Side Hustle Pro: Women Entrepreneurs | Black Women Business Owners | Solopreneurs

Today in the guest chair we have Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon (also known as Dr. Key), Founder, and CEO of The Village Market. I was blessed to cross paths with Dr. Hallmon at Summit 21; shout out to past Side Hustle Pro guest Jewel Burks Solomon for introducing us!  Dr. Key started her career in education, but she wanted more freedom and flexibility. She wanted to be able to take her students outside. Soon got the idea for what was then called The Village Cafe, an economical vehicle that empowers the Black community through cooperative economics. From that seed, The Village Market has grown into an economic vehicle for #blackownedbusiness like no other. Prior to launching The Village Market, Dr. Hallmon had no experience at all planning events. She had never even booked a venue for an event, much less create her own event with hundreds of vendors, but she had a vision and she wasn’t scared to make it come to life.  The Village Market is now not only a market, but also offers summits, trainings, and workshops for sma