Innovator, accountant, therapist, receptionist, sales rep--Black women entrepreneurs wear many hats. All the Hats acknowledges, supports, and hopes to inspire, as explained by entrepreneur and founding editor Teneshia Carr, who'll tell you about it when you click play.
Learn Your Lessons, Not Your Losses
In her commencement address to Spelman College's graduating class this year, entrepreneur and politician Stacey Abrams shared lessons from her political and business experience, including the essential things you can learn from early failures. Read more.

"Ours is not the struggle of one day, one week, or one year. Ours is not the struggle of one judicial appointment or presidential term. Ours is the struggle of a lifetime, or maybe even many lifetimes, and each one of us in every generation must do our part." -John Lewis
John Lewis was a civil rights activist and member of the U.S. Congress

Life Begins at the End of Your Comfort Zone
It took Yubing Zhang jumping off a building to realize she had the power to redefine her understanding of fear and courage. Zhang believes that unlimited potential exists when we break through our comfort zone.
"As I approached my teenage years, I began to go into the office with her and observe the relationships that she built, the incredible people that she got to work with and lead. I always looked up to her. I am very lucky, I had such an incredible role model and still do." Jordan Taylor grew up observing her mother Edith Cooper work at her office at Goldman Sachs. Together in 2018, they launched Medley, a service that puts groups of people together with a coach to problem-solve a common concern. Read more.

"The beauty of anti-racism is that you don't have to pretend to be free of racism to be anti-racist. Anti-racism is the commitment to fight racism wherever you find it, including in yourself. And it's the only way forward." -Ijeoma Oluo
Ijeoma Oluo is the author of So You Want to Talk About Race.

"I think this time in the world, right now, requires people to stand for something. Sometimes brands are not used to the truth. I think a lot of times, people sugarcoat things and make it more palatable, but if you really stand for it, then stand for it." April McDaniel launched creative agency Crown + Conquer in 2016. She now has a staff of 35 and works with clients such as Spotify, TikTok, and Google. Read more.

"The fight is not just being able to keep breathing. The fight is actually to be able to walk down the street with your head held high--and feel like I belong here, or I deserve to be here, or I just have [a] right to have a level of dignity." -Alicia Garza
Alicia Garza is the co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement.

74%
Seventy-four percent of Black women own businesses in sectors that represent only 20 percent of business revenue overall. Meanwhile, although wholesale businesses represent 24 percent of business revenue, only 1 percent of Black women entrepreneurs are in the sector.
"You are trying to manage your life, manage your family, manage your business, and figure out how to be a human being at such a high-density moment. There is so much coming at you. We are trying to give people a little hand, and the space and encouragement to do that." Chana Ewing, founder of Geenie, an inclusive beauty network, and other entrepreneurs discuss the importance of leaning on community when we need it most. Read more.

"One day our descendants will think it incredible that we paid so much attention to things like the amount of melanin in our skin or the shape of our eyes or our gender instead of the unique identities of each of us as complex human beings." -Franklin Thomas
Franklin Thomas was an attorney, businessman, and philanthropist.

"I've been around so many smart people, both inside my family and outside of it. People who were brilliant, but because they were in these circumstances, these environments where no one was pushing them to go to school, they didn't have someone in their life to sort of motivate them to do better." Delane Parnell went from not having the internet as a kid growing up a few blocks from Detroit's Seven Mile Road to CEO of PlayVS, an e-sports platform that has raised more than $100 million in funding. Read his story.

"Don't let anything stop you. There will be times when you'll be disappointed, but you can't stop." -Sadie T.M. Alexander
Sadie T.M. Alexander was a civil rights activist and the first Black woman to practice law in Pennsylvania. She was also the first African American to receive a PhD in economics in the United States.

2% of Unicorns Have Black Founders
Of the 607 U.S.-based startup companies valued at more than $1 billion, only around 11 percent are women-founded and women-led, and only 2 percent have Black founders. The list of Black and Brown female unicorn founders includes Toyin Ajayi of Cityblock Health, Suneera Madhani of Stax, Rihanna of Savage X Fenty, and Pat McGrath with Pat McGrath Labs.
"In 2009, when I began to approach potential retail partners for Tatcha, I was explicitly told that 'Asian beauty is not aspirational in the U.S.,' and that Tatcha was 'too niche' and 'too exotic' for the Western woman. It felt like high school all over again, but it made me only more passionate about bringing a different perspective on beauty to the U.S." Vicky Tsai grew up watching her mother, who owned a beauty store, mix herbs to create traditional Chinese remedies at home. After recognizing the power of her heritage, she started Tatcha in 2009. Read her story.

"Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare."
-Audre Lorde
-Audre Lorde
Audre Lorde was an American writer, feminist, and civil rights activist.

Black Women Making Millions Academy
Mahisha Dellinger, founder of hair care company Curls, launched the Black Women Making Millions Academy to share the knowledge she's learned over the past 20 years as an entrepreneur. What started as a retreat is now an MBA-style online course. Find out more about Mahisha's journey in building her company, and how you can access the academy's valuable resources to build yours. Read more.

The First Black Woman on the Federal Reserve Board
Lisa Cook, an economist and professor of economics and international relations at Michigan State University, is the first Black woman on the Federal Reserve Board. She focuses on policies that broaden economic opportunities, particularly for racial minorities and women.

