(upbeat music) - I've had the pleasure to travel to the motherland of Africa on six different occasions.

From vacations to work I've always enjoyed my time there.

Well, minus the 800 hour plane ride but despite that, the country that surprised me the most is Tanzania.

Now I knew about the Serengeti, but I did not know about the beautiful beaches and bustling cityscapes.

And to me, the person who embodies the most is my friend Benito.

And today I, Big Piph, have the pleasure to talk to him and also about his new business, The Remix.

♪ Look around and I'm still here ♪ ♪ I celebrate, I celebrate, I celebrate, ♪ ♪ I celebrate, I celebrate ♪ ♪ I celebrate, I celebrate, I celebrate, I celebrate ♪ ♪ Celebrate what a brother done done ♪ ♪ Celebrate what we bout to come from ♪ ♪ Celebrate those that love to hate ♪ ♪ Mug upon they face but they ain't bout none ♪ ♪ I celebrate ♪ - [Benito] In Africa we say if you want to travel fast, travel alone.

But if you want to travel far, travel together.

We have to collaborate and do something together, because it really takes a village to make a difference.

♪ Look at all the faces ♪ ♪ We all want change ♪ - How you doing?

(laughs) - Benito and his company, Remix Ideas, have been major for central Arkansas by creating venues and opportunities for black entrepreneurs and creators.

(mellow music) - [Benito] So I started this company called Remix Ideas, and the focus really of Remix Ideas is try to democratize entrepreneurship in the state of Arkansas.

- [Big Piph] Okay.

- [Benito] For many reasons, black entrepreneur, we are still behind.

- [Big Piph] Why do you think that is?

- [Benito] Ownership.

- [Big Piph] Gotcha.

- [Benito] You have to own our destiny.

We have to, that's the true freedom.

- Gotcha.

- When you own your business, you own your, we increase the wealth in our communities.

Sometimes it's not what you know, but who you know, in the ecosystem.

- [Big Piph] Gotcha.

- [Benito] So Remix Ideas is trying to help that.

And Night Market, things we are doing to show like, okay, you can come to the Night Market, you can sell your product, you can test your ideas.

- [Big Piph] Right.

- [Benito] You can start giving them hope.

They can say, hey, man I can do it.

And if they see some of the people we are trying to help and they start doing well, they say, oh man, I can do, too!

- Knowledge capital, access to capital, and social capital are the three Cs Benito focuses on with Remix Ideas.

For this Little Rock Night Market, unites communities of artists, vendors, and business people from areas, not just around the state, but from around the world.

- This is the main area of the Night Market, right?

- Yes, it's all, these are the vendors.

They are setting up.

- [Big Piph] Very good.

Reminds me, I know you travel a lot.

Reminds me a lot of larger markets you see.

- [Benito] Yes.

- [Big Piph] And this happens how often?

- [Benito] Once a month.

- [Big Piph] Once a month?

- [Benito] Yes, a month.

It reminds me of Zanzibar.

You know, I don't know if you went to market in Zanzibar.

- I didn't, I didn't get a chance to go.

- Oh, man!

- So the Night Market in Zanzibar inspired me, too.

- What you got popping off?

- All crystal, crystal rock jewelry.

- Gotcha.

- All good buys.

- Gotcha.

- Also, crystals are best for your favorite rapper.

Who's your favorite rapper?

- You!

- Yeah, yeah, for sure!

(laughs) What's up?

(laughs) Each month, the Night Market attracts thousands of eager customers to celebrate artistic diversity.

But let's be clear.

It's also just to have a really good time.

(upbeat music) What was some of the first things that like, brought you to this point, to want to become not only an entrepreneur, but also make other entrepreneurs?

- You know, my parents.

- Okay.

- My parents have been influence of my life.

We have to live the life of purpose.

- [Big Piph] Okay.

- [Benito] The life of changing humanity, we have to contribute something in the humanity - And your parents instilled this in to you, early age?

- Yes, they instill this from early age that, you know, no matter how small, you think you're too small to make a difference.

What I realize in the black community, we don't have a problems of pilots, - [Big Piph] Okay.

- That means entrepreneurs.

And we don't have any problem of airplanes, which means ideas, product, services.

- Right.

- The major problem we have is runways to fly.

- Gotcha.

- So what Remix is trying to do, is to create those runways, where these entrepreneurs with their dreams, they can fly with, you know, and make a difference and start their companies or scale their business.

- [Big Piph] Gotcha.

- [Benito] Yes.

- I gotta let you know, when I'm not around you, I'm gonna completely steal that metaphor, so I appreciate you for that.

- Okay!

(laughs) - [Big Piph] Also, you forgot to point out one other major point that you're doing and that's having a Big Piph performance tonight, man.

- Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

yeah!

- Yeah?

- No, no, no!

- Yeah, no, it's cool.

- {Benito] Man, man, we support artists.

- [Big Piph] Yeah, yeah.

- [Benito] And we appreciate for you to come all the way from Atlanta and bless us with your skills and your talent.

♪ Over there scared ♪ ♪ I ain't got no problem ♪ ♪ Cause it's bottom's up ♪ ♪ Look around and ♪ ♪ I'm still here ♪ ♪ I celebrate ♪ ♪ I celebrate ♪ - This year, we have helped some entrepreneurs to get access to capital.

- Gotcha.

- I think more than $150,000.

- Gotcha.

- [Benito] We have giving the money in terms of, we have this pitch challenge we are doing, we have giving money to entrepreneurs.

Every time when they pitch, we give $5,000.

We have started Business Academy, it's called Start a Business Academy.

And some of our students, they will be at the Night Market today, close to 2,000 people are coming today.

- [Big Piph] Gotcha.

- [Benito] And, you know, so that's, every people are coming to that market and we have more than 50, 60 vendors.

- Your focus on black entrepreneurship, - Yes.

- What is the incentive for non-black people to come and also to purchase?

- Let me tell you, if we want to build a shared future, we have to make sure that the person who was the least of these, we have to uplift them, right?

- [Big Piph] Right.

- [Benito] Otherwise we'll not have a good community because we need to uplift everybody.

- [Big Piph] Gotcha.

- [Benito] So what we are doing to uplift black entrepreneurs is good for everybody.

And they say every day, don't judge your day by your fruits.

But by the seeds you're planting.

♪ I celebrate, I celebrate ♪ - [Big Piph] Benito, the entrepreneur extraordinaire, using his roots to help grow others.

That's dope.

That way, the shine doesn't just stop with him, but allows others to show the glow.

♪ But they ain't about none ♪ ♪ I celebrate ♪