In Honor of Black Business Month
August means that it is officially Black Business Month in America, which is a time when we can appreciate the Black-owned business of our country. Although this celebration has roots dating back to 2004 when Frederick E. Jordan, an engineering entrepreneur, and John William Templeton, President and Executive Editor of a scholarly publishing company, started the yearly event, we believe it’s even more important this year to recognize and celebrate Black Businesses because of the disproportionate impact COVID-19 had on African-American communities.
As such we are proud to announce the 12 winners of the inaugural class of Black +. Huge shoutout to Vice Media Group and The National Urban League who announced these 12 winners of their Black+ initiative, which is dedicated to supporting Black-owned businesses and closing the Black entrepreneurship gap. Don’t be surprised if you see a familiar name down below.
The Winners (in alphabetical order):
Anima Iris: Anima Iris is a modern brand that pulls inspiration and strength from the matriarchs of its past. Every piece in the Anima Iris collection is carefully handcrafted by seasoned professionals in Dakar, Senegal. With centuries old African craftsmanship at the tip of their fingers, our artisans add a touch unrivaled in quality and attention to detail to create limited edition pieces.
Black Owned Everything Inc.: Black Owned Everything is more than just a platform or marketplace. What started as an Instagram page has become a movement; a medium for creating meaningful and long-lasting participation between Black business, community, and excellence. It is not ephemeral, trend-based, or short-lived.
Cee Cee's Closet NYC: Cee Cee's Closet offers beauty and heritage wrapped in one. Headwraps are a timeless expression of African culture and beauty - a bold and vibrant fashion statement for women of color. Cee Cee’s Closet’s headwraps were born out of a practical need to take better care of hair curls with protective yet fashionable headwear.
Girls Vacation Club: Girls Vacation Club offers pre-planned and custom girls trips with none of the hassle of planning.
Glory: Glory is a new kind of skincare brand powered by women of color and on a mission to help women of every hue make better choices about their skin health.
Health In Her HUE Inc.: Health In Her HUE is a digital platform that connects Black women and women of color to culturally competent and sensitive healthcare providers, and offers health information and content that centers their lived experiences.
My Home Pathway: My Home Pathway is helping break financial limitations through homeownership. My Home Pathway provides a free-to-use app to help new and/or previously denied applicants make the necessary financial risk profile improvements that are required to get the home they ultimately want.
On The Go Jo Coffee: On The Go Jo is passionate about providing high quality, handcrafted coffee, tea, and syrups that intrigue the senses and excite customers. On The Go Jo has created a coffee line that empowers women throughout the supply chain. The beans are produced by women (women managed or owned coffee farms), roasted by women (only 15% of roasters are women in the US), and owned by black women.
Perfect Blue Alchemy LLC: Perfect Blue Alchemy is handcrafted organic, vegan and natural perfumes, body products and home items made from organic essential oils and organic plant oils.
Planet FWD Moonshot: Moonshot is on a mission to create delicious, carbon neutral snacks that are good for you and the planet.
PUR Home: PUR Home is dedicated to creating natural and safe household cleaning products that can be used by anyone, giving special consideration to selecting ingredients that are plant-based, biodegradable, sulfate-free, and non-toxic.
Soul Brew Kombucha: Soul Brew Kombucha is a refreshing and carbonated fermented beverage that is a healthy low-sugar alternative to soda and other sugary drinks.
If any of the descriptions above appeal to you, we highly encourage you to check out and support those businesses. Your support, no matter how small, can really make a big difference in helping address the gap in minority owned business representation.