Prideful Patchez and Theory Bar owners believe now is the time to pour into the Oakland community. Despite recent crime issues, new Black-owned businesses like apparel shop Prideful…
According to this Go Daddy report, Black women represent the fastest growing demographic of entrepreneurs. Despite these statistics, how many entrepreneurs could you name who are members of …
If your organization has never considered offering a flower crown making class as a women’s history month activity, you are missing out on an opportunity that will have…
Marzano owner Manna Tekie says repeated incidents have tested the limits of—but not broken—her will to remain on Park Boulevard. This story was produced in partnership with Oakland Voices as…
Dress form Christmas trees have been seen in window displays of retailers for decades. But now they are gaining in popularity among private individuals. Some people are displaying…
Oaklands Horn BBQ torched in fire, defaced with graffiti Matt Horn, chef and owner of the renowned Horn Barbecue in Oakland, has had a terrible week. His restaurant…
The spiral effect of a burglary at an industry spot impacts more than just the primary business. Its repercussions can be felt throughout the local supply chain Dianne…
A few months before Tina died I wrote this article on how she had indirectly influenced me to become an entrepreneur. While mourning the passing of her death…
STARTUPS NEED FUNDING TO EXIST AND THRIVE. BUT, UNFORTUNATELY, CAPITAL INVESTMENTS ARE HARD TO COME BY FOR MOST BLACK-OWNED STARTUPS. As children, we were told never to get…
Tina Turner the “Queen of Rock and Roll” has directly influenced the many of the top female superstars of today. According to this article by Buzzfield, arists ranging…
Black-owned fintech and finance company Novae LLC has announced the launch of a new online tool designed to help small businesses to find grants and tax incentives that…
“How“How do you maintain what Oakland was?” That’s a question attorney Creighton Davis, an Oakland native, has pondered as he’s seen his hometown change over the past few decades.…
Business grants can be competitive. Here’s how to find the right opportunities, avoid scams and get ready to apply. Business grants may seem like the holy grail for…
NEW YORK, NY Today, Comcast announced a new round of cities will receive grants from the Comcast RISE Investment Fund, providing an additional $5 million to hundreds of…
For more than 20 years, Robin Boyd, founder and CEO of Essential Accounting Consultants based in Cleveland, Ohio, has been transforming Black-owned businesses into million-dollar enterprises by helping them implement tax…
The leading women at Southern Black Girls & Women’s Consortium are making Black girls’ dreams come true. For LaTosha Brown, the visionary founder of the Atlanta-based organization and co-founder of Black…
The founder of Oakland, California’s Viscera Studio is advocating for small businesses, artists, and creatives The founder of Oakland, California’s Viscera Studio is advocating for small businesses, artists,…
From historic landmarks to dance parties and outdoor adventures, you’ll want to add these activities to your Oakland bucket list. Blk Girls Green House The term “melting pot”…
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black youth aged 5-19 drown in swimming pools at rates 5.5 times higher than those of white children. This…
Summer 2022 is only 75 days away and as the weather across the country warms up, it’s important to tap into ways to stay cool all summer long. And…
In 2019, social entrepreneur Amy Webb decided to open her travel agency Bucket List Egypt after a life-changing experience of traveling to the country for her wedding. Born in South Carolina to…
Welcome back to travel! Whether you’re just getting back in travel mode or have been at it, this editorial, brought to you in partnership with American Airlines is…
Keba Konte, a renowned artist and successful food entrepreneur with deep roots in the specialty coffee and hospitality industry, founded Red Bay Coffee Roasters in 2014. The idea came…
Travel Noire published this article on how to spend 48 hours in Black Owned San Francisco. Ironically more than half of the places listed were in Oakland! So,…
Sheila Ruffin is the founder of “all-inclusive” travel agency Soca Caribbean Yacht Charters.When she went to her first super-yacht trade show, she said she felt looked down upon as a Black woman. This as-told-to…
When TheSipSociety.com co-founder and CEO, Erica Davis, realized that many wine marketing firms were targeting women of color as only drinking sweet wines, she became concerned. As an avid wine…
San Francisco is an exciting, multifaceted city, and there are plenty of Black-owned businesses there. There are yet more in neighboring Oakland and Berkeley, which you can access by car or via…
SF Bay Area residents have the opportunity to win a variety prizes just for visiting a minority owned business listed in this directory The directory lists the businesses…
After getting a big taste of corporate America, including taking on Board seat roles, Debra Sandler decided to shift to entrepreneurship. The founder and CEO of Mavis Foods, Sandler and her…
This entrepreneur made a purchase out of liquidation and found her niche reselling castoffs from major fashion brands. Judi Townsend was searching for Tina Turner concert tickets on Craigslist one…
In Greenville, Miss., pop. 27,000, a modern, brightly lit juice bar stands out in the small downtown lined with mostly mom and pop businesses and a few taverns…
Looking for holiday gifts for the Black Entrepreneur? We’ve updated our Resources page with 10 great books with links for Black businesses and budding entrepreneurs.
