Black Entrepreneurs Who Found Success Young

Entrepreneurship has no limits regarding race or gender. The black entrepreneurs you’ll learn about here have set the bar not only for Black business owners but for all business owners.

Some threw job titles behind and took their new ideas into entirely different fields. Some started with little more than $40 and grit.

Some of these African Americans became hugely successful before they reached 30 years old (see our choices later in the article). For others, the jump into entrepreneurship came later.

All had these traits in common as they launched their small businesses: They refused to let skin color be a barrier. They refused to settle for the status quo. They refused to give up.

Top Black Entrepreneurs to Inspire You

Check our list of the top black entrepreneurs.

Madam C.J. Walker

You may not have heard of this woman, a leader in Black innovation, since her life spanned 1867-1919. Plagued with hair breakage, she developed a hair care product and traveled the southern states (mostly on foot!) promoting and selling it, as well as a skin and hair care regimen that became known as the Walker Method.

Madam C.J. Walker was one of the first American women to become a millionaire.

Oprah Winfrey

There is a name that has faded into history: the television executive who told Oprah Winfrey that she “didn’t have it” and would never succeed in broadcasting. Contrary to that prediction, she became one of the most famous figures in media history. Her remarkable legacy includes substantial financial contributions aimed at educating and supporting young black entrepreneurs.

Moziah Bridges, Mo’s Bows

Moziah Bridges started Mo’s Bows at the age of 9. Now, the teenage founder, president, and creative director for Mo’s Bows (mosbowsmemphis.com) still handpick the fabric used for products, which have reached $700,000 in sales. The Shark Tank graduate also designs all the neckties and bow ties for NBA teams. He pays homage to his Memphis roots with the Go Mo! Summer Camp Fund for Memphis children.

Read More: black entrepreneurs

Cory Nieves, Mr. Cory’s Cookies

This New Jersey entrepreneur launched Mr. Cory’s Cookie’s – Mr. Cory’s Cookies (mrcoryscookies.com) when he was just 6 years old. Working with his mother, Lisa, the two combined forces to realize incredible business growth. Their homemade treats, delivered to customers’ doors, are made with all-natural, high-quality ingredients. He started with chocolate chip and branched out to include more unique flavors.

Mikaila Ulmer, Me & The Bees Lemonade

When she was four years old, Mikaila Ulmer was stung by a bee. The sting led her to want to learn more about bees. Meanwhile, she learned of a children’s business competition called Acton Children’s Business Fair and Austin (Texas) Lemonade Day.

She made the decision to participate by using her “Great Granny” Helen’s recipe for Flaxseed lemonade, which she found in a cookbook from the 1940s. Mikaila adapted the recipe by substituting sugar with local honey.

You can find additional information about the company at Our Sweet Story – Me & the Bees Lemonade (meandthebees.com). Ulmer contributes a portion of her profits to support honeybee research.

Maya Penn, Sustainable Fashion

Founder and CEO Maya Penn’s eco-friendly clothing is made from old vintage fabrics, as well as 100% organic fabrics made from cotton, hemp, and bamboo. You can learn more about Maya’s ideas at Maya Penn – Sustainable Fashion (mayasideas.com). When she’s not immersed in fabrics and design with her company, Penn, as a global activist for sustainability, is sought as a speaker. She’s also written a book called You Got This, geared to inspire teens and young adults.

Binta Niambi Brown

Brown was an international corporate lawyer when she left that career to become co-chair and co-founder of the Black Music Action Coalition. She is also the founder and CEO of Omalilly Projects, an artist management and production company.

She didn’t stop there. She is also one of the top fundraisers in the world for political, humanitarian, and cultural initiatives. Currently, she is also focusing on human rights issues in Cambodia. You can learn more about Binta Niambi Brown at weforum.

MoAnA LUU

Luu is the founder of ManLuu, an American fashion house that features Creole luxury. Clothing is not all that graces the online store’s pages – you’ll also see decorations, art, and more. She also focuses on brand transformation, most notably a revamp of Essence magazine.

Dr. David Walcott

Dr. Walcott is internationally recognized not only for his medical expertise but also for his genuine commitment to enhancing healthcare. He founded NovaMed, a company dedicated to improving healthcare in emerging markets that have historically lacked access to quality services. Most recently, Dr. Walcott has become a co-founder and CEO of InfinitiPartnership, which provides essential healthcare services, including cardiac care, to the Caribbean.