Top Grants for Minority-Owned Businesses
Given that Black women received just 0.34 percent of the total amount of VC funding in the first half of last year, keeping your eye out for other funding opportunities is a must. Here are some grant opportunities that could help you get the funds to move your business forward.

3 Brilliant Tips for Leaders Everywhere
"The best leaders both identify gifts and talents of other people and help them live in those gifts and talents. They create space for that to happen. And the second thing is that they help people see a world that they have not seen before and help them feel comfortable that they can live in that, that they can create it. That they can build it." DeRay Mckesson, an educator, civil rights activist, and one of the leading voices in the Black Lives Matter movement, shares what you can do to become a better leader. Read more.

"I want to be remembered as someone who used herself and anything she could touch for justice and freedom. I want to be remembered as one who tried." -Dorothy Height
Dorothy Height was a leader in the civil rights movements and the president of the National Council of Negro Women for 40 years.

How To Build Your Confidence - And Spark It in Others
Brittany Packnett Cunningham is the founder of Love & Power Works, a full-service social impact agency. She was also a member of President Obama's 21st Century Policing Task Force and the Ferguson Commission. In this talk, she discusses her belief that "confidence is the necessary spark before everything that follows."
"I wanted to start a business that I was passionate about, but I think I'm more passionate about equity. It's really about democratizing this idea that champagne and other luxuries are only for certain people and making it approachable for everyone." Along with Catherine Carter, Erica Davis launched the Sip, a California-based winetasting subscription service, in 2020 after being frustrated by not being able to sample a new wine or champagne without buying the whole bottle. Read more.

"It's not about supplication, it's about power. It's not about asking, it's about demanding. It's not about convincing those who are currently in power, it's about changing the very face of power itself."
-Kimberlé Williams
Crenshaw
-Kimberlé Williams
Crenshaw
Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw is a civil rights advocate and professor at the UCLA School of Law and Columbia Law School.

Olympian Gabby Thomas On Finding Your Motivation
Gabby Thomas has already achieved many successes, including taking home two Olympic medals and graduating from Harvard. In between training for the 2024 Olympics and completing her master's degree in public health at the University of Texas, she's trying to inspire a movement that would lead to equitable healthcare for all.
"Many investors have been trying to approach me about funding and I've always closed the door, because we didn't need them. We were really serious about looking for a strategic partner and we wanted to make sure that it was the right person because the business is so unique. We wanted people who really cared about more than just money." Pinky Cole, founder of Slutty Vegan, who just raised a $25 million Series A round, discusses the importance of being strategic about accepting investment capital. Read more.

"I consider myself a crayon. I might not be your favorite color, but one day you are going to need me to complete your picture."
-Lauryn Hill
-Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill is a singer, rapper, and actress who has won eight Grammys, more than any other female rapper.

> 50%
In a survey, more than 50 percent of Black entrepreneurs whose businesses survived the pandemic reported still being very or extremely concerned about the viability of their companies. This concern could be directly attributed to having a more difficult time gaining access to credit.
Want To Scale? Consider Offering Employees Equity
"If you're struggling to build your business, it could be because you don't have the right kind of employees. If you were able to offer equity and convince a potential employee that your business has growth potential, you just need their help to get there--at that point, there's a mutual payoff." Entrepreneur Tan France and other experts share their advice about ways to get the right employees involved in growing your company. Read more.
"I am a Black disabled lesbian stutterer--I just check every damn box. But I don't have somebody saying, you should listen to her, even if she stumbles. If you just wait, she has something good to say. But that doesn't stop me. I'm going to still say what I have to say. I'm still going to keep on pushing. I give myself the grace to know I'm limited--but I am not unable." Ruby Taylor's life changed a few years ago after a car accident but she was still determined to make a difference. The former social worker created a card game that she hopes will help close the racial wealth gap through financial literacy and education. Read more.

"It's important with all of the messages that might tell you otherwise that you have that in yourself to say, 'I am beautiful. I am smart and I'm amazing.'"
-Laverne Cox
-Laverne Cox
Laverne Cox is an award-winning actress and LGBT advocate.

"We just want to be seen and heard. I want my thoughts and experiences to be validated. I don't want separation. I want a unified, diverse, and integrated community. That's one of the reasons I went into the restaurant business--so I could create an environment where that could exist peacefully." Chef and CEO Tanya Holland, who opened Brown Sugar Kitchen in Oakland in 2008, kept her business going during quarantine by pivoting to takeout and serving donated meals to frontline medical workers. Read more.

4% vs. 55%
Only 4 percent of Black-owned businesses are still in operation after three and a half years, compared with an average of 55.5 percent for all companies.
How to Create Inclusive Communities for Entrepreneurs of Color
"My company is rapidly growing and I am becoming a more recognized leader, particularly in our hometown of Baltimore, yet I still find myself wondering at times if I belong. Do I look the part? Sound the part? Am I perceived by new connections as a successful entrepreneur?" Delali Dzirasa, the founder and CEO of Fearless, a software company, advises that entrepreneurs need to be more intentional about inclusion practices. Read more.

"No matter where you are from, your dreams are valid."
-Lupita Nyong'o
-Lupita Nyong'o
Lupita Nyong'o is an Academy Award-winning actress.

