Minneapolis Mall Welcomes First Black Woman-Owned Shoe Store
Brittney Kline, the founder and chief executive officer of Boss Lady Shoetique. The shoe store has opened a storefront in Northtown Mall in Minneapolis, Minn. making her the first Black woman to ever open a shoe store in the mall.
Brittney has always wanted to be a fashion model since she was a child. But she had to put her dream on hold when she got pregnant at an early age. Even though she wasn’t able to fulfill her childhood dream, she didn’t stop dreaming.
Still related to fashion, Brittney started a shoe business online in 2019. It stems from her desire to provide good-quality shoes at an affordable price to career-driven women. Now, she has expanded to a physical shoe store in Northtown Mall.
“It’s been a struggle, but it’s been fun. We ended up here today so I’m really excited,” Kline told KSTP.
“I lost my job this past fall. And that really just made me want to go harder to my entrepreneurship.”
Kline is only the first Black woman to open a shoe store in the mall and she initially got worried it would be accepted. But that was exactly what inspired her more to pursue this venture. The lack of representation in her community pushed her to work harder in hopes to change the narrative.
“Nothing comes easy. You have to work for it and that’s the example that I want to show them that it wasn’t easy, but you can do it,” she said.
For more information about Boss Lady Shoetique and/or to order online, visit BossLadyShoetique.org.
Pinky Cole’s 4-Year-Old Slutty Vegan Business Values At $100M After Securing $25M In A Series A Funding Round
Aisha “Pinky” Cole‘s Slutty Vegan brand is now four-years-old with a whopping $100 million valuation.
For(bes) The Culture reported that Cole raised $25 million through a Series A funding round that directly contributed to the current value of the popular vegan burger chain.
With the funding, Cole is planning to expand her empire by opening 10 Slutty Vegan locations by the end of this year and an additional 10 in 2023. These locations include Brooklyn, Harlem, Birmingham, Alabama, Columbus, Georgia, and Athens, Georgia.
For her unbelievably rapid growth, the 34-year-old Baltimore native credits the expertise of her lead investors, entrepreneur Richelieu Dennis and restaurateur Danny Meyer. The funding round was led by Dennis’ New Voices Fund, which supports women of color businesses, and Meyer’s Enlightened Hospitality Investments, a strategic growth equity firm.
With this winning team, Cole gains insight from Dennis’ Sundial Brands, which makes products such as SheaMoisture and Nubian Heritage, and mentorship from Meyers, who created Michelin-starred restaurants and Shake Shack.
Cole learned the value of scaling a business that is unique from Meyers. “I got the Michael Jordan of food on my team,” Cole said.
“I had never seen vegan food presented in such a fun way,” said Meyer. “Leaders are often defined by the degree to which people want to follow them, and I saw people following the leader.”
Cole’s 100% plant-based burger joint is well-known for consistently adding thousands of new eaters to an already fast-moving revolution in vegan foods. According to Harlem World Magazine, 97% of the customers coming in for vegan burgers are meat-eaters. Cole hopes to serve salads and kids’ meals in the future.
As per For(bes), the four-year-old brand now has products ranging from kettle chips to CBD gummies, a shoe deal, a foundation, and an upcoming cookbook called Eat Plants Bitch. Cole also told the publication that a major grocery chain had ordered 60,000 units of Slutty Vegan dip, which features flavors like Bangin’ Hot-Lanta Chik’n. The dip can be found on shelves at Target.
Cole is determined “to build a billion-dollar brand.” Her vision continues to unfold as she aligns herself with seasoned and successful entrepreneurs.
“To have the New Voices Venture Fund and the GOAT of the restaurant industry, Danny Meyer himself, to have them a part of this team is a recipe for success,” Cole said, as per Harlem World Magazine. “I’m excited about the people I’m involved with.”
“It’s about partnering with these incredible entrepreneurs and their businesses to drive real scale and growth and create wealth for those founders,” said Dennis. “And that’s what Pinky has done here and continues to do.
Two Former Oklahoma Cops Charged with Manslaughter in Fatal Shooting
Body camera footage in the shooting of Quadry Sanders by two former Lawton, Oklahoma, police officers was released last week as manslaughter charges against them were filed.
According to The New York Times, officers Nathan Ronan and Robert Hinkle responded to a call on Dec. 5, 2021, of a man under a protective order inside the home of the person listed on the order.
