DONALDSON HAS MORE. THIS BUSTLING HOTEL IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN IS DOING MORE THAN JUST WELCOMING GUESTS. IT’S CREATING A SPACE TO HIGHLIGHT BLACK BUSINESSES. THE MESSAGE THIS IS WHAT COMMUNITY LOOKS LIKE. WELL, FOR ONE, IT ACTUALLY PUT ME OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. HOTEL REVIVAL IS CELEBRATING NATIONAL BLACK BUSINESS MONTH BY PROVIDING POP UP SPACE FOR SEVERAL BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES IN BALTIMORE. SO WE’VE BROUGHT IN A BUNCH OF SERVICE BUSINESSES TO ACTUALLY PROVIDE THEIR SERVICE RIGHT OUT OF OUR SPACE. SO SO FAR, WE’VE HAD A STRETCH THERAPIST WITH K FIT, WHOLE BODY FITNESS WHO CAME IN AND DID STRETCH SESSIONS. WE HAD SO FABULOUS SEWING SCHOOL COME IN AND DO ON THE SPOT MENDING AND REPAIRS WITH THEIR SEWING STUDENTS. THEY ALSO HOSTED SIERRA PHOTOGRAPHY, WHO USED THE UNIQUE DECOR FOR ON THE SPOT HEADSHOTS AND PORTRAITS. ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO CAME BY, I BELIEVE SHE WAS AN ATTORNEY, SO SHE NEEDED NEW HEADSHOTS FOR THAT. THE OTHER WOMAN NEEDED IT FOR HER BUSINESS, SO I WAS JUST HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE FOR THEM. ALICIA WALLACE SAYS SHE WALKED AWAY FROM THE EXPERIENCE WITH REFERRALS FOR FUTURE BUSINESS. THE SAME CLIENTS THAT I HAD THAT CAME IN ACTUALLY ARE GOING TO BOOK ME FOR, YOU. OTHER EVENTS, OTHER TYPE OF PORTRAITS. ONE OF THEM BROUGHT THEIR DAUGHTERS, SO I KNOW THEIR DAUGHTER WANTS IMAGES, SO IT WORKED OUT. THERE ARE TWO MORE POP UPS THIS MONTH WITH SOUL WASHED SNEAKER CLEANING COMPANY, AS WELL AS BIKE COLLECTIVE, A NONPROFIT SPECIALIZING IN SMALL BIKE REPAIRS. JASMIN GARLAND, HOTEL REVIVALS DIRECTOR OF IMPACT, SAYS THEIR MISSION IS TO BE OF BALTIMORE, NOT JUST IN BALTIMORE. WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT NONPROFITS, SMALL BUSINESSES, MAKERS, ARTISTS, CHANGE MAKERS, THOUGHT LEADERS, WE WANT TO DO THAT. WE WANT TO BE THE HUB WHERE ANYONE AND EVERYONE CAN COME, FEEL INCLUDED, FEEL HEARD, FEEL SEEN, AND FEEL AMPLIFIED. POP UPS ARE HELD ON THURSDAYS FROM 4 TO 8 IN DOWNTOWN. I’M JANIN
‘We’re doing our part’: Hotel Revival holds series of pop-ups for National Black Business Month
Updated: 6:18 PM EDT Aug 18, 2025
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August is Black Business Month, and the Hotel Revival Baltimore is putting a spotlight on service-based businesses by hosting a series of pop-ups.The bustling hotel in the heart of downtown is doing more than welcoming guests for a stay; it’s creating space to highlight Black businesses. The message of the event was “This is what community looks like.”Hotel Revival is celebrating National Black Business Month by providing pop-up space for several black-owned businesses in Baltimore.”So, we brought in a bunch of service businesses to actually provide their service right out of our space. So far, we’ve had stretch therapists with ‘K Fit Whole Body Fitness’ who came in and did stretch sessions. We had ‘Sew Fabulous’ sewing school come in and do on-the-spot mending and repairs with their sewing students,” said Jasmine Garland, director of impact for Hotel Revival.They also hosted Ciara Photography, who used the unique decor for on-the-spot headshots and portraits.”One of the people that came by, I believe, was an attorney, so she needed new headshots for that,” said Alice Wallace, owner of Ciara Photography. “The other woman needed it for her business, so I was just happy to be able to provide that service for them.”Wallace walked away from the experience with referrals for future business.”The same clients that I had that came in actually are going to book me for other events, other types of portraits. One of them brought their daughter, so I know their daughter wants images, so it worked out,” Wallace said. “Well, it’s important to always amplify the voices of the city. And so, a lot of Black businesses in our city go quiet because they don’t have a lot of press and they don’t have a lot of exposure, so we think if there’s a way we can do that to bring that exposure to those businesses, we’re doing our part,” Garland said.There are two more pop-ups this month with Sole Wash Sneaker Cleaning Company, as well as Byke, a collective, nonprofit organization specializing in small bike repairs.Garland said their mission is to be of Baltimore, not just in Baltimore.”Whatever we can do to support nonprofits, small businesses, makers, artists, changemakers, thought leaders, we want to do that. We want to be the hub where anyone and everyone can come feel included, feel heard, feel seen and feel amplified,” Garland said. The pop-ups are held on Thursdays from 4 to 8 p.m. Click the link for more information.
August is Black Business Month, and the Hotel Revival Baltimore is putting a spotlight on service-based businesses by hosting a series of pop-ups.
The bustling hotel in the heart of downtown is doing more than welcoming guests for a stay; it’s creating space to highlight Black businesses. The message of the event was “This is what community looks like.”
Hotel Revival is celebrating National Black Business Month by providing pop-up space for several black-owned businesses in Baltimore.
“So, we brought in a bunch of service businesses to actually provide their service right out of our space. So far, we’ve had stretch therapists with ‘K Fit Whole Body Fitness’ who came in and did stretch sessions. We had ‘Sew Fabulous’ sewing school come in and do on-the-spot mending and repairs with their sewing students,” said Jasmine Garland, director of impact for Hotel Revival.
They also hosted Ciara Photography, who used the unique decor for on-the-spot headshots and portraits.
“One of the people that came by, I believe, was an attorney, so she needed new headshots for that,” said Alice Wallace, owner of Ciara Photography. “The other woman needed it for her business, so I was just happy to be able to provide that service for them.”
Wallace walked away from the experience with referrals for future business.
“The same clients that I had that came in actually are going to book me for other events, other types of portraits. One of them brought their daughter, so I know their daughter wants images, so it worked out,” Wallace said.
“Well, it’s important to always amplify the voices of the city. And so, a lot of Black businesses in our city go quiet because they don’t have a lot of press and they don’t have a lot of exposure, so we think if there’s a way we can do that to bring that exposure to those businesses, we’re doing our part,” Garland said.
There are two more pop-ups this month with Sole Wash Sneaker Cleaning Company, as well as Byke, a collective, nonprofit organization specializing in small bike repairs.
Garland said their mission is to be of Baltimore, not just in Baltimore.
“Whatever we can do to support nonprofits, small businesses, makers, artists, changemakers, thought leaders, we want to do that. We want to be the hub where anyone and everyone can come feel included, feel heard, feel seen and feel amplified,” Garland said.
The pop-ups are held on Thursdays from 4 to 8 p.m. Click the link for more information.
