Stronger today than yesterday: Black women-owned businesses after the pandemic

It’s been four years since the pandemic upended the lives of business owners and employees across the United States. At the onset,& more than 29,000 small businesses in Georgia& were forced to close. Shauniece Wallace, who owns The Elleven, an event space near Atlantic station in metro Atlanta, remembers feeling terrified. Her team of tattooists, makeup artists, nail technicians, and hair stylists were deemed non-essential. “We had to shut down for two months,” says Wallace. “In that period of time, it was devastating. We had to figure out a way to continue to survive and provide for our families.”Wallace was able to secure funding through the& Open for Business Fund, a $420 million initiative designed to sustain small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund& helped maintain and create an estimated 255,000 jobs in the midst of the recovery. “It allowed me to get caught up on some rent and utilities,” says Wallace. “It also allowed me to get extra security. I did some renovations. I was able to buy some inventory for my event space, which actually helped me increase my hourly rate, which increased my overall income in this business.”The pandemic unearthed systemic disparities that Black women-owned businesses...