Black entrepreneurs face several obstacles when starting a business, including lack of access to capital and discrimination.
Partake; Melanin Haircare; Jungalow
Habab El Rufaie, founder and creative director of Barkal, created the brand as a gender-neutral footwear collection that is derived from traditional Sudanese men’s shoes, called Markoub. Barkal works with suppliers in Italy to get materials like nappa leather and suede to make what El Rufaie calls “culturally treasured” footwear.
Fitness Snob is a Black- and women-owned brand that offers crew socks to help maintain your fitness goals, whether you’re a beginner or a gym rat. The socks come in several bold designs and styles, including gripped socks for barre and Pilates classes and sheer crew socks to show over a pair of sporty sandals.
For Them was founded by Kylo Freeman out of a need for products and services that cater to the wellness of queer communities. The brand specializes in sustainable binders that are designed to help wearers feel comfortable and at home in their bodies, all while providing a firm yet healthy bind.
Based out of Dallas, Texas, Powerhandz offers sports products and accessories. The company’s inventory caters to a wide range of sports and activities, including training equipment to improve soccer, basketball and football skills.
Saint Ola was founded in 2017 by Nigerian-American fashion designer Jummy Thomas, who created the brand as a modern and inclusive approach to African aesthetics. The brand combines vintage and modern, African and western styles through dresses, skirts, jumpsuits, hair accessories and more.
Teflar is a luxury brand piloted by Liberian-American fashion designer Telfar Clemens. Its popular Shopping Bag — often dubbed the “Bushwick Birkin” because of its popularity among Brooklyn creatives — is accessible in both design and price point, and it’s even a favorite among celebrities like Oprah and Beyoncé. But if a new bag drops, you’ll have to act fast: they typically sell out within minutes of going in stock. If you can’t get your hands on the classic Shopping Bag, the brand offers plenty of other fun styles, including the Circle Bag, Jelly Shopper and Puff Shopper.
Third Crown is a New York-based jewelry brand created by co-designers Kristin and Kofi Essel. Inspired by geometric shapes in everyday architecture, Third Crown’s collection of statement necklaces, rings, cuff bracelets and more is designed for all genders, according to the brand.
Tricia “Tree” Fairfax launched the eponymous brand in 2018 as an outlet for her love of sewing and handcrafted accessories. Today, Tree Fairfax offers minimalist and long-lasting leather goods, including tote bags, wallets, belts and wine holder bags.
When Dr. Verniese Lorielle Moore was in medical school, she was diagnosed with stage three lymphoma and given six months to live. After a five-year battle with cancer, she was declared cured from lymphoma in 2015 — now, Moore officially realized her dreams of being a practicing physician and the founder and designer of Vie Lorie, a luxury handbag brand that launched in early February. The name, which derives from Moore’s first and middle name, has a special meaning: “Vie” means life in French and “Lorie” means laurel, which is the symbol for victory, Moore told us. Vie Lorie’s debut Tryumph Collection includes four handbags made by Italian artisans, and currently available exclusively online at the brand’s website.
Vontélle is a luxury eyewear brand created for diverse faces, which means it has larger lenses for high cheekbones, wider nose bridges and longer temples for comfort. The brand fulfills prescriptions and offers custom lens colors and tints, including blue light blocker and polarized lenses, in any pair of frames. The eyewear comes in dozens of designs and fun patterns to fit your personal style, and also also offers various colorful kids styles — in fact, Vontélle is the first Black- and women-owned eyewear brand to obtain a licensing agreement from Nickelodeon.
We Dream in Colour founder Jade Gedeon and her sister Mika have been designing unique statement jewelry for over a decade. Based in Salem, Massachusetts, the brand’s all-women team uses repurposed material to create attractive and sustainable pieces, and the jewelry line’s intricate designs are inspired by Gedeon’s nomadic lifestyle across places like Trinidad and Tobago, Denmark and Australia.
Pernell Cezar and Rod Johnson, founders of Blk & Bold and lifetime friends, say the name of their company represents who they are and the product they sell: black coffee with bold flavor. BLK & Bold sells light, medium and dark roast coffee, cold brew, Keurig K-cups and multiple teas. Every year, the brand pledges 5% of its gross revenue to nonprofit organizations in the U.S. that support and instill confidence in children.
Founder Efrem Fesaha’s family is from Eritrea, a country next to Ethiopia, where coffee is an important part of the area’s culture. He started Boon Boona to introduce customers to the region’s beans, which he imports from East African producers and exporters. Boon Boona supports its growers by donating a portion of profits to them.
Luv’s Brownies sells heart-shaped sweet treats in flavors like original, espresso, peanut butter, rocky road and dulce de leche. Andrea Lacy, who founded the company in 1996, donates a portion of sales to a scholarship fund for high school seniors who’ve shown tenacity in overcoming challenges, like she did when she was diagnosed with dyslexia in college.
This coffee company sources its beans directly from Rwanda and roasts them in Baltimore, Maryland. Its founders aim to honor the matriarchs of their families by donating 10% of profits to women-focused programs in coffee farming communities. In 2022 and 2023, Matriarch Coffee also subsidized livestock to coffee farmers in Rwanda and contributed to health insurance coverage for over 200 coffee farming community members.
