Desiree Noisette started Mermosa Wines in 2017 in St. Petersburg, Florida, but moved her family to Oregon in 2022, drawn by the state’s outdoor scene and to be closer to her company’s winemaker near Salem. In the months since the move, she turned often to an app called XB, launched last year by two Portland brothers to connect users to Black businesses and culture in the Portland area. Noisette, who is Black, used the app or the Facebook group that inspired it to find help with business licensing in Oregon; ask questions about real estate; find decorators and other professionals to help with events; staff Mermosa PDX, the restaurant she opened in Northwest Portland last year; and recently to hire accountant. Read more at the link in our bio. #XB #XBapp #app #portland #oregon #portlandoregon #blackownedbusiness #localbusiness #theoregonian