Meet Karine Sokpoh, Founder and CEO @ MAC Chamber

The MAC Chamber (formerly known as the Midlands African Chamber, Inc.) is a member-based organization with the mission of strengthening and supporting African and African American businesses in Nebraska and the Midwest. 

The organization offers a mix of initiatives to support BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color), immigrant and refugee entrepreneurs, as well as young professionals. This includes the annual Pitch Black conference and pitch competition. 

What inspired you to become an entrepreneur or support other entrepreneurs?

My journey into entrepreneurship was driven by what I saw missing. I saw talented, capable entrepreneurs, especially Black, African and immigrant founders, who had the vision but not the access. Not access to capital, not access to networks, not access to opportunity at scale. 

I didn’t just want to build a business; I wanted to help build pathways. Supporting entrepreneurs, for me, is about shifting systems so that talent is not overlooked simply because it sits outside traditional circles.

What advice would you give yourself if you could go back in time to when you were just starting out?

I would tell myself to trust my vision earlier and move with conviction. You don’t need permission to build something meaningful. I would also remind myself that alignment matters; every opportunity is not the right one. 

Protect your time, protect your energy and be intentional about what you say yes to. Growth is important, but clarity is what sustains it.

How do you stay motivated when things feel overwhelming — or stagnant?

I stay grounded in my culture and identity. There’s a Togolese proverb: “If you don’t know where you are going, remember where you came from.” That perspective centers me. 

When things feel overwhelming, I come back to who I am, why I started this work and who it serves. Purpose gives me clarity, and clarity keeps me moving, even when progress feels slow.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve overcome and how did you overcome it?

One of the biggest challenges has been building and scaling in spaces where access is not always equitable, whether that’s capital, visibility or institutional trust. I overcame that by staying consistent, building strong relationships and focusing on results. 

I also leaned into community. I didn’t wait for doors to open. I built new ones, and I made sure others could walk through them too.

How can the Nebraska community support you?

Support looks like intentional investment and meaningful partnership to expand access to capital coaching and connections. It means investing in diverse entrepreneurs, opening doors to contracts and opportunities and engaging with the work we’re doing. 

This is not just about supporting one organization. It’s about strengthening the entire economic ecosystem. When you invest in inclusive entrepreneurship, you invest in the long-term growth and resilience of Nebraska.