Merry Green is president of MGPG Events Inc., a boutique firm headquartered in Chicago that specializes in event planning and production, community engagement, experiential marketing and public relations. She also is the creator and founder of “The Black Women’s Expo,” which recently celebrated its 25th year in Chicago, and is now expanding to Atlanta and Dallas.
As a Black woman, what do you consider your superpowers to be?
When I read this question, I visualized a huge C across my chest, which stands for the following:
Can! One of my superpowers is [a] can-do attitude,… which is having the strength, without fear, to know that we can tackle almost anything [and] having the ability to create something out of almost nothing.
Compassion! I am unquestionably sensitive to the conditions of others, and it is that compassion for our race that dictates what we create and deliver at the Black Women’s Expo, which … is providing innumerable opportunities for African American women seeking to go to the next level.
Creativity! It is creativity — the ability to generate ideas and possible solutions — that helps us to work around many obstacles.
As a successful woman in businesses, what is your proudest achievement?
I am most proud of the continuation and growth of the Black Women’s Expo. We just celebrated our 25th anniversary here in Chicago, and it is an amazing milestone. When I decided to step out on faith and take ownership of the show in 2008, it could have easily been the demise of the expo. … As I asked for the strength to keep it going, I truly did not know whether the resources would come…, however, just a few months later, we were up and running with the reimagined name “An Expo for Today’s Black Woman,” … and the brand has survived and lives on today. Incredibly, we are now the longest-running, most respected multicity exposition in this country produced by Black women for Black women.