Businesses owner by Black women-owned grew 67% from 2007 to 2012, compared to 27% for all women, and 50% from 2014 to 2019, representing the highest growth rate…
According to the most recent available Census data, 852,000 Black Americans working in the U.S. are self-employed. With 2021 being dubbed the “Great Resignation,” employees are looking inward, shifting priorities, and…
This year, there’s a call to claim Black Friday to intentionally focus the day’s holiday shopping to support Black-owned businesses – but for those in the work of…
Meet Judi Henderson Townsend, the owner of Mannequin Madness in Oakland, Ca. It is the only Black owned mannequin company in the country. While selling mannequins to retailers…
Angel Gregorio’s The Spice Suite is a $1m foodie’s retail paradise and support system for Black women start-ups The Spice Suite is a foodie’s retail paradise, nestled in the heart…
Britney Winters, Joanna Smith, and Tanya van Court. Courtesy of Britney Winters, Mamadi Doumbouya, and Tanya van Court; Skye Gould/InsiderThe venture-capital space isn’t the most welcoming environment for Black women.As of…
Reflecting on James and the Giant Cupcake’s tenth year in business. Founded in 2008, at the height of the gourmet cupcake trend, Oakland’s dessert mini-chain James and the Giant Cupcake maintained…
Getty Images (We Are) The new BrainTrust Founders Studio will match creators with support partners. A membership based, tech-enabled community platform for beauty and wellness founders has partnered…
Calling all Vegans! If you are a seasoned vegan or just starting out with your new diet, there is a bounty of resources for you in the SF…
The Paycheck Protection Program officially ended May 31, 2021. Read our PPP page for more information or visit our PPP Loan Forgiveness Guide. Minority business owners face challenges when starting…
Welcome to Breaking the Blueprint — a new blog series that dives into the unique business challenges and opportunities of Black business owners and entrepreneurs. Learn how they’ve grown or…
Ariana Makau recently restored a local historic church’s century-old stained glass dome. Walking into the vaulted interior of Resurrection Church Oakland on the corner of Franklin and 17th…
Ellis Isle Teas is located in her Detroit hometown, and the talented, tenacious Ellis-Brown credits the Motor City for much of her success What does it take to become the…
NEW YORK, NY Comcast announced today a second round of cities to receive grants from the Comcast RISE Investment Fund, providing $6 million additional dollars to hundreds of…
BY KIMBERLY WILSON · MARCH 30, 2021 Eighteen months ago, Kim Alexis Newton left her corporate job of 20 years after taking a leap of faith — or rather, a push — to fully walk…
A group of Louisville brothers just opened the first Black-owned bourbon distillery in the state of Kentucky, WKYT reports. Bryson, Chris, and Victor Yarborough were born and raised in Louisville,…
Graduation day is a special day, not just for the graduate for the parents, grandparents, other family members and friends of the graduates. Everyone contributed in some way…
Crop Swap uses your front lawn to grow vegetables for a produce-subscription program. You get part of the revenue. Most houses in South Los Angeles have a typical…
Birria tacos, feta pasta, and viral quesadilla hacks celebrate white appropriation at the expense of the ingenuity of chefs and cooks of color. You scroll Instagram and see…
Lockstep Ventures has raised $25 million as the venture capital firm looks to close the racial gap when it comes to funding new businesses. Co-founder Bonin Bough told…
The father figures in our lives are strong, hard working and pillars of the community. When celebrating them this year, consider spending your dollars at a Black owned…
Chicago-based entrepreneur Jeff Badu, a former gang member, became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a millionaire by 26. Now, he’s giving back to inner-city youth through his summer financial literacy…
Johnathan Lacy is making history as the first Black owner of a 7-Eleven store in Nevada, Fox 5 Vegas reports. He didn’t set out to make history; he just focused…
The Redmon family just acquired 20 Jamba Juice franchises in the San Francisco Bay Area! According to Black Business, Charlayne Redmon and her husband Dwayne, —– along with their four…
Editor’s Note: This profile is part of a new series, “Her Perspective,” on the experiences of Black women business owners. Judi Henderson is a proud Black woman business owner. Being one…