$200
billion
billion
Companies have dedicated more than $200 billion to increase efforts toward racial justice since the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. Much of these funds are committed to providing affordable housing, lending in low- and middle-income and minority communities, and community development.
"I've [always] been a person who just likes to move in a stealth manner, and really just kind of let my actions speak for themselves. I don't want to take great pride in something that I wanted to just do out of the goodness of my heart or my family's heart with our family foundation." Ndamukong Ngwa Suh, American football defensive tackle and Super Bowl champion, discusses juggling his brand, career, and philanthropic endeavors. Read more.

"Wouldn't it be nice if Black girls weren't inundated with negative, sexist comments about Black women? If they were told instead of the many important things that we've achieved? ... Black women, too often in the shadows of such accomplishments, actually powered the civil rights movement." -Megan Thee Stallion
Megan Thee Stallion is an American rapper.

6 Classic Ways To Crash Your Company
Every fast-growth company eventually runs into at least one of these all-too-common obstacles. How you handle them can make the difference between success and a high-speed smashup.Read more.

Are These 14 VC Funds on Your Radar?
If you are looking for funding, you know how difficult it is for Black women-led ventures to get it. The most difficult part can be knowing where to look. These 14 funds focus specifically on funding women-led companies. Start here.
"Just remember the world is not a playground, but a schoolroom. Life is not a holiday, but an education. One eternal lesson for us all: to teach us how better we should love." -Barbara Jordan
Barbara Jordan was a civil rights leader and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
"Be patient, and stay the course. Take in the information. Take in the disappointments. They will come. They are important. They are part of the opportunity to clarify what you want to do." Tracee Ellis Ross filled a gap in the beauty market when she launched her hair care line, Pattern Beauty, in 2019, but she had dreamed for years about creating the perfect hair care products for curly, coiled, and kinky hair. Read about how Tracee found the motivation to launch despite the rejections she faced. Read more.

"We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee." -Marian Wright Edelman
Marian Wright Edelman is a civil rights activist and founder of the nonprofit Children’s Defense Fund.

58%
More than half of Black audiences say there's still not enough representation of their identity group on-screen. However, new data shows that African Americans spend more time consuming media than any other group.
"One of the secrets of his success was that Dad was visionary, and I try to channel that visionary piece and trust it. He was also extremely philanthropic and generous. What I'm doing is very much inherited and in line with [what he did]. That giving as you climb is very much inspired by him." Christina Lewis, owner and president of coaching and advisory firm C Lewis Services and the founder of several nonprofits, shares some lessons from her father, Reginald F. Lewis, the first Black billionaire. Read more.

"The thing that makes you exceptional, if you are at all, is inevitably that which must also make you lonely."
-Lorraine Hansberry
-Lorraine Hansberry
Lorraine Hansberry was an acclaimed playwright whose works include A Raisin in the Sun.

Start Small, but Don't Dream Small
CEO and founder of Xtreme Solutions Phyllis Newhouse lists three things women entrepreneurs need to succeed, and encourages us to stop looking for a seat and start building our own table. Read more.

45%
Nearly half of consumers in the United States agree that companies should pledge to support Black-owned brands, suppliers, and vendors. Sixty-eight percent say their social values shape their shopping choices.
"Great allies aren't just great allies to your face. They're your allies when you're not there. Stepping up to say, 'I'm uncomfortable with this conversation. Have you taken time to better educate yourself on the topics that impact that community or individuals?' They advocate for those who may not look like them. Great allies are courageous and speak up on behalf of marginalized groups. That's true allyship. It's about changing the dialogue at that moment and encouraging a culture of inclusion and understanding through actions, and not just words."
-Traci Wade
-Traci Wade
Senior director, diversity and inclusion, Oracle


"We're a medium to give people the opportunity to build community, effect change, and kickstart their entrepreneurial aspirations. We wanted to use technology to facilitate the process of assisting folks, when it's not necessarily obvious to them that they have to put away a lot of money today."Derrius Quarles, Ras Asan, and Brian Williams launched Breaux Capital, an online platform enabling Black men to pool their resources to create wealth for their families. Read more.
"I'm very proud to be Black, but Black is not all I am. That's my cultural historical background, my genetic makeup, but it's not all of who I am nor is it the basis from which I answer every question."
-Denzel Washington
-Denzel Washington
Academy award-winning actor, director, and producer.

61%
of Black women self-fund their total startup costs.
Only 29 percent of Black women entrepreneurs live in households with incomes over $75,000, compared with 52 percent of White men. Many Black women go into debt and have less personal collateral when starting their businesses.
"Fuck It Button"
Wallace Peeples, also known as Wallo267, became a cultural phenomenon in two short years after serving a 20-year prison sentence by creating powerful viral content inspiring people to step into their greatness and discover their purpose. He shares his story in this talk and urges us to activate our "fuck it button" to ignore others' limiting opinions of us so we can access our greatest potential.
Reham Fagiri, founder of AptDeco, decided to make it safer to get used furniture online by creating a marketplace that focused on safety. In a recent interview streamed on Inc.com with Beatrice Dixon, co-founder and CEO of the Honey Pot Company, Reham shares some things she did to grow her business. Read more.

"Some people say I have attitude--maybe I do. But I think you have to. You have to believe in yourself when no one else does--that makes you a winner right there." -Venus Williams
Venus Williams is an American professional tennis player. A former world No. 1 in both singles and doubles, Williams has won seven Grand Slam singles titles, five at Wimbledon and two at the U.S. Open.

