Happy Black History Month! Black History Month was originally founded as Negro History Week in 1926 through the work of American Scholar Dr. Carter G. Black History Month is a time to acknowledge the long struggle for Black freedom and amplify Black voices — efforts range from political education to social media posts to business initiatives. This year we want to feature some of our favorite businesses and the inspiring founders behind them.
Aspiring Entrepreneurs
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Mandy Bowman
Mandy Bowman is the founder and CEO of Official Black Wall Street, an app dedicated to supporting, promoting, and empowering black-owned businesses. As an important player in the #BuyBlack movement — helping Black Businesses gain exposure and recognition — Mandy has made a global impact through her leadership and perseverance. After studying entrepreneurship, Mandy Bowman set out to empower the Black community through economics and leadership, playing a huge role in fighting racial equity. You can browse the Official Black Wall Street here or find it in our Apps Directory. Here are a few recent features on Official Black Wall Street:
Camella's Kitchen
Founded by a mother-daughter duo from Trinidad and Tobago, Camella's Kitchen crafts delicious sauces, seasonings, cakes, and more, bringing bold Caribbean flavors to your home.
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Fulaba
Fulaba delivers handcrafted African jewelry inspired by African high culture.
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IVXV Apparel
IVXV Apparel is a thought-provoking, aspirational streetwear brand based in California.
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Marah Lidey
Marah Lidey co-founded The Shine App, an inclusive self-care app used by over 2 million daily. At the forefront of the fight for mental health support for marginalized groups, Marah, along with her co-founder, Naomi, has led the way with creative solutions making a lasting impact. Together, Marah and Naomi set out to pave the way for underrepresented groups, helping people heal and grow. You can learn more about all that Shine has to offer here.
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Kimberly Bryant
Kimberly Bryant is the founder of Black Girls Code, a company driven to provide curious and creative young girls of color opportunities in the tech world. Black Girls Code has set out to prove to the world that girls of every color have the skills to become the programmers of tomorrow. Their resources and support help propel eager young thinkers towards the field of STEM and help them develop as leaders. Learn more about their programs here.
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Ade Olonoh
Ade Olonoh is the co-founder of Jell, a SaaS company that aims to ease the pain of daily stand-up meetings for technical teams. Ade is an inspiration to programmers worldwide and has led the path for developers today: you can read about Ade's career journey and experience with racial injustice here. Ade is an ambitious leader and successful entrepreneur in the tech space and has founded several other companies, including FormStack. If you're interested in Jell for your team, check it out here, or find it in our Apps Directory. ⠀
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Business Leaders And Creators
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XayLi Barclay
The Founder of Start Shoot Grow, Xay Li Barclay, is changing how businesses approach content creation. She's on a mission to teach entrepreneurs the skills they need to create, market, and sell eye-catching content. Through knowledge-based content and online courses, she teaches others to create visual learning experiences and grow to their full potential. She has influenced business owners everywhere by harnessing her creative genius and authentic leadership qualities. Learn more about Start Shoot Grow and check out Xay Li's online courses here.
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Emmanuel Alegbeleye
Emmanuel Alegbeleye is the founder of Utter Group, an innovative company that leverages technology to make skilled trade services more accessible. He spends his time mentoring young business professionals and cultivating his next entrepreneurial venture.
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Nile Harris
Seasoned speaker, business consultant, and life coach Nile Harris uses her influence to help others turn passion into profit. Nile offers one-on-one coaching sessions and hosts her own masterclasses that help clients crush their goals. On top of hosting Masterclasses, Nile has also been featured in a variety of podcasts, curated her own newsletter, and formed a collection of resources for professional development, you can find here. Nile is the founder and CEO of her own coaching, consulting, and speaking business, Warrior Unleashed, which helps “aspiring entrepreneurs and transitioning professionals transform their passion and purpose into profit.”
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Relates Post: Case Study: The Self-Made Coach and Consultant
Podcasts to Listen to
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Side Hustle Pro
Side Hustle Pro is the first podcast to spotlight bold, Black female entrepreneurs. Hosted by Nicaila Matthews Okome, the podcast dives into the inspiring stories of women who grew their side hustle into a booming business. Nicaila is passionate about helping entrepreneurs find their start and share their message with the world. Since the podcast began, it has been named "the perfect entrepreneurship podcast" by Mashable, featured on the TODAY show, earned over three million downloads, and obtained a large following of aspiring entrepreneurs. This is definitely one to add to your list if you are a budding entrepreneur or looking for a boost of confidence to follow your passion. You can learn more about Nicaila's podcast here and listen to Side Hustle Pro on Spotify or Apple Music.
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The Nod Show
Despite wrapping up their last episode in October 2020, The Nod, hosted by Brittany Luse and Eric Eddings, is a masterclass in artful storytelling as they cover key moments in Black history and their influence on culture. Together, they celebrate the genius, resilience, and unique experiences that make up Black life in America — and around the world. Their library includes 100+ episodes that tell the stories you won't find anywhere else. You can learn more about The Nod Show here or listen on Spotify or Apple Music.
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Still Processing
Award-winning Podcast, Still Processing, dives into all things Black culture. Hosted by Jenny Wortham and Wesley Morris, two culture writers for The New York Times, Still Processing covers everything from movies and TV to art and music. Listen to Still Processing here to dive into relatable content about culture, work, dating, the internet, and how those all fit together on Apple Music or Spotify.
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Living Corporate
Living Corporate, founded by Zach Nunn, is on a mission to amplify Black voices and narratives. Their catalog includes 300+ podcasts across 17 different industries. Living Corporate is dedicated to creating audio and written digital media spotlighting black and brown people's experiences in the workplace. You'll hear from a diverse array of guests, including executives, entrepreneurs, and educators, on topics such as tech, nonprofits, and wellness. Tune into Living Corporate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts
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Educational Newsletters For Black History
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Anti-Racism Daily
Founded by Nicole Cardoza, Anti-Racism Daily is a free newsletter that provides readers with resources and actionable steps each of us can take to support racial equity. Learn about how systemic racism is embedded in politics, workplaces, and the criminal justice system – and what you can do about it. Download the Anti-racism app on SlackHQ to keep the conversation moving forward as a part of your everyday routine.
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CultureBanx
You can think of CultureBanx as your go-to source for business news that relates to hip-hop culture. CultureBanx is a unique multimedia organization that is redefining business, finance, and tech news for minorities through music. Founded by Kori Hale, Culture Banx offers readers a daily dose of current events and important trends wrapped up into one beautiful and engaging email.
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Office Hours Newsletter
The Office Hours Newsletter with content strategist Ernest Wilkins brings together business and culture. It explores how cultural industries such as music, art, and sports come together to create the world as we know it. If you're interested in learning about the lived experiences of others and unpacking a variety of biases in business culture, then Office Hours is the perfect Newsletter for you.
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Chez Nous Guide
Founded by Kristyn Potter and run by volunteers, Chez nous Guide is an inclusive home for businesses, organizations, and artists. This newsletter is dedicated to amplifying voices that have been historically and presently silenced by society: people of color, women, and the LGBTQIA+ community. Chez nous Guide shares resources to support diversity, inclusion, and ethical decision-making. You can sign up for Chez Nouz here or join a private Slack channel for BIPOC, women, and LGBTQIA founders to find funding opportunities, marketing resources, events, announcements, and more.
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