18 Black Women-Run Businesses That Inspire Us

For Black History Month, we’re honoring some outstanding Black women entrepreneurs. Black women continue to lead the startup charge. Since right before the Covid pandemic began, there’s been a 70% increase in the number of new Black-women-owned small businesses, according to research published in November by Venture Forward, GoDaddy’s research initiative. The latest figure builds on a multiyear trend. The 2017 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report found that the number of Black women-owned businesses grew by a whopping 605 percent between 1997 and 2017, significantly outpacing every other demographic group. Additional research shows that 17 percent of all Black women are either launching or running businesses of their own. That said, racism and sexism can still impact the growth of Black-women-owned businesses, especially when it comes to accessing capital. So, we’ve put together a list of entrepreneurs whose businesses and nonprofits show us that these ventures are sustainable and scalable, despite the numerous hurdles. Many of the women featured below have taken chances, or picked themselves up after significant falls, showing us bravery and resilience as well — and becoming true examples for others to follow. (Credit: Kristen Yates) Dominique Reighard-Brooks: E.E. Ward She took the leap from being a...