Oakland event highlights small businesses run by women and people of color

Women and entrepreneurs of color are coming together from across the Bay Area to highlight small business needs.

The Thursday night event will be hosted by the ICA Fund, a 30-year-old organization located in Oakland dedicated to supporting small businesses run by people of color and women through their inception and growth.

ICA Fund CEO Allison Kelley said the organization focuses on small businesses run by people of color and women because they are an "untapped resource... [that] really help bring placemaking and job creation into our communities."

Kelley stressed the importance in investing in these small businesses to help them reach their full potential.

The event will bring together 28 companies that the ICA Fund has supported in the last year, celebrating their achievements and connecting them to a network of investors and advisors.

Companies featured have products ranging from coffee, high-end skincare, to tech platforms and more.

The event will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California and is open to the public.