Stay Real. Stay Dope.
Impact
Shantelle’s work bridges entrepreneurship, culture, and systemic equity.
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Economic Empowerment — Expanding access to procurement, supplier diversity, and business visibility.
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Community Infrastructure — Building platforms that strengthen minority-owned business ecosystems.
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Cultural Advancement — Supporting arts and hip-hop communities as engines of economic growth.
Her impact is measured not just in recognition, but in the businesses, leaders, and cultural spaces she helps sustain.
Shantelle Patton
Shantelle L. Patton is a visionary entrepreneur, cultural architect, and leading advocate for minority-owned businesses in Western New York. Her work centers economic empowerment, entrepreneurship, and long-term community wealth building—particularly across Buffalo’s East Side and beyond.
As Director of Programming and Community Engagement at Intersect Buffalo, she leads high-impact initiatives designed to strengthen local ecosystems and expand access to opportunity. She is also the Founder and CEO of That Brown Bag Minority Business Directory, a platform established in 2018 that now connects hundreds of businesses to procurement pipelines, visibility channels, and strategic growth resources through the BBX Supplier Diversity Portal and Culture Currency Hub.
A co-founder of The Dopeness Project, Shantelle has played a pivotal role in carving out space for Buffalo’s hip-hop and arts communities, merging cultural expression with economic advancement.
Her leadership extends across multiple organizations, including serving as President of the Urban Chamber of Commerce (Buffalo) and contributing to boards and advisory groups dedicated to arts, business development, and next-generation leadership.
Recognized consistently for her impact and influence, Shantelle’s work is grounded in her belief in “Currency for the Culture” — the principle that economic power and cultural legacy are inseparable.
Through strategy, advocacy, and creative expression — including her work as a spoken word artist — she is building more than programs. She is building infrastructure, visibility, and lasting movement.