1 in 3
More than 1 in 3 (37%) Black entrepreneurs with full-time jobs have not told their company that they have their own business.
Among Black entrepreneurs with full-time jobs, 35 percent feel they've been overlooked for career advancement opportunities because they have an additional business.
"Entrepreneurs are often praised for their boldness and forward thinking. Yet they struggle with keeping their passions afloat, while paying for rents and mortgages. Minority- and female-owned businesses are more likely to fail from inadequate funding and inability to secure and retain customers." Sofia Consulting Firm founder and CEO Sophia Ononye shares her story from the perspective of a Millennial African-born immigrant woman scientist. Read more.

"I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear."
-Rosa Parks
-Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks, an American activist in the civil rights movement, was best known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott.

The Skill of Self-Confidence
Ivan Joseph is the athletic director and head coach of the varsity soccer team at Ryerson University. In this talk, he explores self-confidence and shares tips on building what he thinks is the most important skill in our lives.
56%
of Black business owners report that obstacles to obtaining credit restrict their ability to grow.
Black entrepreneurs are almost three times more likely than Whites to have profit negatively impacted by access to capital. This lack of capital reserves means that Black business owners often can't weather negative periods as their White counterparts do.
Bet on Black Women for Smarter Cities
"Consider what would happen if we didn't only focus our attention and investment in what is high growth and high tech, but also paid attention to the microcosms of communities that are people-first versus tech-first: the daycares, coffee shops, bakeries, plumbing services, and more. What would our cities look like in that case?" Sherrell Dorsey, the founder, and CEO of the Plug, wrote this beautiful essay about the effects of making cities more livable for Black women.
How to Build a Great Team From Scratch
"You should respect your employees, but their existence is not your sustenance. Sometimes the universe will send you someone perfect for the next 12 months and 17 days, and then they've got to go and someone else will come in. It isn't meant to be that every person will be with you on this journey for the next 15 years. Some people are coming to you to help you, and some people are coming to you because they need you to help them." Lisa Price, Ceo and Founder of Carol's Daughter share wisdom with Ceo and Founder of Wrap Life Nnenna Stella on building a team and getting your company to the next stage. Read more.

"It isn't where you come from; it's where you're going that counts." -Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald was an American jazz singer. Known as the First Lady of Song, she won 13 Grammys and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

36% & 43%
Few Black adults believe they can succeed in the science (36%) and engineering (43%) fields
Just 20% of Black Americans say that scientists as a professional group are very welcoming of Black people.
12 Daily Habits Practiced by Highly Successful People
"Every day I make the effort to connect with five people. And I don't mean just to say hello; I'm talking about having actual meaningful conversations with them that aren't specific to a work-related project." Steve Mast, President of Delvinia, a ResearchTech company, is among the successful people that shared their daily habits. Read more.

"I always wanted to be somebody. If I made it, it's half because I was game enough to take a lot of punishment along the way and half because there were a lot of people who cared enough to help me."
-Althea Gibson
-Althea Gibson
Althea Gibson was an American tennis player and professional golfer, and one of the first black athletes to cross the color line of international tennis. In 1956, she became the first African American to win a Grand Slam title.

"Maybe they think the best entrepreneurs are dudes of a certain age who wear hoodies and come out of certain schools. But I don't look like Mark Zuckerberg and I never will, because I am a proud black gay woman." Heather Hiles founded Pathbrite in 2008 before selling it to one of her investors in 2015 before becoming an investor herself. She shares her journey from entrepreneur to investor. Read more.

6.2%
Although unemployment rates fell for most race and gender groups, Black unemployment rates continue to be almost the twice the national rate at 6.2%
"Developing a good work ethic is key. Apply yourself at whatever you do, whether you're a janitor or taking your first summer job, because that work ethic will be reflected in everything you do in life."
-Tyler Perry
-Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry is an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter.

"For the past 45 years, I've been staying up late reading and then getting up early to work. I hope we'll have somebody who will want to take over. Books are a little different. You have to like them, have a sense for your audience, and have the discipline to go through the catalogs to know what will sell." James Fugate has been running Eso Won Books since 1990, and he's never seen a sales surge like the one he's experiencing now. Read more.

"I don't think that loving yourself is a choice. I think that it's a decision that has to be made for survival." -Lizzo
Lizzo is a rapper, songwriter, and actor.

AWS Impact Accelerator: Black Founders
AWS is launching a new AWS Impact Accelerator that will be committing more than $30 million over the next three years to early-stage startups led by Black, women, Latino, and LGBTQIA+ founders. From now until May 13, a startup can apply, and every qualifying founder will receive a $125,000 cash grant, training, and community for zero equity in return. Find out more here
"If I can get on my phone and order a Lyft, shop for new clothes, and get my groceries delivered, why can't I find a great hairstylist with the same ease? This frustration and desperate need for a solution led to the founding of Bonnti--a mobile app that allows women of color the opportunity to find stylists, discover styles, and build community all within a convenient and fun platform." Maude Okrah, founder and CEO of Bonnti, talks about why she launched her app and her advice to other entrepreneurs who are just starting. Read more.

