Staff

Jerome Love,
President, Texas Black Expo

Jerome Love is the founder and President of Texas Black Expo, Inc. producers of the nationally-recognized Houston Black Expo, which is the largest African American tradeshow in the state of Texas. The mission of the Houston Black Expo is to foster growth, development, and economic synergy within urban communities by providing platforms for businesses to network and expose their goods and services to the masses and through programs designed to develop urban youth into professional individuals that know their purpose and that believe in giving back and supporting their local communities.

Texas Black Expo, Inc. is most widely known for its annual signature event: the Houston Black Expo summer tradeshow. This popular annual event gathers the city of Houston’s premiere businesses, community organizations, and community leaders together to recognize and celebrates minority businesses and their significance to the Houston economy. Small business owners are given an opportunity to showcase and market their products and services, while large businesses are provided an opportunity to give back to the community that they serve. In three short years, the Houston Black Expo has grown to include more than 250 vendors, 15,000 attendees, and major sponsors such as: H-E-B, Nationwide Insurance, General Motors, Washington Mutual, and numerous other corporate sponsors.

In 2005, Love in cooperation with business partner Shannon Cormier, converted the Houston Black Expo to a non-profit organization with two primary focuses: Business Development and Youth Mentorship & Development. Under the Business Development division originated Greater Houston’s premiere networking luncheon, the “HBE Lunch & Learn”, a free luncheon held monthly where business owners attend seminars targeted towards growing and developing a healthy, sustainable business. In addition, this division is in the process of establishing the first of four HBE Business Development Centers. HBE Business Development Centers will provide office space and shared resources in an affordable entrepreneurial environment in order to increase the sustainability of start-up and established small businesses owned by minorities in the Greater Houston area in order to foster economic development in historically disadvantaged areas.

Jerome Love earned a B.S. in corporate communications with a minor in business from The University of Texas at Austin. During his tenure at the University of Texas, Love had a brief stint in corporate America, which motivated his entrepreneurial ambitions. At an early age, Love has successfully owned and operated numerous businesses.

Love’s first entrepreneurial endeavor was a motivational line of clothing, GUGOGS, which is an acronym for “Get Up Get Out and Get Something”. This unique brand of clothing under the leadership of Love has been carried in stores and exhibited at tradeshows in New York, Nevada, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Texas, and overseas in Aruba, within the first two years. Through owning GUGOGS Apparel, Love gained an extensive education in tradeshow planning and exhibition. The most notable tradeshow that Love had the experience of exhibiting at was The Magic Show, which is the largest international apparel tradeshow of its kind held twice annually in Las Vegas, and which boasts over 250,000 attendees.

In 1999 Love founded J. Love Properties, a real estate investment firm that currently owns and manages real estate in Houston and Killeen, TX. Through negotiating, buying, and selling countless properties throughout the state of Texas, Love has further developed his natural skills in negotiations and sales. Love is currently the broker and owner of LHS Realty Group, a full service real estate company which he formed in 2004. Currently, LHS Realty Group has 8 agents servicing Houston and surrounding areas. In addition Love has found time to author his first book, “Contrapreneurship”, an inspirational guide to building a successful based up his life learned lessons.

Love is also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, INC. On Valentine’s Day 2004, Love married Stevenia Gordon, and together they have three beautiful daughters: Jasmyn 3, Jayda 2, and Jaleya 1.