The 22nd annual Columbia Black Expo attracted hundreds to the capital city to meet vendors and special guests.
The goal was to teach entrepreneurs how to grow a business and build long-term wealth and featured special guests like actor Hill Harper and journalist April Ryan.
Bella Powe, Fenix Powe and Maliyah Dickson are each no older than 11, but say they have big goals for their futures and hoped the expo could assist.
"I hope when I get older to be an entrepreneur," Dickson said. "Seeing all these other people who have their own business is like empowering me. You can be young or you can be older and it doesn't even matter, you can just start a business to help other people."
Saturday was Fenix's 11th birthday and she wanted to celebrate it by learning how to grow a business.
"I want to try to start my own business," Fenix said. "I'm going to learn some things because this place is huge and it's full of educational things."
Darrin Thomas runs the expo and says he hopes to continue growing the event and teaching entrepreneurs at all stages strategies for success.
"We've learned that forums such as this that really focus and empower people, but also, at the same time, can educate people, really serves the greater community in a very, very critical way," Thomas said.
Dickson says she's grateful for the opportunity and hopes other kids will also learn ways to start a business.
"I hope to see like, littler kids just like me doing these businesses because I want them to show that no matter what age you are you can still be somebody great," Dickson said.