According to a report released earlier this year by the Center for American Progress, women of color are the leading forces helping to drive entrepreneurship.
Between 1997 and 2013, women-owned firms in the United States grew by 59 percent, with women of color owning close to one-third of those firms. When the numbers are broken down even further, African American women are the fastest growing demographic amongst female business owners, making up 13 percent of the female entrepreneurship population.
Thus reports like these provide further proof that black women are go-getters when it comes to calling the shots in their career.
Check our gallery to see who made the list for top entrepreneurs to watch, and don’t forget to head over to our Women of Power page to get more info on how you can attend our highly anticipated conference held March 2-5, 2015.
CELEBRATING 10 YEARS! Join us for the landmark 10th Annual Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit hosted by State Farm, March 2—4, 2015, at Fort Lauderdale Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, Fort Lauderdale, FL. This exciting, one-of-a-kind executive leadership summit is designed to train, equip and encourage women to become industry leaders, learn career strategies, and discover proven work—life balance techniques. Register Now! https://blackenterprise.com/wps
Lisa Price
Despite filing bankruptcy earlier this year and reports surfacing that Carol’s Daughter was going through major financial problems, business owner Lisa Price quickly put the rumors to rest and let it be known that her beauty line was doing just fine.
“It’s important to set the record straight,” Price wrote in a letter on her Facebook page. “Carol’s Daughter is still going strong after twenty-one years and the future has never look brighter. As part of our increased focus on new retail channels, we have decided to close five of our stores. This was portrayed as if we’re having some challenges, but nothing could be further from the truth.”
With celebrity investments in her million dollar company including Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith, Mary J. Blige and Jay Z, we’re sure these rumors of trouble in business paradise are false.
Soledad O’Brien
After leaving CNN in 2013, O’Brien took her career into her own hands and started her own production company, Starfish Media Group. Owning the rights to her “Blacks in America” and “Latinos in America” documentary series, O’Brien now has the right to shop around the documents to any network she wants if she ever decides to revisit the series.
In addition, O’Brien and her Starfish Media Group have entered a partnership with the media outlet Al Jazeera America, to produce hour-long documentary specials for the company.
With ownership rights to all her work and a major media partnership under her belt, it looks like this award-winning journalist is ready to take her entrepreneurial skills to newer heights.
Oprah Winfrey
Known as a true female boss, Oprah Winfrey is the owner of just about everything she lends her talent to. From her own television network, to her own magazine and production company, Winfrey has been setting the tone for years of what it means to be a woman whose at the top of her game.
With a net worth of $2.9 billion, we’ll be happy to just breath the same room of air as Ms. Winfrey.
Yandy Smith
Yandy Smith may be known by many as simply a cast member on VH1’s hit show “Love and Hip-Hop NY,” but trust and believe Ms. Smith has the receipts to prove she’s a power player in the entertainment industry.
Working her way up from an assistant under Violator Management co-founder Mona Scott-Young, Smith has worked with several big name music artists including Missy Elliot, 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes and many more. Now, the Howard University alum is the CEO and founder of the lifestyle brand, Everything Girls Love, which consists of a website, magazine and networking events that empower women to succeed in their professional and personal life.
Cathy Hughes
As CEO of Radio One, Inc., the largest African American owned and operated broadcast company in the U.S., Cathy Hughes is a highly revered name in radio.
Beating the odds as a teen mom and growing her company to 53 radio stations in 16 urban markets, Hughes is a true definition of a boss.
Iyanla Vanzant
As an author, motivational speaker, spiritual teacher and star of OWN’s “Iyanla: Fix My Life,” Ms. Vanzant is a recognizable face among many who are looking to make improvements in their personal and professional life. With 15 published books under her belt, five which have appeared on the New York Times best sellers list, Vanzant has built her career by telling the truth about her journey through life and using it as a teaching tool for others.
Janice Bryant Howroyd
As the first black woman to own and operate a company that generates more than $1 billion in revenue, Janice Bryant Howroyd’s company Act-1 Group came in at No. 2 on Black Enterprise’s 2014 industrial/service ranking list, grossing in $2.3 billion in 2013.
With loads of tips for how she grew her business to be the success that it is today, Howroyd served as a keynote speaker at BE’s 2012 Entrepreneur’s Conference in Chicago.
Tina Wells
Tina Wells is the founder and CEO of Buzz Marketing Group, which specializes in helping companies build lucrative relationships with youth markets. As the author of Chasing Youth Culture and Getting it Right: How Your Business Can Profit by Tapping Today’s Most Powerful Trendsetters and Tastemakers, Wells is a go-to source for many big name companies, including Proctor & Gamble and PBS, who want to market their products to the millennial audience.
Launching her business at the tender age of 16, Wells has also served as an instructor at Black Enterprise’s free online video course, Small Business University.
Beverly Johnson
Known as the first black supermodel to grace the cover of Vogue, Beverly Johnson has used her highly successful modeling career to help tap into her entrepreneurial spirit. As the CEO of the Beverly Johnson Lifestyle Brand, Johnson offers a multicultural beauty line of hair care products perfect for women of color.
With a successful career that speaks volumes to her knowledge about personal branding, Johnson served as a speaker during the “Building Your Brand Through Reality TV” session at Black Enterprise’s 2012 Entrepreneur’s Conference.
Sheila Johnson
It’s no secret that Sheila Johnson’s resume reads like an entrepreneur’s handbook for ladies who are killing it in male dominated fields. As the first African American woman to hold a stake in three professional sports teams, the NBA Wizards, WNBA Mystics and NHL Capitals, Johnson is a business power player whose career is definitely worth admiring. In addition to having her hand in sports, Johnson also serves as the CEO of Salamander Hospitality and helped to co-found BET Networks with her former husband Robert Johnson.
CELEBRATING 10 YEARS! Join us for the landmark 10th Annual Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit hosted by State Farm, March 2—4, 2015, at Fort Lauderdale Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, Fort Lauderdale, FL. This exciting, one-of-a-kind executive leadership summit is designed to train, equip and encourage women to become industry leaders, learn career strategies, and discover proven work—life balance techniques. Register Now! https://blackenterprise.com/wps