W hen local entrepreneur TJ “Cowboy TJ” Stevenson got the call that a 2-acre ranch in Gilbert was available for his horse ranch, he was hesitant to relocate his business.

Founded in 2020, Copperstate Riding Club, the self-proclaimed first fully Black-owned horse ranch in Arizona, had quickly outgrown its original Phoenix location and were being hired for more events than ever, specifically in the East Valley, according to Stevenson.

Even so, Stevenson was not convinced that he needed to move until he talked to Velma Trayham, the president of the Black Chamber of Arizona.

“Sometimes entrepreneurs may not have the vision to think bigger than what they already are,” said Trayham. “When I saw what TJ was doing, I thought, ‘Wow. You have the potential to significantly scale your business.’”

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