Janice Bryant Howard

Some entrepreneurs launch their companies with capital that is three times lower than the average. Howard began her Act1Group with almost no capital at all.

Howard moved back to her hometown, Tarboro, NC, and launched Act1Group, an employment agency and consulting service. She didn’t have a fax machine, office furniture, or other equipment needed to start a company. She had little money. All she had was a phone.

Through leveraging her marketing skills to develop her client base, Howard has transformed Act1Group into a leading company in the employment agency industry.

Read More: black woman entrepreneurs

Nathalie Walten

Walten is the CEO and co-founder of Expectful, a company which focuses on holistic care of mind and body for expectant mothers. The interactive website covers all aspects of motherhood, including meditations, events, supportive groups, and more. Expectful includes a number of experts on staff in fields such as nutrition and post-partum care.

This young entrepreneur followed a path similar to that of other minority founders of companies – she saw a need based on personal experience and followed her heart to create a company that she loves.

Vimbayi Kajese

Kajese is the founder and CEO of #Adtags. Kajese had been astonished and dismayed to learn that only 1% of stock images featured people of color. Stock images are a source of pictures which can be purchased by companies or advertisers.

#Adtags’ mission is to promote the use of visual content that features people of color. This content is accessible to brands that are globally conscious. In the realm of sponsored content advertising, #Adtags is recognized as a leader among “diversity crusaders.”

Black Entrepreneurs Who Made It Before 30

We’ve already met a mix of black entrepreneurs who “made it” before they were 30 years old. We’ve also met a few who “made it” in other careers before they left or expanded their business ventures to become entrepreneurs.

Here are more young black entrepreneurs who are awesome examples of turning an interest into optimum use in the business world.

Asmau Ahmed, Plum Perfect

It took her 8 years, but Asmau Ahmed had the perfect background for creating Plum Perfect. The Columbia grad (MBA Columbia Business School) also is also a chemical engineer.

She developed a personalized digital shopping experience for women of color. Customers begin by uploading a selfie. Then, based on the selfie and their answers to questions, Plum Perfect helps them build a unique color signature with recommended products via a full administrative dashboard.

Anne-Marie Imafidon, Stemettes

Imafidon worked at Goldman Sachs before launching Stemettes, or Girls Do STEM Too… – Stemettes ®. Stemettes is a social enterprise designed to inspire and support young women and nonbinary persons toward careers in science, engineering, the arts, and math.

Ashifi Gogo, Supply Chain Management and Technology Co.

Gogo’s company, Sproxil, is a supply chain mgt. and technology company based in Atlanta. Gogo used his business skills to create Sproxil.

Sproxil aims to establish trust and enhance intrinsic security throughout the entire supply chain by leveraging mobile technology. This approach safeguards a company’s brand against fraud, including counterfeiting and theft, that may arise at any point in the chain. So far, Sproxil has successfully protected over 2.5 billion product units.

Amari Ruff, SUDU, Technology-Based Logistics Company

Ruff is the founder of SUDU Logistics, a multi-million-dollar tech enterprise. Here’s how the tech works:

SUDU connects small and medium-sized transportation entrepreneurs with big companies, such as giant box stores and manufacturers. SUDU focuses on entrepreneurs who are women, minorities, or Veterans. It is basically an online marketplace that uses moving analytics technology to connect an entrepreneur with the big customers.

SUDU is a Chinese word that means speed and tempo.

Essynce Moore

At 6 years old, Essynce Moore launched a line of clothes and products for black youth called Essynce Couture. This young fashion designer hasn’t stopped there. She’s an actress and an author who takes optimum advantage of her worldwide name recognition to inspire and support other black-owned businesses.

Asia Newson, Super Business Girl

Newson launched her venture into entrepreneurship, making waves with her candles, especially her signature pink, yellow, and light blue candles. From those beginnings, she expanded to Super Business Girl, a training model on Facebook pages that teaches other young peers how to become entrepreneurs. She also teaches via online workshops which are geared to middle and high school students.

Start Supporting Young Black-Owned Businesses Today

As small business owners know, all businesses – white-owned businesses and black-owned businesses – have faced difficulties in recent times.

But over a period of time, the number of black business owners grew by 38%. We haven’t learned the official “why” about that stat, but here’s a guess. Those new business owners came from generations of shared histories – and, deep down, already knew how to turn a seemingly impossible challenge into a new vision for success.

Image: Depositphotos

This article, “Black Entrepreneurs Who Found Success Young” was first published on Small Business Trends