- Nov 20, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: May 22
The Pinellas County Urban League (PCUL) celebrated a day of cuisine and culture by hosting its Sip. Savor. Vibe: Southern Soul Food & Wine Experience on November 15th at Eckerd College.
This Equal Opportunity fundraiser and celebration for PCUL featured a diverse array of esteemed chefs, food entrepreneurs, sommeliers, and catering partners, ready to share their carefully crafted dishes with attendees. From coffee and mocktails, to soul food and vegan sushi, the choice of dishes from Next Level Urban Alliance (NLUA) vendors offered options for every palate.
Nikki Gaskin-Capehart, President and CEO of PCUL, shared her thoughts on the event. “Our inaugural Sip, Savor, Vibe: Southern Soul Food and Wine Experience was an elevated Black excellence day of culture and cuisine, curated in a way that my dreams could not have imagined. Our goal to exemplify the power of the collective was truly achieved,” said Gaskin-Capehart.
Part of Gaskin-Capehart’s vision for this event was to celebrate, uplift, and increase exposure to Black businesses in Pinellas County.
“I wanted our community to feel honored to come together and celebrate our culinary foodpreneurs in the business, so that they can continue to grow their businesses and go to the next level,” said Gaskin-Capehart.
This Southern Soul Country Chic celebration served as a steppingstone for the PCUL’s Next Level Urban Alliance (NLUA) Culinary industry members. According to the PCUL’s website, NLUA is “a network of entrepreneurs, professionals, and development leaders collaborating to expand the equity-focused entrepreneurial ecosystem (E3) of Pinellas County.” Strengthening entrepreneurship as a vital pathway to economic growth for African Americans is the goal of the alliance.
NLUA also plays a part in PCUL’s Vision 2030 plan, geared toward supporting St. Petersburg entrepreneurs. Vision 2030 was highlighted at the fundraiser, pinpointing four key themes: strategic community empowerment, sustainable social enterprise, enhanced program and service footprint, and fiscal and operational responsibility.
If you were not able to attend this inaugural day party, PCUL will be hosting a similar event as a part of their upcoming Juneteenth 2026 Freedom Experience™, happening Thursday and Friday, June 18 and 19, 2026. Stay tuned for time and location.
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