Finding Inspiration
This video was filmed for Black History month with Charis Jones, founder and owner of the accessory brand Sassy Jones. Charis shares some of the things that inspire and empower her. Would you like to offer your thoughts and inspirations on this platform? Stay tuned to find out how next week!
One Woman Finds VCs Are Still More Likely to Look at Emails From Male Founders
"Curiously, when I used my husband's email to send our pitch, that's when I started getting some responses. Do VCs only read pitches submitted by men? Do they prefer to hear from someone who is Asian rather than Black? I got no responses until I started using the email of my co-founder Noah, who is Asian." Nerissa Zhang shares her story that raises the question of how VCs are doing after pledging more support to Black founders. Read more.

"The moment anyone tries to demean or degrade you in any way, you have to know how great you are. Nobody would bother to beat you down if you were not a threat." -Cicely Tyson
Cicely Tyson was an award-winning actress and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

IFundWomen of Color
According to IfundWomen, 72 percent of female founders cite lack of access to capital as the No. 1 barrier to starting a business. Founder and CEO Karen Cahn, a 2020 Inc. Female Founders 100 honoree, has said that while the majority of the customers on her crowdfunding platform were women of color, they weren't having as much success as the White women who used it. To remedy that, two years ago her co-founder Olivia Owens launched IFundWomen of Color, which provides community, funding, and coaching for women of color.
13 Rules Emotionally Intelligent Leaders Should Follow
Colin Powell has a complicated legacy filled with accomplishments and controversies. Although Powell first compiled this list for a magazine profile in the late 1980s, the rules can still provide powerful guidance today. Read it here.

"There is nothing a woman can't do. Men might think they do things all by themselves, but a woman is always there guiding them or helping them." -Marjorie Joyner
Marjorie Joyner was an American entrepreneur and activist.

"I would love to be a million-dollar business by tomorrow, but this is about learning how to put that work into the infrastructure to make sure my company can withstand a hundred orders a day." Melissa Mitchell, the founder of Abeille Creations, is among the women chosen to participate in the Black Fashion Accelerator Program launched by Afropunk and Spotify. The free program is an intensive online business training course for founders with clothing and accessory lines. Read More.

Black Owned Everything
In 2020, celebrity stylist and Emmy award-winning costume designer Zerina Akers launched Black Owned Everything, an Instagram account highlighting Black-owned fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and design brands. With a boost from her client Beyoncé, it grew to a community of more than 14,000 registered businesses and over 200,000 followers. Today Black Owned Everything is an online marketplace with both established and emerging brands, and Akers hopes it will serve as a content hub for creators to virtually connect with designers through storytelling.
"If you want the cooperation of humans around you, you must make them feel they are important--and you do that by being genuine and humble." -Nelson Mandela
Activist, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and former president of South Africa.

"Most networks were recycling the same Black movies and comedy TV shows from the '80s-'90s, or they were showing Black women fight each other on reality TV. Where were the educational documentaries, the Black and African history content beyond the month of February, and the cinematic films with clever storylines and engaging characters?" DeShuna Spencer used her own money to bootstrap kweliTV, a global streaming service with award-winning indie films, documentaries, web series, and kids shows celebrating global Black stories. More on her journey here.

"There is always light, if only we're brave enough to see it; if only we're brave enough to be it." -Amanda Gorman
American poet and author of the bestselling poetry collection Call Us What We Carry.

54% vs. 26%
54% of white business owners received the total amount of funding they requested from a bank, compared with 26% of Black business owners
According to the Federal Reserve, 37.9 percent of Black business owners said that their primary reason for not applying for a loan was that they were "discouraged," meaning they believed they would be turned down for a loan even if they applied. Just 12.7 percent of White business owners felt the same way.

Source: LinkedIn Blog
"I encourage all of my clients who are intrapreneurs--that have businesses as well as a job--to take that one hour at lunch to go to your car, go to the break room, go to the ladies' room, and invest an hour a day on your business and yourself." Ann McNeill, the CEO of Miami-based MCO Construction, shares her self-care rituals and why her day starts at 3 a. m. Read more.

"This is not a nonprofit or a charity. I want killer companies that are making money and will make money. My job is to make money for my investors, and I can't do that with companies based on my heart. It has to be based on companies that are badass." In 2015, Arlan Hamilton was homeless and couch surfing. She had been pursuing her dream of starting a venture capital fund focused on female, minority, and LGBT entrepreneurs. Fast-forward to today, and her VC firm, Backstage Capital, has raised $41 million across two funds, investing in nearly 200 businesses. Read more about her journey.

How To Turn Your Dissatisfaction Into Action
"Our collective sense of dissatisfaction at an unacceptable status quo kept us focused on getting things done." This is the powerful story of Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, mayor of Sierra Leone's capital and largest city, Freetown, who shares how she transformed her city by using her anger as a catalyst for change.
"Be your own artist, and always be confident in what you're doing. If you're not going to be confident, you might as well not be doing it." -Aretha Franklin
Known as The Queen of Soul, the singer and songwriter has sold 75 million records worldwide.

"At that point I had already run the business completely on our own terms for over a year. It didn't quite make sense to me just yet ... to be responsible for someone else's millions of dollars." Mouzon Wofford, founder of Golde, a superfood-product startup, discusses on Inc.'s What I Know podcast why she has turned down investors and major retailers. Read more.