From a business perspective, the best thing about vaginal steaming — aka “v-steaming” or “yoni steaming” — is that it’s yet to be regulated. Anyone with a handicap toilet chair…
Spa dates, scented candles, lotions, plants and CBD. If any of these products appeal to the person you are shopping for on Mother’s Day please consider buying from…
Being an entrepreneur means wearing many hats and every stage of growth requires that you develop new skills – whether it is learning how to manage staff, find…
Where you spend your money shapes the world around you. If you are having a wedding in the SF Bay Area, this is a guide to Bay Area…
This is Part One of “Pure Fire,” a four-part series by Christopher Russell, the chef-owner of Red’s House, a Caribbean restaurant in San Francisco. *** My name is Christopher Russell,…
Anyone who has been keeping up with the news knows that we are living in a new era, with a pandemic that has laid bare the lack of…
The influencer industry is one of the emerging businesses. Influencers are individuals with a strong foothold on social media; they shape discussions as well as create content with…
Joseph Lee was one of Boston’s most successful hospitality entrepreneurs when he invented machines that transformed industrial breadmaking for the next century. But he didn’t sell them for…
Ebony Ruffin’s social media feeds and email inbox started blowing up the moment the Goldman Sachs news broke. Word that the banking behemoth will commit $10B in direct…
Inspired by A.G. Gaston’s philosophy of recognizing and fulfilling the needs of the people, Mitchell shifted her attention towards the impact of LinkedIn on prospective employees and employers…
PayPal is extending additional support to Black-owned businesses by way of a $5 million grant that builds on the $10 million PayPal Empowerment Grant program launched in June. “When…
NEW YORK, NY Comcast today announced the Comcast RISE Investment Fund, providing $5 million dollars of grants to hundreds of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)-owned, small…
From time to time, there are Black and minority business grants available to help African American and other minority entrepreneurs. Sometimes, they grants are offered by major companies,…
There’s no better time than now to show your support for the Black community. As Americans continue to open their eyes to the injustices of systemic racism and…
You wouldn’t figure a shipping container in West Oakland could be the ground base for a revolution in wine, but that’s where Aaliyah Nitoto’s making her stand, bringing…
In light of this year’s Black History Month theme: The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity, throughout February we are featuring Bay Area Black owned businesses that are…
Every entrepreneur has their own roadmap to success, but being African-American poses more challenges. Fortunately, you can take cues from people who have already reached the top: the millionaires and billionaires who played…
For 18 years, my business Silicon Valley-based Mosaic Global Transportation was cruising in every sense of the word. With the tech sector booming, our mix of private shuttle buses for…
In light of this year’s Black History Month theme: The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity, throughout February we are featuring Bay Area Black owned businesses that are…
Want to see lasting diversity and equality in your entrepreneurial community? Here are some ways to put your time, money, leadership and know-how to work on evening the…
Former National Football League player Marshawn Lynch has announced the launch of a “premium, crafted cannabis brand-platform” named Dodi Blunts, which are 24kt diamond-infused blunts. READ MOREAward‑Winning Black‑Owned Bakery Launches…
Business is picking up again for Piikup, the local delivery business April Fenall launched in 2018, based in Oakland, California. “We’re getting new accounts up and old accounts are…
One woman has made it her mission to connect Black-owned brands with today’s top costume designers. Sex and the City made Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo household names, and,…
Kamala Harris is currently the most famous person of color to hail from Oakland. Oakland hasn’t had this much civic pride since the Golden State Warriors won the…
Black History Month 2021 – The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity Each February in Black History Month we celebrate Black Americans’ contributions to society and raise awareness…
