If you tuned into the Black Girl Magic Summit that took place last weekend, then you got to witness an amazing weekend full of inspiration, guidance, insight and lots of #blackgirlmagic! Capital One presented us with the Black Girl Magic Pitch Competition which featured 5 finalist and 3 grand prize winners.
There were many participants that entered for a chance to win the three grand prizes from Capital One, however not everyone was able to win. It takes a lot to put yourself out there in order to take your brand to the next level—and we at Boss Women Media know all about this. So, we wanted to do something special for the participants that did not win the grand prize, but still shared their businesses with us.
We’ve compiled a 4-part list which highlights all of the Black Girl Magic Pitch Competition participants. Keep reading to find out more about Black Girl Magic Pitch Competition Part II featured businesses!
Black Girl Magic Pitch Competition Part II Featured Businesses
Business Name: Vango LLC
Why you started your business? I started my business because a couple years ago both me and my husband had gotten laid-off/furloughed from our jobs within 6 months of each other. It was devastating but also eye opening. I knew we had gotten too comfortable in our lives; job security up until that point caused us to forget about all our bigger dreams. It was time to pick back up my long-term goals and think bigger. I had always seen entrepreneurship as way of investing in a future that was rewarding and autonomous. Inventing a new beauty product was an idea I had been toying with for years and I used this as an opportunity to turn tragedy into triumph.
What does your business do? My business is a small beauty company that was created for the purpose of selling my invention Vango. Vango is a play on words for “vanity-on-the-go” and has double meaning with me being a visual artist (*Vincent Van Gogh). Vango was created out of what I perceived to be a weakness in the beauty industry for newer innovative mirrors. Beauty can’t always happen in a bathroom and hand held mirrors just don’t cut it for people on the go. When I looked at mirrors as a whole, I found the same issues each time. 1. The mirror was too big to travel with 2. The travel mirror didn’t extend high enough to my face 3.What if I don’t have a wall or surface to either set the mirror on or hang the mirror on? 4. Compact mirrors are not hands-free 5. Most public restroom mirrors are further from your body than necessary. 6. Most mirrors lack multi-functionality. Vango works by allowing you to be able to look in the mirror literally anywhere you want and it is completely hands-free. It can be worn and used multiple ways (sits on flat surfaces, hang from knobs, works in the shower, positions on suitcases, hooks from window blinds and the list goes on). It consists of a double-sided mirror (1X & 2X magnification), a tray and a magnet to keep small items handy, such as sponges, contact lenses and tweezers.
When did you start your business? 10/29/2018
Who is your target audience? Travelers (Air, Car, Camping, Hotel and Airbnb guests etc.) Dance, Gymnastics, and other Athletic Teams, Bedridden Individuals, The Elderly, Military Personnel, The Handicapped and Disabled, Vloggers and Artists, Contact Lens Wearers… And anyone else who has ever struggled to hold a mirror or to get close enough to a mirror.
Business Name: BLK GETAWAY
Why you started your business? I created BLK GETAWAY after reflecting on my journey through society and corporate America! All too often I felt unheard, undervalued, unsupported, and didn’t have the right guidance or mentorship I needed to make it.
I knew there was a void that needed to be filled for black professional millennials that are ostracized, so I set out to create a community where these millennial voices are recognized, pain points are addressed, and they have the resources and support they need to build the life we’ve dreamed of—now they have the keys to win.
This social club is fueled with invaluable experiences (including local events and group trips) and connections that empower ambitious black millennials to achieve their wildest dreams and be open to new adventures and dialogue that push them out of their comfort zone. And in that discomfort, new opportunities, friendships, and partnerships will manifest—creating generational opportunity.
What does your business do? Ambitious black millennials have a hard time thriving because they are often overlooked and underestimated in society. So, we created a social club that offers events, group trips, and space for you to escape the everyday struggle and thrive.
BLK GETAWAY is a community to “getaway,” from day to day barriers and burnout, and leverage our excellence, our power, and our culture…to succeed.
Our events address issues that are important to you, our group trips connect you with like-minded people in new places, and our community is a haven where you are supported in your journey through adulthood and empowered to break out of your comfort zone—giving you the tools to exceed your goals and live the life you’ve dreamed of on your own terms.