Frustrated by a lack of allergy-friendly snacks for kids like her daughter, Denise Woodard started making and selling cookies that are gluten-free, vegan and free of the top nine allergens. She originally ran the business out of her car, but today, you can find Partake’s products on Amazon, as well as in major retailers nationwide like Target and Whole Foods. In addition to cookies, Partake offers graham crackers and breakfast mixes for pancakes and waffles. Through Partake, Woodard also runs the Black Futures in Food & Beverage Fellowship Program, which matches HBCU students with paid internships and jobs at CPG food & beverage companies.
Sipwell’s canned wine is made from organically or sustainably farmed grapes that are harvested in California’s Central Coast. Each can contains 1.5 glasses of wine (equivalent to about 8.5 ounces) and you can purchase sparkling or flat reds, whites and rosés.
“Irie” is a Jamaican saying that means “everything’s good,” which is how husband-and-wife team Joseph and LaShanda Lewis want customers to feel while sipping on their company’s tea. You can shop loose leaf tea in a variety of flavors, as well as matcha and accessories like mugs and infusers.
Erica Davis and Catherine Carter co-founded their wine subscription service in an effort to push back against industry norms telling women they’re supposed to like sweet and pink drinks. The Sip’s subscription service sends customers curated wine boxes either bi-monthly or annually, so they can try new varieties and discover their preferences from the comfort of their home. You can also shop ready-to-ship boxes.
Zach & Zoe Sweet Bee Farm was born out of Kam and Summer Johnson’s quest to find a natural remedy for their son Zachary’s allergies. Incorporating raw honey into his diet seemed to do the trick, and the Johnson’s were inspired to start beekeeping and offer their own line of honey made without pesticides or additives.
Nana Quagraine founded 54kibo in 2018 as a hub for African artisans to sell their handcrafted home decor. It showcases design techniques specific to different regions, like basket weaving, beadwork, goldsmithing and embroidery, and the “54” in the retailer’s name refers to the number of countries that make up the continent of Africa.
Jasmin Foster founded Be Rooted “to create a safe space for women of color to feel seen and heard in their everyday life,” she told us. The brand sells journals and planners decorated with art depicting women of color, as well as desk accessories and home goods like puzzles. Be Rooted was recognized in the Time’s 100 Most Influential Companies, and was the first Black-owned stationery brand to line Target store shelves in 2021.
After 11 years at a major New York City architecture firm, Brooklyn-based designer Hana Getachew started Bolé Road Textiles as a way to merge her passion for interior design and her love of Ethiopian handwoven fabrics, which she grew up with in her own home. The brand has a range of home decor and essentials, including pillows, rugs, curtains and bath mats, in neutral tones and pops of vibrant colors.
Interior designer Nicole Gibbons founded online paint store Clare to help make choosing a paint color simple and easy. The company partners with designers on curated collections, and before customers buy buckets of interior or exterior paint, they can get peel-and-stick swatches to place on their walls.
While working in the fashion industry, Byron Peart told us he saw skilled, underrepresented makers around the world who needed a platform to share their goods. Switching gears from fashion to homeware, he co-founded Goodee with his brother Dexter Peart to help fill that need. The retailer sells furniture, decor, kitchen and dining products, as well as its own line of products.
Johanna Howard began her career working in fashion, creating women’s clothing inspired by the Scandinavian designs she grew up around in Sweden. She turned to home decor in 2013, and collaborates with artisans across the world to create products like table linens, pillows and throws.
Justina Blakeney started Jungalow as a blog to document her art and designs, but it’s now become a home decor brand that incorporates bold colors and patterns into every piece. Though Jungalow shut down its online store in May 2024, the brand is still available at major retailers like Target, Ruggable and Bloomingdales.
Loam’s small-batch, vegan candles come in scents inspired by outdoor gardens, including Full Bloom, Citrus Season and Herb Bed. The company was founded by Jessica White, who donates 5% of profits to organizations that work to advance food security and access, teach people about plants and protect the environment.
LA-native Whitney Brooks founded luxury candle company The Whitney Collection during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since traveling was always a way for Brooks to achieve mental clarity and release, she needed an alternative while pandemic travel restrictions were in place. The collection, which has scents like garden fig and Cuban tobacco, honors the scents of different locations from Whitney’s travels, and can help transport people to different places around the globe.
While there were plenty of products on the market tailored to address adult’s curly hair concerns, there weren’t many specifically formulated for kids. Sandy Williams changed that by co-founding CurlyKids. The company offers shampoos, conditioners and styling products for young curly, coily, kinky, frizzy and wavy hair textures.
To ensure new mothers have the products they need to heal after birth, Nana Eyeson-Akiwowo and Marcia A. Cole launched Fourth Phase, which sells after-birth care boxes filled with items that aid in physical and emotional recovery. The brand’s products are organic, non-toxic and sustainably sourced.
