One thing Black women did this year: that.
Black women entrepreneurs have made some major gains raising venture capital. According to ProjectDiane, at the start of 2018, just 34 Black women had raised $1 million or more in outside investments for their businesses. Now, that number has more than doubled as we enter into 2022.
During the 2021 ESSENCE + GU Entrepreneur Summit, we celebrated 9 Black women entrepreneurs who have made major strides in business — joining the esteemed $1 million club. Scroll below to meet them and learn more about their businesses.
For more of everything you missed at the ESSENCE + GU Entrepreneur Summit, visit www.essencestudios.com.
The ESSENCE + GU Entrepreneur Summit is presented by Coca-Cola® and sponsored by Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women.
01
Janice Omadeke – Founder, The Mentor Method
The Mentor Method offers many unique mentoring relationships including peer and group mentorship, consultant mentorship, and strategy consulting mentorship.
02
Mary Imevbore – Co-Founder/CEO, The Waeve
A Boston-based wig company owned by Black women, and for Black women.
03
Olamide Olowe – Co-Founder/CEO, Topicals
Topicals is a skincare brand that treats chronic skin conditions.
04
Alessandra Knight – Founder, Katch
Katch helps you find time to connect with the right people, at the right time, for you and for them.
05
Denise Woodard – Founder, Partake Foods
Partake Foods is a better ‘free from’ alternative.
06
Sevetri Wilson – Founder, Resilia
Resilia enables nonprofits to increase capacity and funders to go beyond the grant with technical assistance, coaching, and capacity-building support.
07
Rihanna – Founder, Savage x Fenty
Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty celebrates fearlessness, confidence and inclusivity.
08
Toyin Ajayi, Co-Founder, Cityblock Health
09
Joanna Smith, Founder, AllHere
AllHere provides intuitive, easy to use and deploy, cloud-based solutions to change chronic absenteeism within state education agencies, districts and schools.