When did you start your business? 3/12/2020
Who is your target audience? Ambitious, professional black millennials who are ready to achieve success—personally, professionally, and financially.
Business Name: Grand Openings LLC, DBA Go See The City
Why you started your business?
It was my passion for wanting to help small businesses that initially sparked my business idea. I started Go See The City because I recognized the need for small businesses to be able to have brand awareness at an affordable rate. For years I worked as a promotional model and brand ambassador doing product marketing tours nationwide. I saw firsthand how large marketing budgets can expand brand visibility rapidly. I wanted to create a platform that provides small businesses similar brand awareness at an affordable rate.
What does your business do? G.O. See The City APP is an innovative technology-driven initiative that provides businesses and cities consumer analytics. GSTC is designed to encourage engagement and exploration of a municipality by and between businesses, residents, tourists, and local government. GSTC is designed to encourage tourists to explore areas beyond the region’s more well-known tourist destinations, to help spread attraction, visibility, and increase overall business activity throughout the region. GSTC simultaneously encourages and incense locals within the region to venture outside of their neighborhood to discover local businesses throughout the city. Their contribution, along with tourists will assist with fostering economic development and creating community brand loyalty throughout the region.
When did you start your business? 1/1/2019
Who is your target audience? Small businesses and municipalities
Business Name: Ama Saturday
Why you started your business? To provide inclusive styles to women of all shapes and sizes and highlight black women and women of color.
What does your business do? We design swimwear and activewear size xs-3xl
When did you start your business? 2/12/2018
Who is your target audience? Women 25-40
Business Name: ForHerCosmetics
Why you started your business? My name is Alyssa Space and I am Chemist from Michigan State University. I have created a business that is both a product and service based brand. I have managed to encompass two industries. Cosmetics and Education. Both very lucrative and a necessity to the advancement of women and our world. I have formulated an all natural vegan and cruelty free cosmetic line that offers lipstick, lip gloss, mineral highlighter, a human hair lash line and currently developing a foundation with my summer research intern. My brand symbolizes unity amongst women through positive imagery, inclusive products, with a high quality approach. Cosmetics that are both beautiful, transparent and do not compromise your health. On the education arm I have created and offer a STEM enrichment program to local nonprofits and public schools with a curriculum that is set to Michigan academic standards. I have been able to work with over 2,200+ students in the last year alone. With COVID we have pivoted and began working on a subscription box for students to take home and work on science projects while implementing an online interactive platform to build community and learning together. I am a brand that embodies beauty and science. I am the face behind a brand that reinforces women who can be smart and beautiful. Beauty is Universal. Beauty is HER.
What does your business do? ForHerCosmetics challenges the standards that have been set and deemed as beautiful for all women. Most women are included in what we consider beautiful in today’s society. We also tackle the desperate gap of women in STEM fields. We emphasis the importance of beauty and brains and that they both can come in the same package. To many times women and girls downplay their intelligence to either fit in or seem more beautiful. My companies goal and mission is to shatter stereotypes while educating women. We look to empower women from all shades and backgrounds because we understand that self expression is beauty and this is a platform that women can use to connect, grow and help one another. Education is also very important for women because of the advancements and possibilities that are made possible when women are properly educated. ForHerCosmetics is a global beauty brand like no other. Beauty is not only skin deep but within and we strive to push this agenda onto our clients, babes and employees. As the owner of a beauty brand I understand the importance of the influence I create and have with my followers. I will continue to challenge biased beauty standards and discriminatory statistics for women in STEM.
When did you start your business? 5/1/2018
Who is your target audience? Women of color aged 18-40 years old with interest in cosmetics, beauty, fashion and natural products.
