AACCNJ Juneteenth Innovation Expo Draws South Jersey Entrepreneurs to Cherry Hill
AACCNJ President John Harmon cuts ribbon at the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey Innovation Expo at the DoubleTree by Hilton Cherry Hill Philadelphia on June 10, 2026. Photo by AC JosepH Media.
BY CLYDE HUGHES | AC JosepH Media
CHERRY HILL — Melissa Blair said she has long been a fan of the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey’s Juneteenth Innovation Expo — and she wasn’t about to miss the opportunity to attend when it arrived in her own backyard at the DoubleTree by Hilton Cherry Hill Philadelphia on June 10.
Blair, owner of the Pennsauken-based B.A.M. Electrical Contracting, a minority and women-certified business, said she has followed the Expo since its inception. Having it only a few miles from her headquarters made attending even more meaningful.
“I’ve always found the Expos to be enlightening and informative,” Blair said. “I’ve been to the three prior, and I’ve always enjoyed myself. I have a one-on-one set up with a couple of the companies later in the afternoon, so just looking forward to some networking and expanding our connections with the community.”
The annual AACCNJ Black Business Expo was created for business owners like Blair — entrepreneurs seeking to connect, collaborate, and strengthen the African American business community across New Jersey.
This year’s Expo brought together local businesses, entrepreneurs, community leaders, creatives, and residents for a full day of networking, cultural engagement, and business development opportunities. The event focused on supporting Black-owned businesses, building relationships, and creating pathways for new partnerships throughout the region.
AACCNJ President and CEO John Harmon said the organization intentionally rotates the Expo across the state. After hosting the first two in North Jersey and last year’s event at The College of New Jersey near Trenton, bringing the Expo to Cherry Hill was the next step in expanding its reach.
“We wanted to move this activity throughout the state, and so coming here in Cherry Hill is another opportunity to continue to showcase the entire state of New Jersey, the great people within our state and those that reside here in Cherry Hill,” Harmon said.
Highlighting innovation was a natural fit, Harmon added. He pointed to the long list of African American inventors whose contributions — from advancements in space travel to refrigeration to GPS technology — continue to shape modern life.
“Blacks have been innovators in all industries and in all walks of life in America,” Harmon said. “It often goes unrecognized. We see these things today as part of everyday life but it was Black people that brought it to fruition.”
Attendees enjoyed a fireside chat during lunch with Elvin Ross, CEO of e. ross studios JAZZLAND and NOX Point AI Solutions in New Orleans. Another featured speaker was real estate developer Majora Carter — an urban revitalization strategist, MacArthur Fellow, Peabody Award-winning broadcaster, and Princeton University lecturer.
Harmon said he hoped attendees left with a deeper appreciation for Black history and the contributions of African Americans, especially at a time when those contributions are being challenged in some political spaces.
“We hope people, most importantly, embrace the history of black people and embrace our contribution that has made America really the envy of the world,” Harmon said. “We want to underscore that. In this current environment where the ground is shifting beneath us, where Blacks are defined of of DEI.
“DEI does not say who we are, and so these interchangeable negative terms that people are using to create a narrative about Black people, that’s not who we are. We are hopeful that people get a better understanding and appreciation of Black people and their contributions to society. If we as a people internalize that greatness, we’ll be a better representative of our people as we move forward. In these tumultuous times.”
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