How a Black ERG at Visa ran a Juneteenth marketplace for under $200
A talent acquisition lead at Visa turned an idea from her ERG's planning meeting into an in-person Juneteenth marketplace with 7 Black-owned vendors — and 90% of interns said it positively shaped their view of the company.
The setup
Courtney was working in talent acquisition at Visa and serving as a lead on the talent committee of VIBE, Visa's Black ERG. In one of those committee conversations, the idea for a Juneteenth marketplace came up — and she ran with it.
The timing lined up with the first week of Visa's intern program, which meant the event would land in front of new talent on day one.
What they built
An in-person merchant marketplace inside Visa's Foster City headquarters, featuring 7 local Black-owned businesses.
Courtney:
- Worked with ERG leaders to pull a list of local Black-owned vendors.
- Contacted vendors directly to confirm licensing and insurance.
- Set up booths, handled decorations, and ran internal promotion to ERG members and the office.
Employees walked the marketplace during the workday — meeting vendors, taking photos, and buying merchandise.
The results
- 90% of interns surveyed said the event positively shaped their view of the company.
- Most asked to see the event return next year.
- The event tied directly into Visa's marketplace pillar, which helped justify it internally as more than heritage-month programming.
Cost structure
This was a deliberately low-cost program:
- Vendors weren't paid and weren't charged. They made money through on-site sales.
- The ERG's only real spend was balloons and decorations.
How to adapt it
For hybrid or fully remote teams, Courtney recommends a virtual vendor showcase on Zoom or Teams — invite a handful of Black-owned (or other culturally relevant) businesses to share their story, what they sell, and where to shop.
In a later role, she recycled the model for Black History Month: published lists of Black-owned businesses near major office hubs on SharePoint and paired it with a virtual Black Jeopardy event where winners got gift cards to spend with those businesses.
Takeaways for other ERG leaders
- You don't need a big budget to move culture. You need a clear idea, the right partners, and a venue.
- Tie events to a company value or pillar. It turns "nice to do" into "obviously aligned."
- Vendors win when they get foot traffic. A no-fee, no-pay structure works for everyone.
- Invite members into your kitchen. The more voices shaping the program, the better the flavor.