When Black Enterprise magazine was first published in 1970, the American economic landscape was in a period of transition that resulted from the U.S. Civil Rights Movement; the outlawing of de jure…
This is last in our series about Black Unicorns in the Bay Area. The Black Unicorn is a Black business owner who is rare because they either the…
Sherika Wynter was on a roll. Since releasing an insulated luxury tote bag for professionals in 2018, and subsequently selling out three times, her Maryland-based research and development…
“Can you recommend Black Businesses in Oakland to support?” was the request someone had on the Next Door app in the Montclair area. However it was the responses…
Unicorn is the term used in the venture capital industry to describe a startup company with a value of over $1 billion. Less than 2% of start ups…
To tackle barriers to capital for Black businesses, an Oakland project is trying a new strategy: Monthly cash payments, no strings attached. As dozens of cities roll out or…
We dug into a series of grants to help small business owners and startups grow their company One way to get momentum as a business owner? Find and…
Put your money where your mouth heart is. Protest. Donate. Sign petitions. Listen and learn. Yes, yes, yes and yes. Another way to make a difference and support the Bay Area Black…
Graphics by Rose Lee The BRB Bottomline: The Black Lives Matter protests have shed light on the systemic racism which African Americans face. Although there is widespread support for…
When your wine shelf runs low, use this list of black-owned wineries to stock it back up! I already know that supporting black-owned wine companies is going to…
Mamoudou Athie in Uncorked, Credit: Netflix A toast to black wine professionals The romance of wine lures visitors to dreamy wine country, where people often flock to escape…
Sometimes the best things in life are indeed free. And it costs nothing to give your favorite Black owned business free publicity – which is priceless. Very few…
Winfrey puts the focus this year on Black-owned businesses It all started with red flannel pajamas and a pair of Uggs. Years later, Oprah Winfrey is still sharing…
This article is a reprint from BizJournals.: As our communities continue to struggle, women across America see their lives becoming more complicated as they juggle responsibilities at home…
Black women are including Diva Wreaths —- And Diva Trees in their holiday decorations. Both products are expressions of “Black Girl Magic.” “Black Girl Magic” (#BlackGirlMagic) is a…
While many big box retailers sell holiday decoration with an Afrocentric theme, most likely those items were made in China. Sure it is nice that these stores are…
2020 Holiday Shopping Ideas: Black-owned Businesses in the SF Bay Area Dear Santa’s Elves: Yes, it’s that time again and – pandemic or not – your peeps will…
2020 is a year that we will all remember for great changes. For Black Friday, the old days of early morning crowded stores and long lines for super…
A Black Dyer Shakes Up the White-Dominated Yarn Industry BY LOREN FELDMAN, OCTOBER 22, 2020 Adella Colvin was 34, recently married, and living in Georgia when she first…
Briona Lamback Sep 9, 2020 IN THE 1930S, the great open road in the United States meant freedom along Route 66 or riding through a new town with…
BY ANDREW R. CHOW UPDATED: AUGUST 21, 2020 9:09 AM EDT | ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: AUGUST 20, 2020 6:45 AM EDTAndrew R. Chow is an entertainment reporter for Time Magazine. He…
Dominique Fluker, Senior ContributorForbesWomenI cover dynamic women of color and their careers. Meet Renae L. Bluitt a Brooklyn, New York-based filmmaker, digital content creator, and PR consultant, who…
As a Black Business Owner, She Hid Her Ethnicity. ‘It’s What I Felt I Needed to Do’ Editor’s Note: This profile is part of a new series, “Her Perspective,” on…
After George Floyd was murdered, the outrage brought about calls for change internationally. Many companies are trying to be on the right side of racial justice when it comes…
Garrett Oliver had planned to spend the spring flying to Brazil, Sweden, Japan and three other countries for book promotions and beer events. But the coronavirus shutdown grounded…
For Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) our economic plight is a political issue. With us living in a time where “it is harder to build wealth in this generation…
American barbecue often ignites a passionate discourse that can only come from a deep love and appreciation of tender, flavorful smoked meat. The debates are endless: Which state makes the…