"I want to build a world that acknowledges and values the unpaid labor that mothers do at home. If we're ever going to have gender equality, this is the fight." Reshma Saujani, the founder and CEO of Girls Who Code, stepped down last year to launch the Marshall Plan for Moms, a national movement to center mothers in our economic recovery and value their labor. Here, Reshma shares her plans to support mothers. Read more.

$1 of every $10
Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management found that between half a million and a million jobs could be created if higher-income Black households spent just $1 of every $10 at Black-owned businesses.
Meet the Founder
"I was trying to be someone I wasn't, because I thought it was who VCs wanted me to be. That's not possible. They have to trust you. They're giving you a lot of money, and if you're anything other than completely authentic in your presentation, it will never work."
Jean Brownhill is the founder and CEO of Sweeten, a technology platform that lets anyone find, hire, and pay general contractors. Her journey includes meeting with 257 investors before raising $7.84 million--one of the largest rounds ever raised by a Black woman. Read more.
Jean Brownhill is the founder and CEO of Sweeten, a technology platform that lets anyone find, hire, and pay general contractors. Her journey includes meeting with 257 investors before raising $7.84 million--one of the largest rounds ever raised by a Black woman. Read more.

"As Black women, we're always given these seemingly devastating experiences--experiences that could absolutely break us. But what the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls the butterfly. What we do as Black women is take the worst situations and create from that point." -Viola Davis
Viola Davis is an Oscar, Emmy, and Tony award-winning actress and producer.

"One of Tierra's real strengths was her ability to look at a company and identify the gaps to create customized servicing and programming for it. She also excelled at documenting her strategic vision and putting the proper people into place to execute it." Sheila Kavanaugh stepped up as CEO of TKT & Associates, a Louisville-based consultancy and staffing service, when her daughter Tierra Kavanaugh, who built the company, passed away in 2020. Read more about these incredible women who built TKT into a $135 million company, which earned them the No. 20 spot on the 2020 Inc. 5000 list, the highest ranking ever achieved by a Black female founder. Read more.

55%
of Black Americans reported never having a career mentor
According to a recent survey of more than 1,000 Black adults, more than 6 in 10 who are not working in digital or IT would consider a career change to work in the sector. However, more than half (55 percent) reported they were unsure where to start, or felt they lacked the financial resources (51 percent), skills (52 percent), or industry connections (45 percent) to launch a tech career.
Nyakio Grieco of Nyakio Beauty and Patrick Herning of 11 Honoré co-founded and developed Thirteen Lune, an e-commerce platform built on the idea of supporting and uplifting Black and Brown beauty and wellness brands. Thirteen Lune carries 100 brands; 90 percent are founded by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, while the remaining 10 percent are ally brands. The company recently announced a $3 million funding round led by Fearless Fund, a venture capital firm by women of color, for women of color. Thirteen Lune's most recent partnership, with JCPenney, has scaled its brick-and-mortar footprint--the company's beauty shop-in-shop experience will be in 600 stores nationwide by 2023.
"I know technology can create better models for government. The purpose of technology is innovation--it's supposed to be a transformative tool, not just a tool to feed you ads or surveil you and arrest you. But if we don't use it to change the human condition, it will never be a positive force." Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins is the co-founder and CEO of Promise, a California-based company reworking the bail system to help solve prison overcrowding. Read more.

"Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It's beyond me." -Zora Neale
Zora Neale Hurston was an American author, anthropologist, and filmmaker.

"Not everybody needs to be on the front lines. A lot of people are protesting to tear terrible systems down. But some of us have to be here to build new systems, new foundations that are more inclusive." Wanona Satcher founded Makhers Studio to convert shipping containers into affordable housing. She shares her thoughts on how powerful we would be if we focused on our talents. Read more.

$24,100
vs.
$188,200
vs.
$188,200
In 2019, the median White household in the U.S. held $188,200 in wealth--7.8 times that of the typical Black household ($24,100). That wealth gap reveals the effects of accumulated inequality and discrimination and differences in power and opportunity that can be traced back before the inception of this country.
"If you are fortunate to have opportunity, it is your duty to make sure others have opportunities as well."
-Kamala Harris
-Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris, vice president of the United States.

"I'm asking questions about this industry that had not been addressed before. We really value people being aware of what they're using on their bodies, making sure it's clean and it's safe." Last year, Ciara Imani May co-founded Rebundle, which makes biodegradable, banana fiber-based hair extensions. The company recently announced that it raised $1.4 million in a pre-seed round. Read more.

"If you don't see a clear path for what you want, sometimes you have to make it yourself."
-Mindy Kaling
-Mindy Kaling
Mindy Kaling is an American actress, comedian, screenwriter, producer, director, and author.

The Cost of the
Glow Up
Glow Up
Black Americans bought more beauty products in 2019 than any other group of consumers, according to a report by Nielsen. The research firm found that Black Americans outspent other groups by $573.6 million, or nearly 19 percent.
Burnout Before the Pandemic
Survey data collected in 2018 and 2019 from Harvard Business School graduates revealed that for women--and especially women of color--well-being at work was suffering long before the pandemic. A quarter of women respondents, and nearly 30 percent of women of color, said that they often or very often experienced burnout, compared with 17 percent of all respondents.
"I'm a CEO with a Black team, leading a Black community that wants to validate Black women and the beauty of Black womanhood. All we do is celebrate the beauty of Black lives. That's our whole company. It's baked into our existence." Natanya Montgomery is the founder of Naza, a beauty and wellness startup in San Francisco with a salon that specializes in Afro-textured hair. She shares her thoughts on how the past two years have changed her and her community. Read more.

