditional Nigerian vegetable and meat pies. “My inspiration is my children,” said Oluokun, whose children help her bake and sell their products. Oluokun said she grew up in Nigeria and moved to the U.S. 10 years ago. She missed getting authentic meat pies in Nigeria and said she wanted to recreate them. “I started working on it until finally I felt like I nailed it,” added Oluokun. Oluokun said she started her business in Framingham before moving to Ashland. She added since FSU is so close, she wanted to attend the expo - “It’s right behind my back, in my backyard - let's go!” Elesi Fiakofi, a freshman, said she liked Jazz Craftz, and purchased a bottle holder from her. Jazz Craftz is owned by Jasmine Owusu, a student at Framingham State. “I crochet various different things,” Owusu said. “I have hats, tops, sweaters, cardigans, skirts, bags, kind of everything.” She said she first started making crafts in middle school with Rainbow Loom tutorials on YouTube, which led her to crocheting tutorials. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. Crochet is so fun,’” she added. Another Framingham State student, Elizabeth Agbolade, promoted her hair styling business at the expo. “I feel like my inspiration for starting my business was just wanting to do it by myself,” said Agbolade. She said she would go to different people to get her hair done and she would not get what she wanted. Agbolade said she saw the flyers for the expo and decided to be a part of it. “This is a great way to get Black developers in the school out there,” said Agbolade. “I think there’s very little representation for Black students on this campus, but there is effort and I love that.” Fiakofi said she was also interested in Patricia Lincoln’s table, since she is from Ghana and moved here 10 years ago. “It gives more life to small business and Black-owned businesses - sometimes they can be kind of hidden.” Gina Pacitto, program coordinator, Center for Student Experience & Career Development, helped plan the expo. She said they found most of the businesses they invited through “word of mouth.” She said they wanted to do something easily accessible to students on campus to honor Black History Month. Pacitto said, “We decided to put together the Black Excellence Expo, which invited Black business owners to show off their business … and network with students. “That way students can see what their journey was like,” she added. Pam and David Griffin began their journey with Chocolate Therapy in 2011 and came to the expo to talk about their business and give out free samples of chocolate. “We’ve been in business for 13 years. We were in Framingham for 10, but now we’re in Wayland, and we produce amazing chocolate,” said Pam Griffin. “We wanted to do something for ourselves,” said David Griffin. “We left corporate America to start our own business.” Chocolate Therapy, featured on “Good Morning America” and “Oprah’s Favorite Things,” makes all their own chocolate, and in many different flavors, the couple said. “We try to use really unique flavor profiles,” said David Griffin. Nick Vitale, a sophomore, visited Mama O’s Bakery and Chocolate Therapy tables. Vitale said the expo was a good way for businesses to get more exposure. “It seems like a good way to get integrated into a different community,” he said. “At [Mama O’s] stall, she mentioned she sells at farmer’s markets, and this is kind of a different community than that.” Taimoor Khan, a junior and diversity peer influencer with the CIE, said he helped plan the expo. “We’re putting a spotlight on local businesses, local Black-owned businesses, and I think that’s really important,” said Khan.