Business Name: ENRICH’D Media
Why you started your business? My life passion and goal, since I was 20 years old, was to create and run a media company for and by people of color. My first attempt was in 2005, when I founded a digital magazine. Although I didn’t yet have the resources or experience to take the magazine to the heights it deserved, I now know its purpose was to prepare me to start ENRICH’D Media. My initial goal for ENRICH’D Media was to launch by 2021. I had a plan in place; take my time, build the brand, find content partners and prospective advertisers and then go-to-market. But on March 15th my plan went out the window. ENRICH’D Media will not only offer a platform for Black content creators, the culture-makers, to join together and monetize our media, but also offer a platform to produce and own our stories, through our lens; including those of injustice.
What does your business do? ENRICH’D Media is a content alliance offering advertising brands access to engaged multicultural audiences via niche digital content and experiences–created by people of color. ENRICH’D LLC, was registered in April 2020, launched in June 2020. The core business model of ENRICH’D Media is advertising media sales–generated from leveraging aggregated (and eventually original) content created by publishing partners who are Black and/or Multicultural owned/founded.
When did you start your business? 6/5/2020
Who is your target audience? Adverting Brands + Content Creators
Business Name: Be Well Beautiful Woman
Why you started your business? I started Be Well Beautiful Woman after channeling my complex trauma in the work I did as a therapist and founding director of the Kalamazoo Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools program. Once that was no longer enough, I found myself gravitating towards healing modalities. That coupled with a woman mastermind experience and encountering a myriad of women who were facing burnout or also found themselves desiring to heal, birthed this body of work. Due to my business background, I also desired to provide culturally relevant business support for women of color to address the revenue gaps in comparison to their white counterparts.
What does your business do? Be Well Beautiful Woman supports female leaders and entrepreneurs in business and wellness by providing business planning, executive coaching, training, and retreats.
When did you start your business? 1/1/2019
Who is your target audience? Be Well Beautiful Woman’s target audience is female leaders and entrepreneurs between the ages of 25 – 55.
Business Name: Bridal Babes
Why you started your business? Created as a solution to a common problem in 2016 by then bride-to-be Ashley Y., Bridal Babes is the answer to what traditional wedding clothing sites lack. After struggling to find the perfect bridesmaid gowns for her diversely shaped bridal party, Young realized she had to look elsewhere to achieve the vision she had for her big day. She found her dream bridal party dresses where most brides don’t look—a regular clothing website.
What does your business do? Bridal Babes is a Black-owned Washington D.C.-based bridalwear brand offering an array of affordable and fashion-forward bridesmaid dresses and bridal gowns with sizing up to 3XL and in over 30 colors.
When did you start your business? 10/14/2018
Who is your target audience? Black & Brown Brides and Bridesmaids
Business Name: Designer Accessory Adoption
Why you started your business? To provide affordable luxury to the everyday professional woman and man
What does your business do? Sell used/second hand fashion accessories for men and women I.e shoes, jewelry, wallets and handbags.
When did you start your business? 2/18/2018
Who is your target audience? Women and men ages 30-45
Enjoy high end and contemporary fashion
Doesn’t mind gently used quality accessories
Business Name: Sherika Fitness, LLC.
Why you started your business? We started our business because we felt there was a gap in fitness for black women in Memphis. Although there were tons of gyms when we first started, our community still lacked a representation for reaching black women at the root of their struggles, insecurities, and lack of knowledge for a healthy lifestyle. Sherika worked at various commercial gymss, but she started Sherika Fitness to tailor a black’s women interest with our a special way to motivate, type of music, way of communicating, and other ways of connecting to the uniqueness of a black woman.
What does your business do? Sherika’s fitness program reaches the heart of black women. Our women are empowered to take charge of their health when they come into our gym located in Memphis or when they do a virtual training workout. We help black women not only through fitness; but also, through positive and motivational coaching. We specialize in boxing workouts that make you physically stronger and it builds an inner toughness to fight life’s challenges.
When did you start your business? 1/1/2012
Who is your target audience? Black women ages 25-55 years old; middle to high income; educated; professionals.
Business Name: Moments of Joy LLC
Why you started your business? I started my business and went in full time because I have a special needs child. I had to avail myself to be available for him during his therapy and it just wouldn’t work for us with 2 parents working. My husband and I both thought it would be best if I Launched my business and did it full time. So I did! The podcast (Moments of Joy Podcast) was built to encourage women who have gone through difficult times much like myself.
