In 2020, during the pandemic, alumna Ayanna Khan founded the Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce (DEBCC). Its goal is to provide a platform for Black entrepreneurs and professionals to connect, collaborate, and thrive.
Khan set up offices on Market Street in downtown Wilmington, and in just four years, the organization has burgeoned to 716 business members. In 2023, it was named the Black Chamber of Commerce of the Year.
The DEBCC hosts a variety of events and programs that are focused, according to the website, “on every phase of your business journey.” This includes business education, networking, mentorship, and webinars. The chamber also hosts an annual gala in September, which this year was held at Deerfield in Newark.
Originally from New York, Khan took a job in Philadelphia in 2010 and moved to Delaware with her two children. She wanted to pursue a master’s degree and soon discovered Wilmington University. Its evening classes and Human Services master’s program fit her career path in nonprofits nicely, and she received her degree in 2013.
“Wilmington tailors the course schedule for working adults with families,” she says. “As a result, I was able to get my degree in about a year-and-a-half. And the instructors were great.”
While the DEBCC takes most of her time, Khan, who lives in Middletown, also is president and CEO of Khan Consulting, which offers clients such services as grant writing, fundraising, and strategic planning.
—Bob Yearick