Latest news with #SpiceHouse
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.
