Published on January 20th, 2023

It’s always a good day to #BuyBlack – especially from Black women. For Black Business Month, we’re spotlighting a few dope Black women-owned businesses that you can support today. These badass business owners are changing the game from skincare, to life coaching, to mental health-conscious apparel. When Black women are still making 63 cents for every dollar a white man makes, it’s imperative that we support each other – whether that’s through a purchase, a referral, an Instagram follow, or a retweet. When one of us comes up, we all come up!

As Black women, ownership is incredibly meaningful. Here, we ask five entrepreneurs about their mission, what it means to them to be a Black woman entrepreneur, and they share advice for the next class of melanated moguls.

SwiftEnough

Co-Founder: Jericka Handie

What is your mission?

SwiftEnough is a lifestyle brand focused on advancing equity within the mental health industry through purposeful merch, action and resources. We’re dedicated to changing the narrative around who gets to be ‘well’.

What does it mean to you to be a Black woman entrepreneur?

It means standing in my power to create something impactful that will live on even after I'm no longer on this earth.

What is one piece of advice for Black business owners?

Learn how to take calculated risks. Creating a business is a unique experience; there will be plenty of circumstances where you might have to try something new––so don't be afraid to!

Manifest It, Sis!

Founder: Danielle Faust

What is your mission?

My mission with Manifest It, Sis! is to empower Black women to heal from their past, connect to their intuition and manifest the life of their dreams. I do this through 1:1 coaching, hypnotherapy, energy work, and content creation on my podcast and via social media.

What does it mean to you to be a Black woman entrepreneur?

It means everything to me – it wasn't long ago that we couldn't own anything in this country, let alone a business! The saying "I am my ancestors wildest dreams" is very real for us Black women entrepreneurs. We are changing the world. I now get to run a business as the first entrepreneur in my family, and be a role model for my daughter.

What is one piece of advice for Black business owners?

We can get in our heads. We can have self-doubt and imposter syndrome especially when nobody around us is an entrepreneur. When that doubt creeps in, you have to tell yourself “YES, YOU CAN”. I joined Meta Elevate and am happy to have a community of like minded Black entrepreneurs that look like me and help me out when I get stuck.

Hanahana Beauty

Founder: Abena Boamah

What is your mission?

Hanahana Beauty's mission is to bring a higher level of humanity into the beauty space through creating sustainable paths from the producers to our customers.

What does it mean to you to be a Black woman entrepreneur?

I was a teacher and finishing grad school when I first started Hanahana Beauty, so it was just a passion project. It feels like I've achieved some level of accomplishment––and gained a level of privilege––to have a mindset that allows me to create something that was once just an idea to a scalable business.

What is one piece of advice for Black business owners?

Prioritize your own growth as much as you prioritize the growth of your business.

Kyra’s Shea Medleys

Founder: Kyra Young

What is your mission?

Take care of you today for a better you tomorrow. We create natural and multipurpose skin and hair care products that are safe, healthy and effective for the whole family, making them an easy form of self-care.

What does it mean to you to be a Black woman entrepreneur?

As a Black woman entrepreneur from South Central Los Angeles, the first in my family to go to college, and the first to own a business, I’m breaking barriers and showing others like me that we are capable of achieving personal freedom. The impact Black women have had on entrepreneurship is significant to the overall success and betterment of our people, and as long as we share with each other what works, we can empower each other to keep moving forward.

What is one piece of advice for Black business owners?

Every piece of your story matters, so tell it, because people want to hear and see how you handle business, celebrate your successes with you, and support you through your failures. Take advantage of free resources like the Meta Elevate program, so you can learn how to grow your audience and leverage different platforms to continue sharing your story.

Boss Branding on a Budget

Founder: Imari Graves

What is your mission?

Our mission is to help other women-led business owners build brand awareness through social media and email marketing. In addition, we aim to create a safe place for women entrepreneurs to network, collaborate, and connect.

What does it mean to you to be a Black woman entrepreneur?

Being a black woman in entrepreneurship is surreal. I am honored to travel this path because I know many people paved the way for me to be here. It makes me happy to set the tone and be an example for generations to come.

What is one piece of advice for Black business owners?

My one piece of advice for Black business owners is to go for it! Don’t hesitate. You were built for this, and if you do the work, you will reap the benefits.

Source: Refinery29

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