Becoming a successful black entrepreneur isn’t easy, but with support & inspiration, more successful black female entrepreneurs are making their mark every day.
Nationwide — Over the years, many entrepreneurs have learned how important it is to find sources of support and inspiration along the journey. Such sources are incredibly important for successful black female entrepreneurs.
The number of businesses owned by African American women has grown 322% since 1997, per Fortune Magazine.
In the face of such adversity, many successful black entrepreneurs take inspiration from someone who’s come before them—somebody like Madam C.J Walker. She started with $1.25 and created her hair treatment business, eventually making her total worth over 1 million dollars. Because of her example, many successful black female entrepreneurs took their chance, in turn inspiring others to follow in their footsteps.
Others draw support from loved ones, business partners, or prominent figures who take an interest in their work. Others are inspired by the lessons they’ve learned from their experiences. Here are just a few successful black entrepreneurs who have made their mark on the world, along with a little information about who and what inspired and supported them:
Janice Bryant Howroyd
Howroyd is the founder and CEO of Act 1 Group, Inc. She became the first African American woman to run a billion-dollar business. Her workforce and consultancy agency is based out of Las Vegas and operates in 19 countries across the world. She grew up in the heart of the Civil Rights movement, which taught her the value of working effectively as a team, and her company is now the largest privately-held, minority woman-owned workforce management company in the United States.
Natale Cofield
Natale Cofield is the founder and CEO of Walker’s Legacy, which is a global platform for professional and entrepreneurial multicultural woman. With the help of a friend, Cofield realized she needed guidance, and that’s when she found C.J Walker—Cofield’s touchstone. Cofield started the company, named after her role model, as a lecture series on mentorship. The company works to equip, engage, and inspire women, and to remind them that they aren’t alone as they strive for success in their business endeavors.
Courtney & Tye Caldwell
The couple created ShearShare, an app that connects owners of barbershops and beauty salons that have empty chairs with individual stylists. From professional microblading to full relaxer treatments, the app lets different stylists work their talents in different cities and salons. Tye has owned a salon for more than 20 years and Courtney has worked in sales and marketing; they complement and support each other, which is a reason why they recently won a $100,000 investment from a Dallas startup.
Maya Penn
Maya was eight years old when she created Maya’s Ideas, a sustainable fashion company. Now she’s 18, has given three TED talks, written a book, and been recognized by Oprah Winfrey as her youngest Supersoul 100 entrepreneur, change-maker, and thought leader. As her business grows, she develops her worldly interests and invests in charitable initiatives like eco-friendly sanitary pads for women and girls in developing countries. With support from Oprah and Barack Obama, Maya has put her company on the map.
With support, many women of color have taken a leap and started their journey toward becoming a successful entrepreneur. The majority of entrepreneurs are successful because of the support others have provided. From Maya Penn to Janice Bryant Howroyd, these successful black female entrepreneurs have always had someone or something pushing them toward greatness.