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LT Thompson, coordinator of the Black Business Alliance, talks on Thursday at the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce about the “diverse entrepreneurial spirit that walks through the door” during the alliance’s monthly meetings.
Dallas Wilson, business development director for his company — Whit & Wil Marketing, has found that Launch Terre Haute is an invaluable resource for small business owners like himself. Wilson can be seen here at Launch on Friday.
Tawana Hemphill talks about the collard green sandwiches she just presented to the judges during her presentation for the Pitch Black competition in June 2022 at Launch Terre Haute.
A campaign for the Terre Haute Children’s Museum was one of Dallas Wilson’s first projects for his marketing firm, Whit & Wil Marketing. Wilson offers his marketing expertise to his fellow members in the Black Business Alliance. Wilson is seen here on Friday in front of the museum.
Like many other small business owners, Black Business Alliance coordinator Lt Thompson was adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thompson hopes that the alliance can help build better relationships in the community as he recovers from the impact of the pandemic. Here, LT leads a class at his and his wife’s business, Wellness Box, Inc., on Wabash Avenue on Oct. 30, 2020.

LT Thompson, coordinator of the Black Business Alliance, talks on Thursday at the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce about the “diverse entrepreneurial spirit that walks through the door” during the alliance’s monthly meetings.
Dallas Wilson, business development director for his company — Whit & Wil Marketing, has found that Launch Terre Haute is an invaluable resource for small business owners like himself. Wilson can be seen here at Launch on Friday.
Tawana Hemphill talks about the collard green sandwiches she just presented to the judges during her presentation for the Pitch Black competition in June 2022 at Launch Terre Haute.
A campaign for the Terre Haute Children’s Museum was one of Dallas Wilson’s first projects for his marketing firm, Whit & Wil Marketing. Wilson offers his marketing expertise to his fellow members in the Black Business Alliance. Wilson is seen here on Friday in front of the museum.
Like many other small business owners, Black Business Alliance coordinator Lt Thompson was adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thompson hopes that the alliance can help build better relationships in the community as he recovers from the impact of the pandemic. Here, LT leads a class at his and his wife’s business, Wellness Box, Inc., on Wabash Avenue on Oct. 30, 2020.
LT Thompson is looking for a few good entrepreneurs.
Thompson was recruited last March by the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce to form the Black Business Alliance, a coalition of businesses that aid and encourage one another. Less than a year later, the alliance boasts 22 members, with an average of eight to 12 members attending the monthly meetings.
Thompson’s own business, Wellness Box, is only a few doors down from the Chamber’s offices on Wabash.
“We’re inviting people to come to see what resources are available, an opportunity to network and connect with each other,” Thompson said. “One of the things I like is to highlight different things that are happening in the community that we can all support.”
Finding funding for a business is a frequent topic of conversation at the meetings.
“The common concern is access to capital, so we try to make sure that we have someone from different entities to talk about resources that are available to access capital and what the qualifications are, so that person can walk away with something of value for them,” Thompson said.
Meetings explain how to write a business plan, marketing, how to manage day-to-day operations so the business can be successful and how to use social media to tout business products in the digital space.
But the key to the BBA’s success is that it emphasizes the simple act of people getting to know one other.
“The main thing I learn from the meetings is not everybody knows each other, even in this small community,” Thompson said. “It’s important to take a step back from so much formal information and just have networking and rapport building.
“Most of the time, we operate in our own circle and that circle may not include people we’re not used to being around,” he added. “The conversations that you can have with someone is extremely important to help you learn a little more and build rapport.”
Thompson touts the Black Business Alliance inclusivity.
“There is a diverse entrepreneurship spirit that walks through those doors,” he said. “It can be someone from landscape and construction to marketing to dinner theater, mental health counseling or the food aspect. There are different entities you can talk to and that would help their business.”
Dallas Wilson, business development director for his company — Whit & Wil Marketing — said, “The BBA is so necessary because it connects Black business owners and people who want to pursue any kind of entrepreneurship in Terre Haute to a list of resources and networking opportunities.”
He added, “It gives the backing to give people who need a little bit of a push to initially get their business going and helps people with businesses find a revenue stream.” At meetings, Wilson is able to offer other businesses marketing advice.
Last June, the BBA hosted an event called “Pitch Black” at Launch Terre Haute in which budding entrepreneurs pitched business ideas, which ranged from an indoor children’s playground to a professional dinner theater to a barbershop.
Tawana Hemphill was declared the winner for her idea for the restaurant Kiss of the South — as part of her pitch, she gave the judges samples of the collard green sandwiches her business would serve. Her winnings included $2,000 and a Google Business Profile from Wilson’s Whit & Wil Marketing.
Hemphill has joined the alliance, and currently uses the Booker T. Washington Community Center’s commercial kitchen to create fare for her catering business.
In the near future, she plans to arrange pop-ups that will help her invest in a food truck that she could run her catering business out of.
“They help out a whole lot,” Hemphill said of the BBA. “They show you how to start a business and how to reach out to people and who to reach out to.”
Thompson hopes to revisit Pitch Black this summer.
“We would like to do a second pitch competition for Black entrepreneurs to give someone an opportunity to highlight their ambitions if they’re offering a new service or expanding in some way,” he said.
White-owned businesses that want to help support Black businesses are encouraged to join the alliance and attend meetings.
“We’re very thankful for the Queen of Terre Haute casino resort for being a supporter and sponsor for the Black Business Alliance along with the Ivy Tech Community College,” Thompson said. “We welcome any business in town to attend the meeting and do some of the networking and show support.”
“One of the biggest things that is necessary for the Black Business Alliance is forming a consistent community among the Black businesses and a connection to everybody else,” Wilson said.
Thompson is “doing a good job at making sure that people outside our target audiences attend meetings, as well, because everybody can help.”
At present, the BBA does not collect dues. It meets at the Chamber of Commerce — or a participating business — every third Tuesday at 6 p.m. Consult the Chamber’s website to find out more about the BBA. Those interested in joining can contact Thompson at Lthompson@terrehautechamber.com.
David Kronke can be reached at 812-231-4232 or at david.kronke@tribstar.com.
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