Latest news with #Black-woman-owned
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Miami area saw second highest growth in Black businesses, just behind this major city
When family medicine doctor Venis Wilder moved back to her hometown of Plantation from New York City in 2019, she wanted to better understand the connection between diet and health. She learned that large amounts of many seasonings led to health challenges over time. 'In the Black community, we cook with salts and seasonings that are causing more harm than good,' said Wilder, 40. Later that year, she started a spice company, Aunt Alberta's Spice House, from her Plantation home. In doing so, she joined the ranks of nearly 4,000 Black-owned businesses that were created from 2017 to 2022 in South Florida. According to a new study on Black business in America, South Florida saw the second highest increase in the number of new Black businesses during that time, right behind the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Brookings Institution study showed that the South Florida metropolitan area saw the creation of 3,972 new Black-owned businesses, a 77% increase. The rise in South Florida's Black businesses hasn't surprised Miami Dade College business professor Takevess Hatcher. Black business supported communities like Overtown before integration and gentrification changed the area, he said. Citing research from local Black historian and author Marvin Dunn, Hatcher noted that the number of Black businesses in Overtown grew from just 15 in the year 1900 to 146 businesses by 1915. 'A lot of our businesses were started because of need, not because of greed,' he said. 'We needed our own schools because we couldn't go to schools in other areas. We had our own businesses and enclaves for what we would need.' Hatcher is a Black business owner himself, having started his own tax services company in 2012. In his lectures with students, he teaches them about the importance of one day using their business ideas and professional status to support the communities from which they come. The rising number of businesses owned by Black women like Wilder is a part of the nationwide growth trend, according to the Brookings Institution. During the five-year period that was studied, the number of Black-woman-owned businesses increased by nearly 72%. Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce President and CEO G. Eric Knowles said Black women are historically strong businesspeople and appreciated that data supports that idea. 'When it comes to the Black community, Black women are always at the forefront, making their families' lives better,' he said. Knowles believes the Miami area is a good space for Black entrepreneurs and women entrepreneurs to connect and share information with one another. 'South Florida is an incubator itself for openness and the camaraderie and coalescing of ideas,' he said. While Wilder's journey parallels that of many local Black business owners over the last few years, her business was years in the making. By combining her medical background with her great-grandmother's penchant for home remedies that were passed down through generations, Wilder was inspired to start her spice company. After doing research, Wilder experimented with five different spice blends and launched Aunt Alberta's Spice House in 2019. Building a business in South Florida has had its challenges, Wilder said. While she learned about programs and grants for local Black entrepreneurs, she felt the dollar amounts are not large enough to support her work on their own. She has also had to learn Spanish to help her better communicate with the area's large Latino community. 'The resources that other communities have, we don't have as much access to,' she said. '[The grants and loans available] are not that great and also high interest. I've wondered how much debt I would have to get into for the business.' Wilder's current focus is on building a path ahead. Within the next five years, she plans on working full-time as an entrepreneur and quitting her job as a doctor. Her plans for that shift have been postponed because like many Black entrepreneurs, access to capital has been a challenge for her. 'I need to bet more on myself,' she said. However, the growth of Aunt Alberta's Spice House has shown her that shift can soon become a reality. Wilder has sold her $10 bottles of spice at more events in 2024 than previous years, leading to more sales and greater brand exposure. Knowles, the Miami-Dade Chamber president, is optimistic when he talks about Black entrepreneurs in South Florida. He took pride in judging a recent pitch competition that featured Black health professionals. 'It's not just Black businesses growing, but I see that [many of our] young people aren't looking for a job; they're looking to create opportunities for themselves,' he said. Given the current volatility of American politics, Knowles said Black residents should support each other's business interests even more than before. 'If there's ever a time for us to wake up and support one another, the time is now,' he said.
Miami Herald
08-03-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Miami area saw second highest growth in Black businesses, just behind this major city
When family medicine doctor Venis Wilder moved back to her hometown of Plantation from New York City in 2019, she wanted to better understand the connection between diet and health. She learned that large amounts of many seasonings led to health challenges over time. 'In the Black community, we cook with salts and seasonings that are causing more harm than good,' said Wilder, 40. Later that year, she started a spice company, Aunt Alberta's Spice House, from her Plantation home. In doing so, she joined the ranks of nearly 4,000 Black-owned businesses that were created from 2017 to 2022 in South Florida. According to a new study on Black business in America, South Florida saw the second highest increase in the number of new Black businesses during that time, right behind the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Brookings Institution study showed that the South Florida metropolitan area saw the creation of 3,972 new Black-owned businesses, a 77% increase. The rise in South Florida's Black businesses hasn't surprised Miami Dade College business professor Takevess Hatcher. Black business supported communities like Overtown before integration and gentrification changed the area, he said. Citing research from local Black historian and author Marvin Dunn, Hatcher noted that the number of Black businesses in Overtown grew from just 15 in the year 1900 to 146 businesses by 1915. 'A lot of our businesses were started because of need, not because of greed,' he said. 'We needed our own schools because we couldn't go to schools in other areas. We had our own businesses and enclaves for what we would need.' Hatcher is a Black business owner himself, having started his own tax services company in 2012. In his lectures with students, he teaches them about the importance of one day using their business ideas and professional status to support the communities from which they come. The rising number of businesses owned by Black women like Wilder is a part of the nationwide growth trend, according to the Brookings Institution. During the five-year period that was studied, the number of Black-woman-owned businesses increased by nearly 72%. Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce President and CEO G. Eric Knowles said Black women are historically strong businesspeople and appreciated that data supports that idea. 