Earlier this week, the Mystics joined Black Girl Ventures and Atlas Restaurant Group in hosting EmpowerHER Culinary Odyssey at Parlour Victoria in Washington D.C. The event combined the worlds of basketball, entrepreneurship, and gourmet dining, while diving deep into the essential aspects of starting and running a successful restaurant or food business.

Guests were treated to exclusive time with Atlas Group front-of-house and culinary leadership to learn more about the business decisions that helped grow the company from a single deli in Baltimore to a 30+ restaurant operation. Topics included staff training and retention, menu planning, marketing, restaurant identity, the value of location, and more.

Those in attendance also received a private tour of Atlas Group’s new Parlour Victoria and Lucha Rosa restaurant kitchens and dining spaces. Following the tour, executive chef Brandon Sumblin prepared a three-course meal for the group.

The event  is part of an ongoing partnership between the Mystics and Black Girl Ventures to connect Black/Brown woman-identifying business founders with one another, and with capital opportunities.

This February, the Mystics will be hosting Black Girl Ventures for a D.C. edition of BGV’s Pull Up & Pitch program. Part of BGV PITCH program, a Pull Up & Pitch is designed to normalize business pitching, create visibility for innovative ideas, support small business revitalization, and educate the public on how to ask for and manage finances. In this fast-paced, highly entertaining competition, Black and Latinx founders, small business owners, and entrepreneurs will shoot their shot with a 60-second elevator pitch to access grants awarded on the spot. And thanks to Atlas Restaurant Group, there will be dedicated funding for culinary and culinary-adjacent concepts. Stay tuned for more information this spring.

Watch the full recap here.