Celebrating its 5-year anniversary, MELANnaire Marketplace is known as a year-round marketplace where many Black entrepreneurs gather to sell their products and services. Located in Louisville, Kentucky, MELANnaire Marketplace has made an impressionable mark on its endeavors, especially during the holidays and Juneteenth celebrations.
Nachand Hyde-Trabue is the founder and CEO of MELANnaire Marketplace. Trabue said, “We got different community partners, but MELANnaire stands alone. We partner with the other brands that we have inside of our gift shops.”
The political climate along with the pandemic made its impact on MELANnaire Marketplace. Trabue said, “Back in 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, in the middle of civil unrest, in the middle of Black-owned businesses saying I cannot afford my rent and my brick and mortar. The landlord is giving me trouble. I tried to apply for a PPP loan, but I got denied. And you know just a lot of things happening that was working against them. And they were reaching out. And I said what can I do to help? I started thinking about it and I prayed on it. And at that time, I owned an event center called ‘Manhattan on Broadway.’”
Trabue continued, “Well, we weren’t having any events because we were in the middle of Covid. I said let me turn my event space into a one-day pop-up mall. And I called it Black Businesses Matter Pop Up Mall.” She added, “And it turned from one day of all of this amazing support from the community that came out from Prospect, from Portland, from J-Town, from East End, from West End. They came from all around the City of Louisville and Southern Indiana to support Black-owned businesses. And it was amazing.”
Trabue continued, “So, over time it grew, and over the years from 2020 up until now we have curated shopping experiences around the whole entire city where we have pop-ups—curated pop-ups, shopping retail pop-ups from the Waterfront, from the Belle of Louisville. We did a thing with Brown and Forman. It kept developing, developing, developing, and we have been everywhere with our shopping platform. When you come, be intentional on spending your green with Black.”
MELANnaire Marketplace rents out an area in St. Matthews Mall on the weekends from late October up until the week of Christmas. Trabue said, “This is our fourth year. We’re getting ready to go back into the mall. The Mall in St. Matthews where we have our holiday market. Inside this holiday market we’re inside an actual brick-and-mortar store. So, inside the store…you know how you go shopping, you go to different departments. When you come inside MELANnaire Marketplace you will be able to shop with all Black-owned brands. So, it’s all these opportunities around Black excellence, period.”
Though not an easy task in bringing people together—especially given the odds that have been against Black people for centuries in this country when it comes to owning businesses or any institution—Trabue has achieved what many would consider a miracle. She said, “I will say in 2020…so, I had already been an entrepreneur, even though I worked in corporate America. I was in corporate America for 20 years. In 2017 I left Louisville Gas and Electric and I said, you know what, I’m going to build my own dreams. And that’s exactly what I did. I stepped out on faith, tried God, and through me trying God I birthed out a pearl line and I birthed out a book and from that I had cultivated and formed a community around that, and I formed a community—my event space Manhattan on Broadway. And people knew if they come there it would be great quality, excellent, and it would be an experience. And I think I had already built a brand. So, since I had already built a community brand then from that it just transpired onto the MELANnaire Marketplace and people knew that…okay Nachand going to try to do an event or Nachand is going to try to help, I’m at least going to listen. And I tried to be a person of my word. I’m not perfect, but definitely I try to be a person of my word. People always know the one thing I love—I love helping entrepreneurs. Especially my Black entrepreneurs.”
With partnerships from many community supporters such as Leadership Louisville and the Louisville Urban League, Trabue has brought a hundred other Black entrepreneurs along with her to seal the deal. “When they see me, they see me as a reflection of a hundred other Black entrepreneurs with me. When I show up, I’m not showing up alone. Even though they may not be there in person they know when I’m coming in the room, I’m bringing them every time.”
Trabue knew leaving a steady paid career after 20 years to start her own business would be a challenge, but she stepped out on faith. She says she didn’t allow naysayers to keep her from moving forward with her dream in helping others achieve their goals.
“It was scary,” Trabue said. “I didn’t know what…cause…I didn’t think to do this. It’s just something God put inside me. And I’m a true believer you just try God and step out on faith. Then he’s going…I knew it was part of my assignment. Nobody could never tell me this is not a part of my assignment. I even wear a t-shirt…I wear it all the time. It says dear ancestors, I understand the assignment. And I really do. And I think that with my ancestors—the things that my ancestors have done for me to do this right now. I always give credit back to my ancestors all the time. It hasn’t been easy, but I will say I was strategic. After seeing people sell hundreds of products I said let me figure out a way to help them. And of course I had gotten a business management degree. And I don’t say my degree makes me—I’m saying I got a little corporate experience. I just tie everything of course with the man above. And I just make it do what it do. And now we’re getting ready to open up a gift shop in the new Innovation Center, Nov. 20. So, it will be a permanent space. And my goal is for us to have MELANnaire franchises throughout Kentucky and around the world too. Now that’s my next five-year goal.”
