Roby Mercharles doesn’t want any Black business owners to put a limit on what they can accomplish. At the National Alliance of Black Business retreat at Clark Atlanta, Mercharles spoke to rolling out and gave business owners useful advice to take their ventures to the next level.
Why do you think Black businesses need to learn more about international business relations?
It’s a two-pronged answer, but I’ll give the business one. We absolutely need to step outside the bounds of doing business domestically. As Ken [Harris] said, the buying power of the diaspora goes beyond what we are generating in America. In thinking about how business is being facilitated in Africa, a predominantly Black continent, we really need to establish our flags there. The way we’re defining success right now is all based on domestic activity. So, it’s very empowering to hear [about international business being] normalized in this group of people in particular. Personally speaking, that’s something I am trying to incentivize more. A lot of the businesses I work with, also work with a lot of facilitators, businesses whose whole mission is to help other businesses get their foot in the door into the international conversation.
I think it’s important every Black American and every Black person in America needs to step outside of America, because it provides a lot of context. I think international peace is the foundation of the ecosystem.
What has the retreat been like in general with a new group like NABB?
It’s an honor to be here. I will say what I said in my introduction. I feel very fortunate to be sitting in a room full of distinguished individuals, all aiming and striving for the same goal and mission of empowering the community, the culture and the Black business community, specifically. I really think this is a day that we’re gonna look back on in the future, where something great, and something disruptive has happened, all for the betterment of the goal and mission, so I feel very fortunate and very grateful.
How can people connect with you to continue building as business owners themselves?
Absolutely, you can find me on LinkedIn at Roby Mercharles. You can also reach out to me via email at [email protected] or just reach out to admin at nationalbcc.org doing a lot of work with the National Black Chamber. So yeah, feel free to contact me. I’m in the spirit of collaboration and activities like this are what build the culture, so please feel free to reach out.