(Twitter)
The local report about the shooting said that Sanders was inside the home and refusing to let one of the residents leave. Officers also received information that the man was armed with a firearm. Sanders failed to comply with several orders, often going in and out of the home in defiance of officers. However, Sanders is seen on the video raising his hands above his head when he is shot four times by Hinkle.
He then sits with his hands up and is shot at again by Hinkle another seven times. Ronan also fires four times at Sanders, who was pronounced dead in an ambulance on the way to a local hospital. Officers did not provide medical assistance to the man until two minutes after the shooting ended.
The officers were fired on Jan. 7 after an internal investigation. A released statement said, “The City of Lawton and the Lawton Police Department “firmly believes in policing itself in the same manner the community is policed and holds itself to the highest possible standards. The actions of these officers were not in conformance with the Lawton Police Department’s well-established training protocols, policies, practices, customs or procedures.”
The officers are currently out on a $25,000 bond.
Lee Merritt, an attorney for the family, shared a video clip announcing the charges on Instagram, writing, “I can’t find a single redeemable factor that mitigates any aspect of this shooting. It was just murder. There was no justification. These men must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to the New York Times,Stan Booker, the mayor of Lawton, said in a statement, “Although this decision and the releasing of information that followed may provide clarity to this tragic incident, it does not come without impacting one’s stages of grief and mourning of a lost loved one. I believe the Lawton Police Department holds itself to the highest possible standards, and I know it will continue to do so moving forward.”
Jesse Williams on His Nude Broadway Performance Leaking Online: ‘It’s A Boy’
Actor Jesse Williams is trending online after an audience member snuck photos and videos of his nude Broadway performance.
Williams is baring it all, literally, in the Broadway show Take Me Out, about a gay baseball player who’s struggling to come out to his teammates and the public, The New York Postreports.
(Twitter)
But on Monday, nobody was talking about the compelling story being told but on Williams’ nude debut. The video clip captured a shower scene where Williams’ character attempts to come out to one of his teammates, who is also in the nude.
The leak came on the same day Williams received an Tony nomination for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play.
There’s no word on how the naughty audience member caught the footage since attendees are forced to seal their phones in a Yondr case before the show “out of respect and support for our actors and in order to create a phone-free space,” the play’s website states.
Amid all the talk around Williams’ private parts being put on display, the Grey’s Anatomy star appeared on Watch What Happens Live with co-star Jesse Tyler Ferguson on Monday to respond.
“It’s a body, once you see it, you realize it’s whatever, it’s a boy!” Jesse said. “I just have to make it not that big of a deal.”
Williams had to get comfortable for the revealing role that he initially was “terrified” to take on.
“Then I noted that that was what I asked God for. I asked to be terrified,” Williams toldPage Six. “I asked to do something that was scary and challenging and made me earn it and made me feel alive and not comfortable.”
Meanwhile, Twitter is having a field day in response to Jesse letting the world know what he’s working with.
SURPRISE! Anonymous Donor Pays Off Student Debt For Wiley College Graduates in Texas
Graduates of Wiley College in East Texas received groundbreaking news during their ceremony after learning an anonymous donor helped wipe away their student debt.
Over 100 students at the historically Black college were in attendance for the graduation ceremony on Saturday when the school’s president made the big announcement, CBS News reports.
“You are debt-free. You do not owe the college a penny. If you have a balance, you had a balance,” the school’s president and CEO Herman J. Felton Jr. told the graduates.
In a news release, the school noted that the graduating class of 2022 had balances owed to the school of about $300,000. But now, thanks to an anonymous donor, the graduates can enter into the working world with no worries about paying for their college education.
“We are constantly communicating with donors to assist students in these ways so that they can begin their after-college experience with less debt,” Wiley said.
“We are grateful for this anonymous donor who will assist the students in paying off their balances to Wiley College and help us achieve institutional goals of graduating our students with little to no debt,” he added.
Wiley carries a strong history. Named after Bishop Isaac T. Wiley, the school was founded in 1873 as a primarily liberal arts institution affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
Wiley College also served as the inspiration behind the 2007 Denzel Washington film The Great Debaters. The film retold the story of a 1935 debate where Wiley students won a debate against the University of Southern California’s nationally-known team when segregation ruled the country.
In recent years, tuition at Wiley was lowered to $17,500 a year, NY Post reports. The current tuition covers fees, room, and board, allowing Wiley students access to a more affordable education than offered at other colleges. While the 2022 class had their debt paid off, some students still have a balance at graduation.
Report: Mystery Woman With Kevin Samuels Was Performing CPR, Desperately Trying to Save His Life
TMZ has obtained the audio of the 911 call made by the woman who was with controversial YouTuber Kevin Samuels the night he died.