Bring your whole self to the experience. Because the more we do that, the more that people get to see that, the more comfortable everybody's gonna be with it."
-Bozoma Saint John
-Bozoma Saint John
Bozoma Saint John is an American marketing executive and the former CMO at Netflix.

We Are Not Receptacles. We Birthed This Nation
"The more we realize we are stronger together, that's when the change will happen." Janelle Monáe, who was honored with the Breakthrough Award at the Essence Black Women in Hollywood event in 2017, gave this incredible speech that uplifted Black women and affirmed our role in this country.
"I see more young people of color making the decision to be entrepreneurs--many more than in my generation. That really encourages me. They're having some level of success at entrepreneurship. I am convinced that it's people who look like me who will become the Mark Zuckerbergs of the world and who will accelerate progress." Sandra Johnson, the founder of Global Mobile Finance, discusses her experiences in corporate America and why she thinks entrepreneurship is a better path. Read more.

"I think the political and democratic apparatus has woken up to see the real value of Black women. Now they are doing all kinds of things to hold on to it and bring Black women into the fold, and Black women are like, 'We just want you to hire us, give us resources, let us lead, and get out of our way.'"
-Symone D. Sanders
-Symone D. Sanders
Symone D. Sanders is an American political strategist and commentator.

"I cannot recall a single time in my childhood in which I cared about the slights and misperceptions and underestimations that came my way. What I do remember is often thinking, 'Hmm. Well, I'll show them.'" Take a lesson from Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson on how to handle put-downs. Read more.

"You never know which experiences of life are going to be of value. You've got to leave yourself open to the hidden opportunities." -Robin Roberts
Robin Roberts is a television broadcaster and the anchor of ABC's Good Morning America.

Meet the Founder
"I really wanted to create a business and brand where women of color and Black women would be represented and see themselves in everyday products and everyday consumables. I want my daughters to grow up in a world where that's not the exception to the rule." Nicole Brown launched Izzy & Liv in 2003 as a blog that celebrated women of color, and later turned it into a lifestyle brand with $5 million in sales. Read more.

$1.8 billion
Black startup founders in the U.S. raised a record $1.8 billion in January through June 2021.
That's 80 percent more than the $1 billion raised in all of 2020--but still less than 1.5 percent of all startup funding for the period.
"It's about money, undoubtedly, but it's also about self-confidence, empowerment, initiative, and experimentation. It's something I believe we need to nurture more in young people, especially now. Forty percent of the global population is under the age of 25. The future of business starts now." Jeremiah Emmanuel, the founder of EMNL, talks about his journey from homelessness to advising global companies and shares five lessons he's learned along the way. Read more.

I Can Do It
"If you want it badly enough, if you are willing to let go of everything and everybody, you can do it." Lisa Nichols is a speaker who has inspired many people through her seminars and her role as a featured teacher in The Secret, a 2006 self-help book by Rhonda Byrne. She is also the founder of Motivating the Masses and CEO of Motivating the Teen Spirit. In this speech, she encourages us to focus on our human spirit to achieve our dreams.
"We are each other's harvest; we are each other's business; we are each other's magnitude and bond." -Gwendolyn Brooks
Gwendolyn Brooks was an American poet, author, and teacher, and the first African American to receive a Pulitzer Prize.

4.7%
of all lawyers were Black in 2021--a figure nearly unchanged from 2011.
Nearly all people of color are underrepresented in the legal profession. In 2021, 85 percent of all lawyers were non-Hispanic Whites, a decline from 88 percent a decade ago. By comparison, 60 percent of all U.S. residents were non-Hispanic Whites in 2019.
2%
Over the 72-year history of the National Academy of Arbitrators, only 35 Black, Indigenous, and people of color have been admitted, just 2% of the overall membership.
At AAA and JAMS, the two largest consumer and employment arbitration providers in the country, 88 percent of arbitrators are White, and 77 percent are male. The lack of diversity in arbitration is a problem made worse by the fact that women and minorities are more likely to be subject to forced arbitration than men or White non-Hispanic workers.
Amira Rasool Wants to Build the LVMH of Africa
"At first, I was kind of begging investors to be a part of my company. Then I realized, wait--this is an opportunity for them, too. I came in with data points that showed the potential of this huge market and said, 'This is something I'm letting you in on.'" Amira Rasool's company, Folklore, just received $1.7 million in preseed investment to bring African fashion designers and brands to a global market. Read more.

"There is always something to do. There are hungry people to feed, naked people to clothe, sick people to comfort and make well. And while I don't expect you to save the world, I do think it's not asking too much for you to love those with whom you sleep, share the happiness of those whom you call friend, engage those among you who are visionary, and remove from your life those who offer you depression, despair, and disrespect." -Nikki Giovanni
Nikki Giovanni is an American poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator.

"To be CEO really means that you're chief psychology officer. That in and of itself is a full-time job." Jessica O. Matthews was 29 years old when she raised $7 million for her startup, Uncharted Play, making her the 13th Black female founder to raise more than $1 million in outside investment. Read more about her journey here.

