Cathay Dawkins, President & Chairman, Charlotte Mecklenburg Black Chamber of Commerce

In an interview with Invest:, Cathay Dawkins, president of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Black Chamber of Commerce, spoke candidly about the headwinds facing Black-owned businesses in the region — and the resilience emerging in response. “We saw a 250% growth in membership in 2025, due to people looking for an advocate, looking for an organization that would fight for them, advocate for them, and provide them with resources,” Dawkins said.

What changes over the past year have most significantly shaped the landscape for Black-owned businesses in the Charlotte region?

The loss — or delay — of federal funding has drastically impacted not just the finances of Black-owned businesses, but their morale. Many business owners were told that federal funding represented a permanent, reliable source of capital. Now, they’re afraid to pursue that route at all. Those who had already been relying on it suddenly found access paused for several months. As an organization that advocates for Black-owned businesses, we had to stand firmly with our members and work to identify alternative funding sources. It put a significant toll on my team and on those individual business owners who had to seek other options. I would say it impacted more than half of our members, either directly, because they had received federal funding, or indirectly, because their clients across sectors, from health to education, were affected.

On the positive side, I always love a good pivot. The disruption forced business owners to rely on their mentors and on organizations like the chamber. We saw a 250% growth in membership in 2025, due to people looking for an advocate, looking for an organization that would fight for them, advocate for them, and provide them with resources. That growth is a direct signal that our community is seeking support, and we intend to meet that need.

What is the status of the Innovation Center, and what comes next for that initiative?

The Innovation Center remains intact as a vision and as its own legal entity. We structured it as an LLC specifically so it could continue regardless of location. However, in December 2025, we made the decision to close the physical space on Wilkinson Boulevard. Maintaining a 25,000-square-foot building became unsustainable without the federal funding we had anticipated. Fortunately, we had a strong relationship with Roby Realty, and we were able to reach a mutual agreement to end the lease on good terms.

During the nine months we operated at that location, the Innovation Center generated national and even international attention. We hosted conferences, community drives, and a range of programming that demonstrated our goals to the broader region. The vision hasn’t changed. We’re still committed to innovation and are participating in several in-person initiatives, including one coming up at Johnson C. Smith University. Beyond that, the regulatory climate added another layer of complexity. North Carolina legislators sent letters to various organizations signaling that funding directed toward minority-focused initiatives could draw scrutiny under potential future legislation. That created hesitation among some funders who were otherwise interested in supporting our work. We had candid conversations with a number of leaders about how they were navigating those concerns. It was a difficult reality to face, but it reinforced why building our own independent, sustainable infrastructure matters so much. The physical chapter at Wilkinson Boulevard has closed, but the mission continues.

How would you characterize the business sentiment among your members, and which sectors are best positioned to scale?

Overall, members are excited about what’s ahead. Charlotte is among the top headquarters relocation destinations in the United States, and that translates into real contracts and real opportunities for our members. I would say businesses have largely adjusted to the new atmosphere and are looking forward with optimism.

In terms of industries that are peaking, the health sector continues to expand, and I am most excited about what’s happening there. Banking has always been a strong pillar in Charlotte, and that remains true. But right now, the combination of health, artificial intelligence, and tech innovation is where I see the most dynamic growth. We are actively making sure our members are informed about developments in those spaces and that they have access to the conferences and networks where those industries are moving.

What progress has the chamber made on AI readiness and digital transformation for its members?

Since our last interview, a significant number of data centers have opened in the region. One area we focused on was ensuring that as those data centers were developed, environmental impact, particularly in soil, water, and conservation, was part of the conversation. We worked closely with one of our members on that front to make sure those concerns were being raised with developers.

On the operational side, we’ve implemented AI directly into how we serve members. We use Mighty Networks as our member engagement platform, and we’ve also integrated an AI application — Fitz AI, developed by one of our own members — to process data and keep us updated on opportunities and resources available to our community. It’s a meaningful example of our members’ innovation driving value for the entire chamber.

How has the chamber deepened its presence at the community level over the past year?

The Innovation Center was the most visible expression of our community commitment during that period. In the nine months we operated that space, we used it to host events, drives, and programming that reached across the region and beyond.

Outside of that, one of our most consistent community initiatives is our bi-monthly involvement with Block Love Charlotte, an organization that provides food and housing support for people experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. I serve on its board, and we mobilize our members to donate food alongside local schools like Movement School and retail partners such as Whole Foods. My approach has always been to lead by example: when members see me engaged in giving, they follow. I use my connections to create opportunities for them to give back, and over time, that builds a culture of service within our membership.

What are your key goals and priorities for the chamber over the next two to three years?

My primary goal before my term ends is for the chamber to own its own building — a permanent, brick-and-mortar home where we can house the Innovation Center and invest in the community from a place of stability. That was always the original vision, and we gave ourselves two years to make it happen. That goal remains firmly in place.

Beyond that, I want the Charlotte Mecklenburg Black Chamber to command the same level of respect and influence as other major chambers in the region, including the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance. There are Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 Black-owned businesses that could be attracted to Charlotte, and I want the chamber to be a proactive force in making that happen. We’ve already built partnerships with economic development organizations in Baltimore and Atlanta, including Invest Atlanta, to create pipelines that drive businesses here and connect our members to opportunities in those markets. Atlanta and Charlotte are sister cities in many ways, and strengthening that corridor is a strategic priority. Those relationships are just the beginning of a broader effort to position Charlotte — and the Black business community within it — as a destination that the world cannot afford to overlook.