Diversity Expo highlights local businesses

Nine local southeast Michigan chambers of commerce promoted different local businesses during the Diversity Expo at the Royal Oak Farmers Market July 30.

Exhibitor tables were only available to minority, women, veteran or LGBTQ+ owned businesses that are affiliated with the different chambers involved in this event. The exhibitors showcased their products and services, promoted their businesses, built partnerships, and networked with fellow entrepreneurs. 

Bianca’s Haven was one of the businesses present during the Diversity Expo. The nonprofit organization is focused on helping human trafficking victims, as well educating others on the importance of this topic and further advocating to protect victims.

“I’ve encountered many victims of human trafficking, and I wanted to take that help to the next level raise awareness and raise funds for personal items like toiletries,” Dr. Vernal Teresa Tiller, founder and board chair of Bianca’s Haven, said.

Recently, Bianca’s Haven held their inaugural fundraiser Aug. 10 at a private residence in Bloomfield Hills, which was sponsored by Henry Ford Health. This fundraiser featured guest speakers like Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard and Heidi Warrington MSN, RN, CNRN, of Warrington Solutions Inc., who both spoke about the importance of combating human trafficking and supporting victims in relation to their respective fields.

“We were excited about the success of the inaugural fundraiser and very appreciative of everyone’s support, it truly takes a village,” Tiller said in a press release.

According to Vernal, there were more than 130 attendees at the Aug. 10 fundraiser, and over $6,000 was raised. 

During the Diversity Expo, the table for Bianca’s Haven featured information about the nonprofit, which included two dolls donated by one of the Amish communities that Bianca’s Haven has recently begun working with in regards to human trafficking issues. Their table also gave out cookies from Feel Good Cookies, at 30870 John R Road in Madison Heights.

Another business featured was Lorraine’s Premium BBQ Sauce, which is a Detroit based business that sells organic, non-GMO, gluten free, high fructose corn syrup-free, naturally sweetened BBQ sauces. 

The business was created by Larry Crockett, who learned about grilling and cooking through his parents, along with other life skills. After Crockett’s dad passed away, Crockett took over the grilling responsibilities for his family and perfected his own BBQ sauce recipe with his mom. Later, Crockett was encouraged to consider selling his sauce.

“In 2016, a friend asked to buy the BBQ sauce, and I took it to market in 2018,” Crockett said. “The pandemic was a problem, but we got better traction in 2022 and 2023.”

The sauces available include an Asian BBQ sauce, an original BBQ sauce, Southwest Chipotle Kick, and Sweet n’ Smokey BBQ. The sauces are available at multiple Meijer stores in the Detroit, metro-Detroit and Lansing areas, and they have also been used in various restaurants and food trucks.

Green Olive Soaps offered attendees with a wide variety of skin care products. This company was created by Camilla Rice, a manufacture systems engineer who started making different soaps and body butters to help with her son’s eczema. She said her products work for all ages and genders, and there is a major focus for addressing eczema and psoriasis.

“The products are sustainable, natural, vegan and very clean,” Rice said. “It’s affordable for everyone.”

Rice has recently begun to sell her products at the gift shop in the Corewell Health Grand Rapids Hospitals - Butterworth. She hopes to sell her products in her own building.

The Troy Chamber of Commerce — along with chambers from Birmingham, Bloomfield, Commerce, Farmington, Royal Oak, Southfield and Macomb, as well as the Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce, the Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Miindia.com — participated in this free event. The event was also sponsored by Genisys Credit Union, MB Merchant Services, Baker College, Horizon Bank and The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation.

“We are very excited to bring this event back for a third year in a row,” Tara Tomcsik-Husak, the president and CEO of the Troy chamber, said in a press release. “We are proud to partner with our neighboring Chambers of Commerce to support minority, women, veteran and LGBTQ+ owned business owners and the impact they have on their cities. When we are supporting diversity in business, we are supporting a greater and more inclusive community.”

For more information about the different businesses this event has promoted, visit https://cca.troychamber.com/.