In the 18-minute call, the woman sounds frantic, and when she tells the dispatcher that she believes that Samuel is experiencing a cardiac event. She began CPR on the 57-year-old man and said it was her first time at the man’s apartment. She struggled to give the dispatcher the address of the Atlanta rental.
The woman also asked the dispatcher to call the building’s front desk and ask if they had an AED in hopes of reviving him. However, the front office was closed.
“He’s not breathing, and I’m trying to give him CPR,” she says desperately. “He’s breathing now but I think the rhythm is irregular. I’m a nurse. Hurry! He’s turning blue.”
Samuels is survived by his mother and daughter. The woman shouts to him to “stay alive for his daughter,” according to WSBTV.
Rumors swirled of Samuels’ death this past weekend on social media. His family said they learned of his death online.
As previously reported by BLACK ENTERPRISE, Samuels is best known for his misogynist views and for saying that Black women will die alone. He recently made comments that angered many after calling unmarried women past age 35 “leftovers.”
Despite his death, people continue to highlight his controversial past.
“Kevin Samuels has made a career off of shamelessly disgracing Black women for profit. He emboldened the most toxic individuals to project tired and harmful narratives about Black women. Dead or alive, what a disgraceful life to live. That’s all I’ve got for that misogynist.”
Standard Bank Group Names First Black Female Chairman In History
Standard Bank Group has named Nonkululeko Merina Cheryl Nyembezi-Heita as the bank’s first Black female chairman-designate effective June 1.
Bloomberg News reports Nyembezi–Heita will replace Thulani Gcabashe, who is slated to retire later this month. Nyembezi-Heita was previously the chairman of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) and served as the CEO of ArcelorMittal South Africa Ltd, a steel firm.
Standard Bank CEO Sim Tshabalala called the appointment of Nyembezi–Heita historic.
“It is hugely significant to us that the Standard Bank will shortly have its first female chairman, and that this chairman is a black African woman,” Tshabalala said.
Nyembezi–Heita, born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology and a master’s degree from the California Institute of Technology.
She also spent more than a decade working at IBM in both the U.S. and South Africa and, in 2012, was listed at 97 on the Forbes list of the world’s 100 most powerful women.
The appointment of Nyembezi–Heita comes as South Africa’s financial sector is under increased pressure to diversify its ranks, board members, and upper management. The news was received positively as its shares rose 1.5% after the announcement went public.
Like in the U.S., South Africa is making a push to make its corporate offices more diverse. Nyembezi–Heita’s appointment comes less than a month after Absa Group Ltd., South Africa’s third-biggest bank, appointed Arrie Rautenbach, a white man, as CEO. Many criticized the selection of Rautenbach, including Public Investment Corp., the nation’s biggest and most influential investor.
According to the Economic Times, less than 20% of top jobs in the country belong to Black men and women, and white men and women fill 64% of managerial positions in the country. While there have been calls for years to diversify offices and positions in South Africa, little action has been taken, which is a reason why Nyembezi–Heita’s appointment is being celebrated
“It’s a great, positive step for transformation for the banking sector,” said Nolwandle Mthombeni, a banking analyst at research and consulting firm Intellidex. “Hopefully we can work toward bringing in new and different faces for board appointments in future so that transformation can be even more meaningful.”
Nakia Vestal Escaped Human Trafficking As A Teen And Built Her Business With $400
Entrepreneur Nakia Vestal is the definition of the American dream. After escaping human trafficking as a teen, she began working in beauty salons.
After gaining experience, Vestal tried to branch out but found the job opportunities available to her lacking. So she founded DollMaker Lashes, a beauty studio in Houston offering eyelash extensions.
According to CNBC, Vestal began by building her client base by working from home. Through hard work and determination, she built it into a full-service studio with a product line.
“I started with just a lash bed and my tools that I needed,” she told the network. “And I didn’t have any marketing,” Vestal said. “Everything was word of mouth. I started from home in my dining room.”
Vestal’s business, like the hair and beauty industry as a whole, took a hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which kept beauty salons and barbershops closed for months. Vestal was able to keep her business afloat through a $10,000 grant from Verizon’s Digital Ready program, which Vestal said allowed her to not just survive the pandemic but expand.
Vestal said a bevy of financial options exist to help those who want to start a small business and fulfill their entrepreneurial dreams.
“There’s resources, there’s crowdfunding, there’s small business loans,” she said. “Especially ones that are in under-resourced communities, minority businesses, veteran businesses, Black business owners, and minority business owners.”