HarperIman is run by a mother and daughter team, Cynthia Watkins and Kathryn Burnett. Their company makes dolls with different skin tones and hair textures, providing children of color with toys that represent them.
After noticing a lack of relatable imagery on products made for children of color, Debra Raney, a mother and grandmother, founded Little Muffincakes to ensure kids can see faces that look like them on apparel, accessories and room decor. Most products are designed for newborns to young elementary schoolers.
Loving Me Books is a database filled with children’s books that represent diverse characters and stories. Angela Nesbitt started it after noticing a lack of books about Black characters in classrooms and libraries while working as a behavioral therapist.
Founder Krystal Nicole Duhaney is a registered nurse and lactation consultant who struggled with her milk supply after having her second child. She developed a lactation cookie recipe as a quick fix and started sharing it with other mothers in the same boat. Since then, Duhaney has expanded Milky Mama’s products to include lactation brownies, drink mixes, smoothies and more.
While shopping for toys for his three young children, Matthew Goins felt frustrated by how few puzzles featured images that looked like him and his family. He started making his own puzzles to fill the void, and the company has now grown to also sell wall decor, T-shirts, pillows and blankets.
Royal Nation sells gender-neutral kids clothing for sizes 4/5 to 14. Founded by Lauren Hayes, each apparel collection tells a different story and is accompanied by a short film that sets the scene.
The Rooted Baby Co. began as a way for founder Alfreda Abena to share her Ghanaian culture with her son, but now, the company allows her to teach other families about it, too. She sells baby products like swaddles, sheets, bows and teething toys, which are made in part from authentic African print fabric.
Nadiyah Spencer founded TinkyPoo in 2020 with the goal of creating a diaper company that represents babies of color by showcasing images of them on the brand’s products. “As a Black woman creating a diaper brand that celebrates our babies, I am living a dream that has now materialized,” says Spencer. “It shows my son and anyone watching that anything we put our minds to, we can achieve.” The diapers come in unisex sizes and are made from plant-based materials.
Founded by Warren, Cheryl and Allyce Lee in 2017, 44th & 3rd Bookseller is a family-owned bookstore based out of Atlanta. The store’s mission is to be a source of culturally-rich, unbiased literature for the Black community, selling books, audiobooks and a number of 44th & 3rd exclusive releases.
Specializing in republishing the out of print work of Black authors, Black Classic Press was founded in 1978, and aims to preserve the memory of important books in Black culture. They offer books that share perspectives on the Black diasporic experience through subjects like poetry, history and politics.
Black Garnet Books was created during the summer of 2020 in Saint Paul, Minnesota and exists with a mission of “addressing racial inequality within the publishing and literary industries,” according to the brand. The shop’s selection is curated to focus on works by authors and illustrators of color, including bell hooks, Toshikazu Kawaguchi and Angela Davis.
Located in Decatur, Georgia, Brave + Kind Bookshop caters to children and young adults with their selection of diverse and inclusive picture books, novels and more. The store also offers a reading club, and a variety of ‘Best Book’ bundles to make gifting easier.
Hannah Oliver Depp founded Loyalty Bookstores in order to better serve Black and queer communities in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia with a diverse offering of books and events. The store sells literary staples like books, stationery and more, and also partners with local vendors to create shopping experiences for the Washington, DC and Silver Springs, Maryland communities.
Founded in 2007 by husband and wife duo Derrick and Ramunda Young, Mahogany Books was created to meet the literary needs of readers looking for books written by or about the African diaspora. After being solely online for the first ten years of business, in 2017 the store opened its first physical location in Washington, DC, where the brand sells books spanning categories like fantasy, romance and nonfiction.
Semicolon Bookstore was founded with the mission of bridging the literacy gap in the Chicago area by providing access to literature and working with the local community to build an interest in books. Every month, the store invites students to come in and take home books of their choice, free of charge.
The Key Bookstore aims to build community digitally, by using technology to create an accessible, online bookstore experience. In addition to selling books and audiobooks, the store also hosts the Based Books podcast, which connects current topics to books and literature.
Bronx native and resident Noëlle Santos founded the Lit Bar in 2019, after the closure of the last bookstore in the Bronx left the community without a literary hub. The Lit Bar aims to be a sustainable, accessible bookstore that serves the needs of its community through events like social gatherings at the in-house wine bar and curated, local community programming.
Founded by journalist Marc Lamont Hill in 2017, Uncle Bobbie’s is a coffee shop and bookstore serving the Germantown, Philadelphia area by providing access to books and community space. Along with books, the store also serves coffee, café foods, apparel, games and more, and also functions as a community space for author talks and weekly children’s storytimes.
Mili Godio, Zoe Malin and Ashley Morris are, respectively, the updates editor, reporter and associate SEO reporter at NBC Select. For this article, they connected with hundreds of Black-owned businesses to confirm that they’re at least 51% Black-owned. (To be considered a Black-owned business, a company must be at least 51% Black-owned, according to the Census Bureau.) Godio, Malin and Morris also rounded up notable products from Black-owned businesses across shopping categories.
