LOS ANGELES — Step inside Fleurs Et Sel in West Adams and you’ll find a light pink-dusted, Paris-inspired bakery where the air is sweet with butter and sugar. Cookies line the counters in flavors like Nutella Framboise, Strawberry Confiture and Matcha Chocolate Blanc.

But the chic shop is more than a sweet escape. It’s one of dozens of local businesses participating in the Black Business Scavenger Hunt, a monthlong celebration of Black entrepreneurship across Los Angeles.

What You Need To Know The Black Business Scavenger Hunt runs throughout Black Business Month in Los Angeles

Participants use a map to discover and visit Black-owned businesses, earning points and prizes

Founded by Prosperity Market’s Carmen Dianne and Kara Still, the event helps small businesses gain visibility

Local gems like Fleurs Et Sel Bakery in West Adams and Dubb’s Organic Coffee Blends in West Hollywood are among this year’s participants

For founder Lara Adekoya, the bakery began at the height of the pandemic.

“I actually started the bakery in April of 2020. Like at the top of the pandemic, I was furloughed from my 9 to 5,” she said. “So I was really sitting with myself trying to figure out what I was passionate about, what would bring me happiness on a day-to-day basis. And so I started baking cookies truly, as a way to connect with my community.”

Although she had no business experience, Adekoya turned passion into a business and says survival depends on support.

“I feel like a lot of our favorite black businesses, we see them, we see them doing well, and then next thing you know, they’re out of business,” she said. “I feel like as a small business owner, every dollar counts, every cookie sale counts, every referral counts.”

That’s where the scavenger hunt comes in. The initiative was created five years ago by Prosperity Market co-founders Carmen Dianne and Kara Still to help small businesses be seen.

They sit at another of the businesses participating in the Scavenger Hunt, Dubb’s Organic Coffee Blends in West Hollywood, where the owner doles out steaming cups of fresh-roasted coffee, vibrant juices and golden, flaky croissants.

“We are business owners ourselves,” Dianne said. “We understand very intimately the challenges that businesses face, and one of those is just getting people to know that you exist.”

Dianne and Still’s business, Prosperity Market, is a farmers’ market on wheels that doubles as a food truck.

The business features Black farmers, food producers and chefs and was a labor of love after Dianne, previously a makeup artist, and Still, a fashion designer, came together during the pandemic — determined to change the state of affairs for Black America.

With the scavenger hunt, people can explore a curated list of participating businesses, from cafes to wine shops to boutiques.

“We released the map. We have the business list. So at any time, people can look in their neighborhood or category and discover businesses that they didn’t know existed, or maybe that they hadn’t visited in a long time,” Still said.

And while the economy often feels uncertain, Dianne believes the strength of Black businesses endures.

“Our businesses stand on their own, no matter what. Policy is changing, no matter who’s in administration. Our businesses stand on their own, and that’s the bottom line,” Dianne said. “But we have to support each other.”

Back in West Adams, Adekoya is seeing that support firsthand. At 10 o’clock on the dot, a line magically appears, with customers eager to taste inventive flavors and soak in the warm, chic atmosphere.

Adekoya noted that she’s thrilled to be a part of the scavenger hunt.

“A lot of the other businesses in West Adams are also participating and are also Black or minority owned. So it’s really great to build community, bridge community,” said Adekoya.

Her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?

“Keep going,” she said. “Pursue that idea. Get those drawings out. Go design your t-shirts, go build your build your business because there’s truly nothing that can stop you. And I feel like I am a testament to hard work, dedication, and just following my own dream.”

Join in on the Black Business Scavenger Hunt online.