Though faced with much opposition, Trabue didn’t let anything deter her from focusing on the goals she set out to pursue. Her world seemed to be caving in as tragedy after tragedy struck. She said, “I started out doing everything myself. Then life started happening. I started losing people close to me. So, I went through a whole season of grief. And then back in ’22 I went through a whole season of the doctors saying you may not be able to walk, so now you got multiple sclerosis. You know, things may change. And I’m like hmm, naw, it can’t change cause I’m helping too many people. I ain’t got time to sit down, doctors. And then I went through in 2023 my youngest son got killed with a gunshot. So, I’m dealing with all of this…like trauma, trauma, trauma. And in my mind, I’m saying I’m still going to help Black businesses in spite of this. And I will say what helped me push forth was I got a team of six beautiful, brilliant women who are on the team with me. They’re all professional women who are great in what they do. And they said, ‘Nachand, we believe in the vision so we’re gonna partner up with you and we’re gonna help lift up the heaviness to be able to move on.’ And they’ve been solid ever since 2022.”
Trabue is passionate about connecting with Historically Black Colleges and Universities. She has been vocal about partnering with HBCUs and her vision has come to pass in the last two years. “We’ve connected, of course, with Simmons College of Kentucky because they’re right here in Louisville. And now we’re forming a strong partnership because education and entrepreneurship go hand in hand. You’re showing them how to make money. So, I would love to be able to connect with a lot of students at K-State, because a lot of them even though they going into careers to be a doctor or lawyer…but that’s fine. But a lot of them are gifted and creative people. Everybody in our culture knows how to do something whether it’s using their mind or using their hands. Period. So with that, being able to use your hands and mind, you can become an entrepreneur. That doesn’t mean you can’t be that doctor or lawyer. You can be that plus. So, I really want to tie in with Historically Black Institutions because it’s about the culture, creative, and the commerce together. Definitely HBCUs. Matter of fact this year MELANnaire’s coming out with our Pearl line, and we’re going to be showcasing them in our gift shop in the Mall of St. Matthews. It’s called HBCUs Matter and on the back of it says Honor the Legacy with all the HBCUs on the back. It’s dope.”
Trabue has no shame in telling others to support HBCUs because she knows the next generation of Black entrepreneurs graduating from them are from regional communities or moving to these communities. “We have to support all of these HBCUs. We have to support all of us. Everybody. And I’m trying to challenge everybody on all levels to help this initiative I’m trying to work with HBCUs.”
Trabue is doing what elders of the past have done in turbulent times—persevere. According to Dr. Na’im Akbar in the documentary “Stubborn As A Mule,” when terrorism was orchestrated against Black people through slavery, the Ku Klux Klan, and unjust politics, many Black people who resisted were humiliated through false accusations, beatings, and lynchings. Though today there is no Jim Crow law to keep Black people in their place, subtle racism has never disappeared.
“We’re the community liaison, in a nutshell,” Trabue said. “All the proceeds help MELANnaire to keep on thriving. We can’t thrive because we don’t really have a product. We thrive if we can figure out a way people can support. And the way to support is apparel.”
MELANnaire is a platform beyond the norm of a flea market, business expo, or yard sale. It has an action plan to go beyond panel discussions about what one must do to achieve success in a world that does not always open doors for those who would not otherwise have a place like MELANnaire to call home.
“The process has been good,” Trabue said, “but we have had challenges trying to get entrepreneurs to understand we are here to help them grow. But some of them are like, ‘I’m used to selling out of the trunk.’ We’re not mad at you selling out of the trunk. But here at MELANnaire Marketplace we gotta make sure you’re a registered business with the state. We’re going to make sure that you’re a registered business with your taxes, you got business insurance. We’re not teaching them how to sell at the trunk. We’ve been there and done that. We’ll teach how to get your products on shelves in big chain stores. So we’re not like the flea market style. Now we’re trying to get you ready to sell majorly, wholesale. And sell on different types of platforms. It’s been a challenge. That’s one of the reasons why last year we went ahead and opened up MELANnaire Nonprofit Achievement Center where we offer retail business education academy. We just graduated our first class of cohorts. I’m so proud of them. Retail business is a beast and people don’t understand it. If you’re used to selling from the trunk, you’ve been on the yard. I mean we all did that. But if you want to scale up you got to do it different.”
The MELANnaire Nonprofit Achievement Center’s Academy is in Smoketown. MELANnaire also has an online store where people can purchase products year-round. “We stress to buy Black 365,” Trabue said. “Not just on holidays.”