Hella Black
Leigh Trimiew, Layla Nielsen, and Natalie Robinson are the three co-founders of Hella Black, an e-commerce platform focused on working with the most sought-after Black-owned brands and products. The cousins grew up in the Washington, D.C., area together with lives that centered around the family jazz club, Twins Jazz, which their twin mothers started. Inspired by their family story and driven by the entrepreneurial spirit they inherited, they launched in 2019 to tell the stories of all Black entrepreneurs living out their dreams.
"Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome." -Arthur Ashe
American tennis player Arthur Ashe was the first (and remains the only) Black man to win the Australian Open, U.S. Open, and Wimbledon singles titles. He was also the first Black man to earn the No. 1 ranking in the world and the first inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame.

Black People Love Beer
"We identified pretty early that your palate is connected to your experience. If your experience is full of doubt with regards to if you even belong, then the likelihood that you're going to enjoy something--and enjoy it enough to pass it on to someone else--is pretty low." Beny Ashburn and Teo Hunter founded Crowns & Hops in 2018 to fill the gap between products, community, and culture in the craft brewing industry, in which Black brewers represent only 1percent. Read more.

Women of Color Earn the Smallest Share of STEM Degrees
Across all STEM fields, Black women have earned only 2.9 percent of bachelor's degree. Despite accounting for over half of the college-educated workforce, women in the United States made up only 29 percent of those employed in science and engineering occupations in 2017.
Meet the Founder
"Learning how to build a company that could scale was a real challenge--ultimately, I was just a high-end freelancer." Rechelle Balanzat launched Juliette, which uses artificial intelligence to make dry cleaning pickup and delivery easy, in 2014. Her journey includes establishing and closing a social media agency and working at an early stage-start but before launching her app. Read more.

"I'm convinced that we Black women possess a special indestructible strength that allows us to not only get down, but to get up, to get through, and to get over."
-Janet Jackson
-Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious, and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows.

3 Questions to Ask Yourself About Everything You Do
"Be aggressive about your ambition, do not allow setbacks to set you back." Stacey Abrams was the first Black woman in the history of the United States to be nominated by a major party for governor. In this talk, Abrams shares a story from her childhood that changed how she thought about life. She also shares her advice on how to move through life with intention.
Does the Market Need Your Startup?
Tackling problems that are interesting to solve rather than those that serve a market need was cited as the No. 2 reason for failure, noted in 35 percent of businesses surveyed by CB Insights.
FundBlackFounders
With an abysmal number of Black-founded companies recieving venture captial funds, platforms like Fundblackfounders.com have taken the opportunity to empower the community by allowing us a chance at funding. A few frustrated Black founders launched the rewards-based crowdfunding platform to enable more founders to establish and fund their businesses.
"Women of color have been excluded in certain ways from parts of the beauty industry," says Katonya Breaux, founder of UnSun Cosmetics. She launched her self-funded company because she wanted to create sunscreen protection that included all skin shades from the beginning instead of as an afterthought. Read more.

"Instead of inheriting a broken system, we have the power to change it." -Yara Shahidi
Yara Shahidi is an actress and activist. Time included her its 30 Most Influential Teens of 2016 list.

Tope Awotona Has a Vision for the Future of Meetings
"I think most people are not good at knowing how they're allocating their time. I get really excited about a world in which you have a product that helps you say, 'These are my priorities for the next three months; help me allocate my time toward serving these goals.' So when I receive a meeting request, that tool could tell me, 'You don't have the time to take this meeting because you need all the hours you have left in the week to achieve this goal.'" Tope Awotona launched Calendly in 2013 to find a solution to the sometimes daunting task of scheduling a meeting. In 2021, Calendly received a $3 billion valuation. Here he shares how meetings could change in the future. Read more.

Where Does All the Funding Go?
California, New York, Massachusetts, and Texas control 80 percent of venture capital dollars, leaving the rest of the states to share the other 20 percent, which means that only a tiny sliver gets it out of all the small businesses in America.
Lena Waithe Helps Other Filmmakers Get Their Start
Actress, producer, screenwriter, and founder of the production company Hilman Grad Productions, Lena Waithe recently launched the second season of Indeed Rising Voices. This initiative provides selected BIPOC filmmakers with $100,000 each to create short films. She shares with me the importance of telling our stories from our point of view.
"When you think of Black barbershops, you think of a mom-and-pop hole in the wall. You don't always think of businesses that can scale, so I bought this building I absolutely loved, and started designing an upscale barbershop right in the center of not-the-most-savory neighborhood. I built it like I was building a McDonald's. It had a pool table. It was branded. The goal was always to build it to grow and be something that could translate to every Black neighborhood in America." Houston White shares his $50 million plan to create a center for Black commerce and culture in Minnesota. Read more.

"Instead of looking at the past, I put myself ahead 20 years and try to look at what I need to do now in order to get there then." -Diana Ross
American entertainer and actress. She was lead singer of the Supremes, the most successful female recording group ever, with 12 No. 1 singles. In her solo career, she recorded three more No. 1 singles. In 1976, Billboard named her Female Entertainer of the Century.

Great Books for Business Owners Wanting to Scale Their Companies
"Want to scale but don't know where to start or what to do first? These five books provide the incredible stories of their authors and great advice for small-business leaders that will inspire you to take charge of taking your startup to the next step."
Feb 1, 2022