What does your business do? I teach podcasting and how to make an income from doing it.
I also launched a Christian apparel like Moments of Joy Apparel
When did you start your business? 8/19/2018
Who is your target audience? Women who have gone through anything traumatic and they are trying to regroup and rebuild. Also my target for the apparel line are Christian. I wanted to make it a little easiest to spread the message of the love of Jesus. Not mixed with any harsh judgment or anything scary. Just simply spreading the love of Jesus and the Joy of the Lord.
Business Name: Black People Will Swim
Why you started your business? I started BPWS after taking a water safety instructor course where I realized that I was one of 2 black instructors out of a class of 10. As a swim coach for the past 10 years, I’ve also noticed that there aren’t enough black students and students of color taking swim lessons due to a number of reasons: hair maintenance, affordability, and lack of representation. See below how we are providing solutions to these problems:
1. Hair maintenance and education — Complimentary hair care classes equipped with complimentary hair products.
2. Affordability — Lessons will be provided at an affordable rate.
3. Lack of Representation — Lessons will be taught by brown and black instructors. Diversity and inclusion training modules will be provided for instructors, lifeguards to educate on implicit bias in swimming.
At the moment, our challenges are finding and renting a pool facility to call home as well as funds to hire a team. Due to COVID19, we have no profit and have to pivot on how to create streams of revenue.
What does your business do? We are on a mission to teach 2,020 Black people and people of color how to swim.
When did you start your business? 7/6/2019
Who is your target audience? Black people and people of color who don’t know how to swim.
Business Name: Success Is She (SIS)
Why you started your business? To empower other women along their journey through affirmations
What does your business do? Creation of affirmation e-book for women called, Success Is She
When did you start your business? 8/8/2018
Who is your target audience? Women
Business Name: Black Girl MATHgic
Why you started your business? I started BGM because I saw an opportunity to build a company that blended my purpose, passion and a market need. According to ed.gov, approximately 93% of American adults experience math anxiety. In a representative survey of U.S. teachers, 67 percent told the EdWeek Research Center that math anxiety was a challenge for their students, and 1 in 4 said they often feel anxious doing math themselves. Furthermore, females and people of color are disproportionately negatively impacted by math anxiety due to issues like societal bias and stereotype threat. As a math enthusiast, I wanted to solve for this in a fun, colorful and engaging way. That’s how Black Girl MATHgic was born!
What does your business do? We produce the first and only monthly subscription box designed to increase math confidence and decrease math anxiety in girls on a 3rd-8th grade math level.
When did you start your business? 10/26/2018
Who is your target audience? Our B2C target customer is the mother of U.S. girls on a 3rd-8th grade math level (or another Caring Adult in their life) and our B2B target customer is the decision-maker at our girls’ schools, districts, and/or youth-serving organizations. Both target customers value supplemental educational experiences, understand the relevance and utility of mathematics, and want to ensure that they provide their girls with every tool possible to grow into confident, successful women.
Business Name: Essence Psychological Health Services, PLLC
Why you started your business? I started Essence Psychological Health Services, PLLC out of a desire to provide psychological services that are sensitive to the needs of women, children, and families. At Essence Psychological Health Services, PLLC I strive to provide an affirming environment that provides ethnically, culturally, and gender-appropriate services.
What does your business do? Essence Psychological Health Services, PLLC provides mental health services that support personal growth and change through an understanding of biological factors, sociohistorical influences, problematic symptoms, behaviors, and attitudes. Central to the mission of Essence Psychological Health Services, PLLC is an emphasis on empowerment and social justice toward understanding and improving lives. Among the specialized issues addressed at Essence Psychological Health Services are trauma, reproductive issues, pregnancy loss, sexual abuse, and acute and chronic stress in women.
When did you start your business? 11/14/2014
Who is your target audience? My target audience is women seeking to achieve wellness through affirming psychological treatment. Once a client of Essence Psychological Health Services, PLLC, then the child(ren), partners, and/or family members of that woman can receive services.
Black Girl Magic Pitch Competition Part II did not disappoint! With a list full of black-women owned businesses, keep reading to check out Part III!