MELANnaire has a team consisting of an event director, a marketing director, a development director, and a membership coordinator. “Me and my team are very transparent,” Trabue said. “We meet four times a month consistently. It’s on the calendar. We already have 2026—the times we’re going to meet. And then we have four strategic meetings where we sit down at the table, throw it all out, have a whiteboard and go for it. And it’s women—Black women—and we show up and we’re really interested in what we do.”
“I will say our team has been strong. We’re locked and loaded,” she continued. “They’re professional women on my team. They’re contractors. I pay them. I mean sharp Black women who are locked into MELANnaire’s mission.”
To expand the MELANnaire brand, Trabue says a podcast or television platform is under consideration. “So even through this holiday marketplace we’re getting ready to do, we’re going to do some live marketing events where people don’t even live around or don’t come to the mall—they can go online and buy. We’re going to show them some things, and they can pay for it. They can either do curbside or we can ship.”
Many successful entrepreneurs who have benefited from MELANnaire’s counsel have ventured out on their own. Trabue said, “And we all help each other…that’s the thing. My whole mindset is what can I do to help you. If you say you want to be helped, we’re going to help you. Now, if you not going to show up, not respond, not call…I’m not going to chase you down. Cause there’s too many people that I have to help. Over the five years we done helped so many people. Now, we got people—we’re a part of their journey—where they now selling products in Publix, selling products in Rainbow Blossom, selling products in Value Market. We have a list.”
Some entrepreneurs who have an idea of the type of business they want often lack continuity in pursuing a brick-and-mortar or online business. Trabue said, “Some people are not ready for the actual being consistent. They’re just not ready. Because…one thing with us…you’re going to have to do business and do business the right way. There are no short cuts. I mean back in the day I done short cuts, you know what I’m saying. You got to get to the point where…how you going to say you’re going to build generational wealth by doing short cuts. We’re being a disservice if we let you come in and do what you’ve been doing. And we’re not going to do that. You have to have a product that is worthy to be sold inside a store. I tell people all the time—trying to go to Publix, they may not want your product. They may not have a customer base for it. You got to have a customer base for it. Just like with us…nobody wants to come in our store and buy some butterflies and buy some grass or something. That ain’t for our customer base. Charcoal is not going to be for our customer base. But you say you do shea butter, and you got it in nice packaging, nice labels—my people are going to buy shea butter. Make a candle. Everybody likes candles. Make it out of soy. So we got to have something people are going to like. And we’re not going to sell any commercial-like stuff in my store. We focus on handmade, handcrafted local goods. Period.”
If there’s a similar product being sold in MELANnaire Marketplace, according to Trabue there’s no conflict. “We don’t feed on competition,” she said. “We feed on collaboration, period. You may have somebody selling the same product on your shelf. I put people on the same shelf. Why? Your shea butter may be made with almond oil, yours may have coconut oil. The vendors got to sell and promote themselves too.”
Trabue said, “There are a lot of people—more that don’t share the beautiful color that I have and some that do, not many, that do—that are maybe not in support of the work I’m doing. I don’t know why. Take the time to understand what I’m doing. I think it’s because I am a woman. I think it’s because I’m a Black woman. And I think it’s because I’m a woman that don’t take no for an answer. I come from corporate America. So, it’s only hard for you to tell me no when I see a lot of things happen in corporate America and I see how they play chess. I know how to play chess too. Now that I work for nobody but myself it’s much easier for me to say mmmh, thank you for wanting to partner, but this doesn’t align with MELANnaire’s mission, so have a good day. So a lot of times—I’ve said a couple times—when people wanted to partner…and after I tell them how we run our business while meeting at a partner event I’m like okay well MELANnaire, this is what we going to do. After I tell them what my protocol is it may not align with theirs. I’m like, you know what, thank you so much for even talking and hope you have a great event, but we won’t be a part of it. And then I can just say with a smile and go on out the door. And it will be their loss versus ours at the end of the day because we’re connected to the people. They’re trying to get to the people. We’re already connected. We’ve been connected.”
Trabue added, “We’re going to stand firm. Even MELANnaire…we have people all the time, corporate companies that of course have all the resources thinking that’s going to sway us. I’m like that won’t sway me. We may have nothing but two dollars in our account, but your 20,000 thousand, 200…that’s not enough for me. I would never do nothing that’s against the will of helping my people. The dollar won’t get it at all. We’ve been standing five years strong because I’m consistent with the brand because it’s with the mission. I’m helping people, empowering people. Period. That’s what we do. I never feed into demonstrations because I’m a person of action. So I told my husband, I said you know what, if I’m going to help with this, I’m going to help this way. And even now when we talk about legislative, I go to meetings at the Metro Council, I go to Frankfort, I want to help change the laws. I had a meeting a week ago with Morgan McGarvey. I want to change policy for Black entrepreneurs. For entrepreneurs, period.”
