Atlanta has never been short on Black excellence, but this past weekend, the city made room for something especially powerful: hundreds of entrepreneurs coming together with one goal in mind—building bigger, stronger and smarter.
From September 24–27, the Black Candle Makers Club (BCMC) ATL Summit 2026 brought founders, creatives, business leaders and industry professionals together for four days of education, networking, celebration and opportunity.
Founded by Julia “Jewelz” Amponsah-Gilder, BCMC began as a community created to support Black candle makers. Today, its reach extends far beyond candles, welcoming entrepreneurs across beauty, fragrance, skincare, wellness, self-care and other product-based industries.
And if the Atlanta summit proved anything, it’s that BCMC has built more than a conference—it has built a community.
This year’s theme, “Honoring Business Creatives Universally,” came to life through an HBCU-inspired experience that blended the energy of Homecoming with the realities of entrepreneurship. Attendees came ready to learn, but just as importantly, they came ready to connect.
Throughout the weekend, conversations centered on the things entrepreneurs actually need to know: pricing for profit, financial strategy, operations, branding, leadership, visibility and scaling a business beyond the hustle.
The speaker lineup brought together an impressive mix of voices from across the entrepreneurial landscape, including David Shands of The Social Proof Podcast, Candace Holyfield-Parker of Seven Figure Spa Chick, Dr. Britni Ricard, also known as Bee Marie, Rosezena Pierce, Esq., Angela Brock, Kalynn Powell, Coach Sevyn, Bryant “Big Sexy” Bee, and other business leaders and experts.
But the magic wasn’t limited to the stage.
Some of the weekend’s biggest moments happened between sessions—in hallways, over meals, at vendor tables and during spontaneous conversations between entrepreneurs who may have entered the summit as strangers but quickly discovered they shared many of the same challenges.
For founders accustomed to figuring everything out on their own, there was power in simply being surrounded by people who understood the assignment.
photos courtesy of BCMC
Saturday’s BCMC Yard Fest Marketplace + Summit Meet & Greet Mixer turned that community into commerce.
Entrepreneurs showcased their products while attendees shopped, networked and discovered businesses spanning beauty, fragrance, wellness, lifestyle and self-care. The atmosphere felt less like a traditional business expo and more like a reunion—music playing, conversations flowing and Black-owned businesses taking center stage.
That evening, business attire gave way to Homecoming energy for the 4th Annual BCMC Homecoming Candle Ball & Awards Show.
With a ’90s-inspired theme, the celebration gave entrepreneurs a chance to trade strategy sessions for style, music and recognition. After spending days talking about what it takes to build a business, the Candle Ball created space to celebrate the people actually doing the work.
Upscale Magazine, an Official Media Partner for BCMC ATL Summit 2026, was also on the ground capturing the people and stories behind the businesses.
For Upscale, the partnership was a natural extension of the magazine’s longstanding commitment to documenting Black culture, entrepreneurship and excellence. Throughout the weekend, founders had opportunities to share not only what they sell, but why they started, what they have overcome and where they plan to take their brands next.
The weekend also introduced the Upscale Visionary Award, recognizing entrepreneurial vision, innovation, leadership and impact.
photos courtesy of BCMC
By Sunday, it was time for the summit’s “final exam.”
The Final Exam Pitch Competition gave selected entrepreneurs an opportunity to step in front of the room and pitch their businesses while competing for $5,500 in cash and prizes. The competition brought many of the weekend’s lessons full circle: know your business, understand your value, communicate your vision and be prepared when opportunity calls.
A closing keynote from David Shands helped bring the four-day experience to an end—but “ending” hardly seemed like the right word.
Because BCMC ATL Summit 2026 wasn’t built simply to send entrepreneurs home feeling inspired.
It was designed to send them home with something they could use.
A new connection.
A stronger strategy.
A different perspective.
A potential collaboration.
Or maybe just the reminder that building a business doesn’t always have to be a lonely experience.
photos courtesy of BCMC
The Black Candle Makers Club may have been born from a community of candle makers, but what unfolded in Atlanta showed how far the vision has grown.
BCMC has created space for Black entrepreneurs to learn without shrinking themselves, network without feeling transactional and celebrate success without apologizing for it.
For four days, Atlanta became their campus.
Yard Fest became their marketplace.
The Candle Ball became their Homecoming.
And commencement?
That wasn’t goodbye.
For many of the founders in the room, it was simply time to take everything they learned and get back to business.
