My People’s Market attracted more than 7,500 people to its fourth iteration, held Saturday, June 1 – nearly double the attendance of the last Market held in November 2018. This unique event, a collaboration led by Travel Portland and Prosper Portland with music and entertainment curated by Y.G.B., celebrates Portland’s multicultural small business owners and entrepreneurs of color. The market took place on the former US Postal Service site in the heart of the Broadway Corridor, and its theme, Marketplace of the Future, encouraged attendees to consider how future uses of that site could serve small business owners and entrepreneurs of color.

MPM 4

This year’s market included a pre-market trade show for business-to-business interaction and purchasing, as well as a panel on the Market of the Future, moderated by Emilly Prado and featuring Mayor Ted Wheeler, Jamaal Hale of Good Green, Chris Tjersland, New Seasons Director of Brand Strategy and Development, and Palani Bearghost, founder of No End of Clothing.
The 130 vendors generated an estimated $45,000 in immediate sales plus contracting opportunities, wholesale accounts and business leads.

My People's Market 4 Summer 2019 Trade Show

Prosper Portland’s Inclusive Business Resource Network and the Mercatus initiative have played a significant role in the continued development of My People’s Market, with a shared goal of elevating the stories of entrepreneurs of color and increasing opportunities for diverse communities to expand market reach.