'When it comes to the Black community, Black women are always at the forefront, making their families' lives better,' he said. Knowles believes the Miami area is a good space for Black entrepreneurs and women entrepreneurs to connect and share information with one another. 'South Florida is an incubator itself for openness and the camaraderie and coalescing of ideas,' he said. While Wilder's journey parallels that of many local Black business owners over the last few years, her business was years in the making. By combining her medical background with her great-grandmother's penchant for home remedies that were passed down through generations, Wilder was inspired to start her spice company. After doing research, Wilder experimented with five different spice blends and launched Aunt Alberta's Spice House in 2019. Building a business in South Florida has had its challenges, Wilder said. While she learned about programs and grants for local Black entrepreneurs, she felt the dollar amounts are not large enough to support her work on their own. She has also had to learn Spanish to help her better communicate with the area's large Latino community. 'The resources that other communities have, we don't have as much access to,' she said. '[The grants and loans available] are not that great and also high interest. I've wondered how much debt I would have to get into for the business.' Wilder's current focus is on building a path ahead. Within the next five years, she plans on working full-time as an entrepreneur and quitting her job as a doctor. Her plans for that shift have been postponed because like many Black entrepreneurs, access to capital has been a challenge for her. 'I need to bet more on myself,' she said. However, the growth of Aunt Alberta's Spice House has shown her that shift can soon become a reality. Wilder has sold her $10 bottles of spice at more events in 2024 than previous years, leading to more sales and greater brand exposure. Knowles, the Miami-Dade Chamber president, is optimistic when he talks about Black entrepreneurs in South Florida. He took pride in judging a recent pitch competition that featured Black health professionals. 'It's not just Black businesses growing, but I see that [many of our] young people aren't looking for a job; they're looking to create opportunities for themselves,' he said. Given the current volatility of American politics, Knowles said Black residents should support each other's business interests even more than before. 'If there's ever a time for us to wake up and support one another, the time is now,' he said.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Free egg giveaway in NYC: Where to find them
NEW YORK (PIX11) – One farm is working to help combat the shortage and high grocery prices for eggs. FarmerJawn Agriculture will host a free egg giveaway in Brooklyn and Queens this Friday, according to their social media post. The organization will give away 100 packs of a dozen eggs at each location on a first come first served basis. More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State Brooklyn residents can find the giveaway at the Brown Butter Craft Bar & Kitchen on Tompkins Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant starting at 10 a.m. Meanwhile, Queens residents can line up for eggs at the former Prince Abou's Butchery on Steinway Street at 1 p.m. 'Working people are the backbone of our communities, yet too often, relief isn't made for us. So we're doing what we can to pitch in,' read the post on Instagram. More Local News Organizers at FarmerJawn Agriculture say this egg giveaway will be the first of many to come. The farm is the largest Black-woman-owned organic regenerative producer in America. FarmerJawn Agriculture operates 128 acres of farmland and works to increase access to fresh, organic produce for underserved communities. Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Black Businesses Call Out Structural Barriers That Blocked Federal Contract Work Before Trump
President Donald Trump has returned to the White House with a clear agenda to dismantle DEI initiatives. While this may seem like a setback for Black-owned businesses, many had already faced challenges securing federal contracts under the Biden administration. While some minority-owned firms may have gained from DEI programs and initiatives, these efforts fell short of addressing the deeper systemic barriers that continue to hinder many Black-owned businesses. 'DEI isn't for us,' Casey Cooper, owner of a Black-woman-owned long-haul trucking company, told Reuters. 'It looks good on paper, but that money doesn't go to us anyway.' When Trump set his sights on dismantling DEI initiatives across the federal government—including programs designed to help Black-owned firms secure federal contracts—Cooper remained unfazed. While some minority-owned businesses may have benefited from DEI efforts, these initiatives did not go far enough in addressing the deeper systemic barriers that continue to challenge many Black-owned enterprises. 'Many of these business owners feel disillusioned, betrayed, and deeply concerned about the future of their enterprises,' said Ken Harris, president and chief executive of the National Business League, a trade association for Black-owned businesses. 'DEI policies, while far from perfect, provided a semblance of opportunity in an otherwise exclusionary system.' Government data show that in 2023, small disadvantaged businesses received just over 12 percent of federal contract dollars while Black-owned businesses secured only a small portion—1.61 percent. That share shrank in 2024, with Black-owned firms receiving only 1.54 percent of the $637 billion allocated for small business-eligible federal contracting. In both years, the majority of federal contracts overwhelmingly went to large corporations. According to interviews with 10 experts in DEI, government contracting, public policy, and advocacy, the Trump administration's rollback of DEI initiatives now threatens to undermine the limited progress made under the Biden administration in increasing Black-owned businesses' participation in federal contracting. 'People want you to believe that, oh, the government got this big minority business program to give Blacks this multitude of contracts,' said Wendell Stemley, the owner of Black IPO Construction Management in San Diego and president of the National Association of Minority Contractors. 'That's just not the way it works.' Stemley has requested a meeting with Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, whose department oversees contracting for infrastructure projects, and is seeking a meeting with Trump. His goal is to tackle the lack of contracting opportunities for Black and minority business owners, labeling it a 'bipartisan failure.' The NAMC president aims to highlight the need for better workforce training for minorities, enabling them to secure contract work with vendors committed to dismantling the exclusive networks that shut out smaller, minority-owned businesses. Leaders of other minority-focused trade associations are also considering legal challenges to the Trump administration's orders. Legal advisers are being commissioned to consult with members and are planning to meet with lawmakers to advocate for the continuation of diversity initiatives. 'If you take away the little bit of progress that we've gotten over the years, that's not fair,' said Drexel Johnson, a Black general engineering contractor with the state of California. RELATED CONTENT: Sen. Raphael Warnock Reminds Trump That He Lives In 'A White House Built By Black Hands'
