Black entrepreneurs find success at St. Petersburg's 1Pier

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Along the St. Petersburg Pier, you'll find several kiosks where entrepreneurs sell their products. But then there's 1Pier, a kiosk of nine entrepreneurs, all African-American women with different businesses, banding together.

"1Pier is the initiative of One Community that the city of St. Petersburg was able to partner with through our Urban Affairs Department. We really wanted to focus on making the Pier a welcoming place that really reflected the demographic of the city and what better way to do that than through a women's collective like this that shows the true diversity of our community," said Nikki Gaskin-Capehart, the urban affairs director for the city of St. Petersburg.

Safrone Presley of Glow Up Body Oils says the city's support makes a big difference.

"Being able to work with the city of St. Petersburg, we get a lot of support from them, they've helped us make sure that we try to have our businesses together so that we can succeed and we also work with each other to succeed," Presley explained.

"To be on this platform at the pier, it just allows for a broader span of an audience to let them know what we do in the community as far as selling products," said Tanisha Scantling-Williams of Agape Soles Shoetique.

Each shelf has a different product line. Most of the businesses have been online only, until now.

"It gives us an opportunity to be in a space where normally we may not be able to afford the exposure so this allows us to be able to do that with minimum risk," said Tahisia Scantling of Diesel Dog Apparel.

For those with established brick and mortar businesses, selling products at 1Pier is attracting new customers.

"I've received clients from here since I've been here", said  Consuelo Mackey of TET Salon.

The owners range in age and experience.

"They are from their 20s and 50s. They have products that really show a true representation of our community the needs of particularly black women it really does highlight that local flavor and it does highlight what black entrepreneurship has to offer in St. Petersburg," said Gaskin-Capehart.

"I've been in business over 20 years so I can add something to someone that's just starting out or I can learn something from someone who has been a part of business or help embark on my business," said Mackey.

"The ones that have been in business for a long time helping us newbies with us with our businesses," said Keisha Long-Watson of Insparkle Me Custom Bling Apparel.

They work together to grow their individual businesses.

"We co-sell for each other, we sell for each other and it's a way for the community to know us as a whole," said Long-Watson.

This social enterprise concept is gaining traction.

"The response has been phenomenal so much so that we have head from other areas that would like to replicate something very similar to this in their cities", said Gaskin-Capehart.

And planting seeds for future opportunities.

"Now I get to learn how to be a retailer and eventually we would like to have our own spot," said Scantling.

"It allows our young ladies to see themselves to see the possibilities it allows it allows our community to see the diversity and really be able to support the needs of entrepreneurs of these ladies here in the one pier collective," Gaskin-Capehart added.