Vestal also pointed to social media, which she called “free marketing,” as a way for small business owners and entrepreneurs to push their products for free while growing a customer base through engagement and conversation.
“You have Facebook, you have Instagram, now you have TikTok. These are free tools you can use to really target whatever audience you’re trying to get,” Vestal told CNBC.
The beauty shop owner added that entrepreneurs can use the internet as a free resource. For instance, YouTube has a variety of resources, including free courses, virtual mentors, financial and entrepreneurial advice, and networking events. You can even search for other businessmen and women in your demographic and area.
Black Woman CEO Honored By President Joe Biden, Receives Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award
Honoring her remarkable leadership and service, Dr. Velma Trayham, a native of Houston, Texas, has become one of few Black female entrepreneurs to have been awarded the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award by President Joe Biden. The annual awards honor a select few who “exhibit outstanding character, work ethic and dedication to their communities.”
Dr. Trayham is the founder and chief executive officer of Thinkzilla Consulting, one of the nation’s fastest-growing diversity, equity and inclusion consulting firms, and founder of the Millionaire Mastermind Academy, a leading nonprofit organization that addresses the barriers to economic mobility for women who have been systemically and historically underserved and excluded by providing entrepreneurial training and mentorship programming to help women minority women rise above poverty through empowered entrepreneurship.
The Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award was presented during the Gathering of Queens Economic Empowerment event, hosted by the Millionaire Mastermind Academy in Houston to share new strategies and dynamic leadership principles for success. Recipients of the award must have completed a minimum of 4,000 hours of volunteer service.
According to presenter Dr. Verna Caddie, “Dr. Velma received The Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for all of the hard work she does to help so many people change their lives, by ending poverty through entrepreneurship.”
Dr. Trayham was honored with the award based on her career of supporting more than 8,000 women to excel in diverse small businesses while launching a $500,000 scholarship fund to move women out of poverty through entrepreneurial training and mentorships. Likewise, through Dr. Trayham’s leadership, Thinkzilla has helped more than 200 prominent public and private organizations expand DEI initiatives, enjoy exponential growth and reach new audiences.
“I am passionate about breaking generational curses and equipping others to rise above poverty,” added Dr. Trayham, who is recognized as one of the nation’s top business experts and motivational speakers.
“I am also incredibly fortunate to love the work I do, the people I work with, and the communities we serve.”
Beyond Robin Hood: The Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership is Building a More Inclusive Investment Ecosystem through Financial Education 3.0
While 2021 was a record-breaking year for investment in startups with over $137 billion invested in the first quarter of the year, the disturbing news is that only 1.2 percent of that total went to Black entrepreneurs, and only two percent went to women-founded companies, according to Crunchbase, an online database of companies and startups.
Black businesses are often unable to grow and scale due to a lack of early-stage capital. Due to the long-standing racial wealth gap, most Black entrepreneurs do not have the opportunity to call on wealthy friends and family. The Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership believes that financial literacy 3.0 must include educating Black professionals on how their investments can make a difference for Black entrepreneurs through angel investing.
Angel investments are often the precursor to obtaining venture funding to help a company on the grow-scale-exit trajectory. As capital constraint remains a significant barrier for Black founders, the Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership (IFEL) is addressing the disparity and lack of access to capital through an innovative program, the Making of Black Angels, according to a press release.
IFEL co-founder and chief executive officer Jill Johnson, creator of the Making of Black Angels, stated, “The Black community is missing an opportunity to participate in this wealth-building asset class that opens the flow of early-stage capital to Black entrepreneurs. There is no better time than now to catalyze a new generation of Black investors and make a life-changing impact on Black-owned business enterprises.”
Beginning May 11, 2022, IFEL is hosting a three-part educational series on angel investing. Attendees will learn how the angel investing process works, hear insights from existing investors and gain a deeper understanding of how diversity among the investor pool translates to access to capital for Black entrepreneurs. This is an opportunity to learn about an asset class that has for too long been the exclusive domain of a select few. The goal of the program is to introduce a broader group of people to a new wealth-building tool.
In recent years, the amount of angel capital going to women founders has increased with an increase in the number of women angel investors. The Making of Black Angels movement believes this model works. With an increase in inclusion within the angel investing sector more Black entrepreneurs can garner angel investment. IFEL’s targeted approach provides a model for expanding resources to other historically excluded populations as well.
The Making of Black Angels program is made possible by generous funding from JPMorgan Chase.
