Atlanta's Black and brown entrepreneurs continue to lack access to funding

Toby Egbuna and his sister Dumebi had to be resourceful to secure enough funding when starting their tech company called Chezie, that helps companies build and operate employee resource groups. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)

From the mom-and-pop shops on Auburn Ave to major tech companies started by HBCU grads, Atlanta has a little bit of everything regarding Black-owned businesses.

According to the online lending website Lending Tree, Atlanta leads the country in creating Black-owned businesses, yet systemic barriers persist.

Toby Egbuna sits in The Gathering Spot, a Black-owned private membership club and event venue in Atlanta, with his laptop as an OutKast song plays over the speakers. 

“I don’t think that there’s a better place, specifically a Black founder, to be than Atlanta,” he said.