Yelp ABQ highlights local Black-owned businesses

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Yelp is highlighting Black-owned businesses in the metro in hopes of inspiring others during Black History Month.

"It’s a special breed to want to go out and launch your own business, I think there are a few great opportunities," said Chad Cooper, the founder of the Albuquerque cybersecurity firm, Tillman Cyber Services.

Cooper began his company just a few months before the pandemic hit, and like many businesses — they had to adapt.

He’s also taking part in a "Be Your Own Boss" virtual event put on by Yelp ABQ and the African American Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce. The event is intended to showcase black-owned businesses and provide resources to get ideas off the ground.

"We saw an over 800% rise in Black-owned business searches following last summer," so we’re just responding to what consumers want," said Howie Kaibel with Yelp ABQ.

Cooper said he wants others to know there are still obstacles in place for minority business owners.

"Do Black business owners, do Black contractors still have access to all the contract opportunities that other businesses have access to? I can’t say that we do, I know we face challenges in those areas," Cooper said.

Yelp ABQ is making it easy to find and support local Black-owned businesses. Users can click on the "Collections" tab in the Yelp app, select the collection that honors Black History Month and find dozens of local businesses highlighted.