Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Lakeysha “Key: Hallmon.
Dr. Lakeysha “Key”, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Less than 2 years ago I began hosting Master Classes in an effort to provide tangible tools, resources, and connections to encourage forward progression and equally open and safe dialogue to the community. The series was entitled “It Takes a Village.” We gathered together at Urban Grind, a coffee shop, that has welcomed many leaders in the community to have engaging and vision forward conversations. My series was entitled “It Takes a Village.” We packed Urban Grind for consecutive months with topics such as entrepreneurship development, financial empowerment, educational empowerment, etc.
From the start of the master class series, I started to engage the audience on things that entrepreneurs needed to get started and to actually thrive. They overwhelmingly shared opportunity and exposure.
Three months later the Village Market Atl was created. Our first audience welcomed almost 500 guests and showcased 30 entrepreneurs. From the opening night at the Defoor Centre Spring 2016, I knew I had something special. To see what it has become in under two- years is humbling. We are now showcasing 75 entrepreneurs with each show and have welcomed crowds up to 2,500.
Has it been a smooth road?
Smooth. Absolutely not. The Village Market Atl is a start-up company so we have experienced the hurdles and the roller coaster ride of growth. Most recently, before our November market, we experienced our ticket site crashing.
With such a small company, we do not have the man or woman power to call our “tech department” to put out fires. It took Google searchers, YouTube University and the talent of friends to troubleshoot and to get the ticket site live. As the CEO, I have experienced how difficult it is to build a consistent team to help create the visions that I see when I close my eyes. We are in the starter tier which means capital is still an uphill climb for us. It is difficult to get the type of help you need without the funds to afford the help.
Other struggles have been in sponsorship because our mission is concise: a plant-based market that supports and showcases socially conscious black-owned businesses; it can be difficult to engage sponsors. We have to be intentional about the type of funding we receive as the funding has to echo the same message of the Village Market ATL.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into The Village Market Atl story. Tell us more about the business.
The Village Market ATL is a plant-based quarterly marketplace that showcases the gifts and talents of socially conscious black entrepreneurs and artists. We bring people together, we circulate the dollar, and we celebrate the work of nonprofits. I am extremely proud of how the city of Atlanta has welcomed us. When we have the Village Market ATL, I intentionally blend into the crowd, to remove myself from being the CEO and to immerse myself in my reason for creating it: and, it’s simply to welcome the community to have a good time together, to be supportive and to invest in our community.
My proudest moments have been walking around the market and witness the things that I see when I close my eyes- manifest. Families come together. Couples come together. Friends come together. Strangers laugh and talk. Entrepreneurs sell their products. People leave out with bags and tears in their eyes because they are overwhelmed with the experiences. Nothing has touched me as much as these experiences.I am extremely proud to be a part of it and to be selected to carry this mission. Our community becomes in awe of us- it’s such an overwhelming reminder that is your why is consistent that output will reflect.
What sets us apart: our process of selecting entrepreneurs. We actually vet entrepreneurs and have an impressive waiting list. We do not select anyone who applies. We review applications and they go through a scoring system.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
We will be national and Atlanta will be our headquarters. We will be an intersection for black-owned businesses in all sectors and will be responsible for helping BOB acquire capital and the resources needed to break marginalization trends.
Pricing:
- $10 VM Ticket
- $15 at the door
- Free for kids
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thevillagemarketatl.com
- Email: hello@thevillagemarketatl.com
- Instagram: thevillagemarketatl
- Facebook: thevillagemarketatl
Image Credit:
Carol Rose
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
