Here are 25 Black-owned businesses that you can support this year
Black Hair and Skin Care
Cajose Natural
:
After having trouble soothing her kids’ issues with dry and patchy
skin, one Black entrepreneur decided to take matters into her own hands –
rather literally. Having already been immersing herself into natural
ingredients for her own hair and skin, she continued her researching
which would best suit the needs of her children.
Elle Johnson Luxury Skincare
:
Founder LaVonndra “Elle” Johnson became a skincare enthusiast after
witnessing so many women struggle with skin conditions, often times
leading to lowered self-esteem and confidence, and a reliance on
artificial beauty.
Koils By Nature
:
Dedicated to offering high quality, all natural, hair and skin
products, their customers can believe in and feel confident using. They
achieve that goal by creating blends that do not contain parabens,
sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, phthalates, propylene
glycol, mineral oil, PBA, petroleum, paraffin DEA, synthetic color, or
animal products.
Jewelry and Accessories
KYW Boutique
:
Online Black-owned boutique that offers unique & trendy accessories
to empower women to be bold and feel confident. KYW Boutique stands for
“Know Your Worth,” and the founder, Nakisha B, wants women to be bold
and classy.
Gabby Bows
:
This company was launched by Gabrielle Goodwin when she was just five
years old when she started daily insisting she and her Mom create a
barrette that would stay in her hair. Since then, GaBBY Bows have helped
families all over the world save time, money and frustration.
Toys and Children’s items
Darlyng & Co
:
This Black-owned lifestyle brand for children let’s parents keep their
sanity. Their new innovative Teether – The Yummy Mitt® Teething Mitten
makes your baby less crabby and more happy! Plus a variety of other cool
products.
Toys Like Me
:
This company was launched in early 2018 by an African American dad who
noticed that most toys sold by major retailers do not reflect what
children with brown skin look like. He wanted to create backpack dolls
and other products that Black children could resonate with, that is,
toys that would build character, self-esteem, and most importantly…
self-awareness!
Trinity Designs, Inc.
:
This Black-owned company celebrates black beauty through dolls that
endeavor to inspire, captivate and encourage young women and children to
love the skin they’re in. They hope to increase self awareness and self
confidence by giving them positive options for dolls that they can
identify with.
Books and Magazines
Urban Ebooks
:
More than 25 ebooks that empower African Americans, other minorities,
and women of all ethnicities. They are 100% educational, and most of the
books are available for $5 or less.
Urban Intellectuals
:
Black History Flash Cards designed to combat the miseducation and
suppression of Black achievements around the globe, and Black History
Coloring Books that focus on some of the amazing entrepreneurs in modern
history that have excelled via ingenuity, perseverance and drive.
Entrepreneurs Color Too
:
This Black-owned company presents the first adult coloring book to
highlight the beauty of black women and celebrate those women as being
successful entrepreneurs. Since launching in May of 2018, the book has
been featured in Black Enterprise
, Curly Nikki
and Madame Noire
. This book is for business creatives and CEOs “because we should all feel inspired.”
Backpacks and Handbags
Natural & Fit Designs
:
Workout wear geared toward African American women. The clothing is made
from materials that can handle the sweat from an intense workout
session, yet leave you looking great throughout your exercises.
Africa On My Back
:
a social enterprise that funds study abroad opportunities for African
American males while simultaneously supporting small businesses in Ghana
through the sale of handcrafted, African-print backpacks.
Suakoko Betty
:
a lifestyle brand inspired by African design. Owner and creative
director Charlene Dunbar was born in Liberia and moved to Atlanta when
she was 11. She took style lessons from her mom and Liberian church
ladies, spliced them with her contemporary point of view, and her
fashion line was born.
The Purse Paparazzi
:
Based in Baltimore, MD, this Black-owned company offers women an
assortment of unique, stylish and edgy clutches for every occasion!
Their clutches are perfect for date night, brunch or your special event.
Coco’Pie Clothing
:
Founded in 2011 by Shantae Pelt, Coco’Pie came to life after one of her
daughters saw a t-shirt with a little black girl on it. She excitedly
exclaimed, “Look, mommy! It’s me on that shirt!” This helped her to
realize that there was not enough mainstream apparel that features
images of brown girls!
Greeting Cards
Culture Greetings
:
An Atlanta-based startup that allows customers to pick a culturally
relevant physical greeting card and write a personal note using their
handwriting fonts. They will print and mail the cards directly to the
customer’s recipients through an automated integration with their state
of the art commercial printing system.
Drinks
Ellis Island Tea
:
Ellis Infinity Beverage Company was founded in 2008 by Nailah
Ellis-Brown. Their specialty is Ellis Island Tropical Tea, an all
natural, hibiscus tea with a Jamaican blend. The recipe came from the
founder’s great grandfather and is now produced in Detroit, Michigan.
Me and the Bees Lemonade
:
Founded by 10-year old, Mikaila of Austin, Texas, when she was only
four years old when she opened her lemonade stand, using her
great-grandmother’s recipe. She called it Sweet Bee lemonade but has
since changed the name to Me and the Bees Lemonade.
Jin+Ja
:
a revitalizing, anti-inflammatory and metabolism boosting tea brand
that was started in the summer of 2009 by entrepreneur Reuben Canada. He
initially made the drinks for himself and for friends, but then
realized that he had something bigger on his hands. After doing a test
at a local retailer, the product kept selling out every 3 days for first
three months and the rest is history!
Bee D’Vine
:
a popular brand of honey wine that was created by entrepreneur Ayele
Solomon after he realized that flowering trees in Ethiopia were an ideal
source of nectar and pollen that bees use to make valuable honey. This
set him on a quest to better understand the art and business of
creating honey wine. He evaluated production in Ethiopia and South
Africa, but settled on the world-class wine region of Sonoma – not far
from where he grew up – using California honey for the first varietals.
Desserts and Snacks
CamiCakes Cupcakes
:
These
yummy cupcakes were the inspiration of African American entrepreneur
Andra Hall. She named the cupcakes after her daughter Camille and
includes over 25 different varieties like sweet potato, banana cream,
salted caramel, red velvet and more. Order online or visit one of her 7
locations in Florida and Georgia.
The Black Cake Company
:
Caribbean
rum cakes are the specialty at this bakery. They use fresh ingredients
and recipes that have been handed down for generations. The company has
been around since 1987 and ships cakes around the world.
Symphony Chips
:
Created by an Atlanta-based father and his 2 daughters, this company
produces healthy potato chips with all-natural ingredients that are both
delightful and memorable.
Southern Culture Foods
:
This Decatur, Georgia-based company makes pancake and waffle mix, bacon
rub and syrup. Owner Erica Barrett starting cooking for her family at
the age of 9. Her first break came when she took first place in a food
contest being held by The Food Network and Lea & Perrins, winning
$10,000 and a trip to New York City. The rest she says is history.
