Nachand Trabue(Michelle Tyrene Johnson)Derby season in Louisville brings in well over $400 million dollars of economic impact to the city, according to Louisville Tourism. To what degree do all local businesses get to share in that bounty?Nachand Trabue is the founder and CEO of MELANnaire Marketpl ace, a gift shop and event center. She spoke to LPM’s Michelle Tyrene Johnson about the hurdles that Black- and other minority-owned businesses face to get their share of the Derby pie.This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.Michelle Tyrene Johnson: Could you tell me about your business here in Louisville?Nachand Trabue: It's called MELANnaire Marketplace. It was birthed during the pandemic, in the middle of 2020, in the middle of civil unrest, in the middle of Breonna Taylor's death. All these things were going on all at one time. I said, what could I do to help? I created a one-day event space to showcase Black-owned businesses. People came out to support. So I was answering a call, and from there, I was just trying to help, because I knew we were in a deficit. I said, what can I do with all these barriers that we're facing? And I was trying to do it as a cause, but it's now turned into a full-fledged business.MTJ: When you say the deficits that you were facing, what are you talking about?NT: Barriers. I'm talking about access to capital. I'm talking about resources. I'm talking about ownership. Louisville has about 23% Black people living here, and only about 2.5% are Black business owners. The math ain't math.What could we do to increase this number, and not only to increase it, but just to make sure that Black-owned businesses were really thriving and not just surviving? We're used to surviving, but we needed to thrive. And how can you thrive when you don't have the proper tools that are in place?MTJ: I want to know how the Black and the Brown businesses are doing this time of the year. What are your thoughts on that?NT: I knew that I wanted to be very intentional about helping shape the lenses of product-based businesses, and how we get in downtown LouisvilleMTJ: Where is your storefront?NT: Inside of the new AMPED Tech and Learning Center located at 1701 West Market Street. We are sandwiched in between downtown Louisville and West Louisville.MTJ: Louisville is in the full throes of Derby season, and last year, according to Louisville tourism, the Kentucky Derby spurred approximately $441 million in economic impact. Do you feel that minority-owned businesses get to share in that bounty?NT: I will say no when you’re speaking of Derby, and the Oaks and Thurby. There are some initiatives, but we don’t have that impact to strategically make sure that Black businesses really benefit from it.Where are we at making money? I'm not talking about selling water. What are we doing for Derby itself, the actual day of the Oaks? How are we making money? I mean, everybody wants to hire us. Everybody wants us to be security. Everybody wants us to cook and all that good stuff, but how are Black businesses benefitting from it? That's one of my top questions. And I'm gonna keep on asking that question until somebody could tell me.Nobody can tell me how we can get a piece of the pie. No one. We want to be included, not excluded. One thing I've been telling a lot of businesses is to tailor your product to the Derby market. Let's get creative and then be ready. Because when you’re already ready, you don't have to get ready. Let us figure out Louisville tourism. How can we be a part? How can you help Black and Brown business owners because we're local businesses. Local businesses are who help simulate the economy. ...read more read less