In a time where entrepreneurial excellence knows no bounds, it is important that we spotlight and celebrate the remarkable contributions of Black female founders who defy the odds in the face of systemic challenges.
Over the years, we've had the privilege of interviewing and highlighting visionary Black women who stand as trailblazers in diverse fields—from beauty to fintech, SaaS, and beyond. Each woman featured below has made significant contributions to the entrepreneurial landscape in her unique way.
Join us on this inspiring journey as we honor the brilliance and tenacity of Black female founders who are rewriting the narrative of success.
Marissa Allen - Cofounder of Cookie Society
Industry: Food
Cookie Society is a bakery and dessert brand, with locations spanning across DFW. Marissa cofounded Cookie Society with her husband Jeff Allen, driven by her love for baking and creating unique baked good recipes in her kitchen.
Here in this post, Marissa and her husband shared social media tips for entrepreneurs:
Carlyn Pounders
Kimberly Jolasun - CEO of Villie
Industry: Parent tech; Consumer tech
Villie is a tech company that seamlessly connects expecting parents with financial and emotional support from their community. Since Kim launched Villie, she's received investments from notable investors such as Fearless Fund, XRC Ventures, and TxO by a16z.
In a post on Mogul Millennial, Kim shares how she leveraged Pinterest to acquire users:
Kimberly Jolasun
Simone Kendle - CEO of Wove
Industry: Consumer Goods
Simone Kendle is the CEO of Wove, an online custom jewelry company that provides engagement rings. But before then, she served as the CMO of Parfait, a venture-backed, wig customization platform aimed at disrupting the wig industry.
In a previously recorded AMA with Mogul Millennial, Simone shared how her previous company Parfait secured over 10K people on their waitlist before launching.
Mogul Millennial team
Dr. Onaedo Achebe - CEO of Minti
Industry: Consumer Goods
Minti is a forward-thinking oral care brand, dedicated to sustainability and cleanliness. Dr. Onaedo Achebe launched Minti, after recognizing a crucial need for elevated, clean ingredients in the oral care realm. Currently, Minti includes a comprehensive range of toxin-free oral tools, featuring toothbrushes with handles crafted from 100% compostable bamboo, floss derived from all-natural corn fiber, and toothpaste free from parabens.
Check out what Dr. Achebe had to share about Minti’s go-to-market strategy for their oral-care brand.
Mogul Millennial team
Mandy Bowman - CEO of Official Black Wall Street
Industry: Software
Official Black Wall Street (OBWS) is the largest app and digital platform connecting consumers to different Black-owned businesses. Named after the Black Wall Street Massacre that occurred in Tulsa in 1921, OBWS was created after Mandy studied Entrepreneurship and Global Business Management at Babson College, and was determined to help the Black community thrive through economic empowerment and ownership.
Learn more about OBWS, and Mandy's advice on building a membership business.
Joshua Smith
Shontay Lundy - CEO of Black Girl Sunscreen
Industry: Beauty
Shontay Lundy is the Founder of Black Girl Sunscreen, a moisturizing sunscreen lotion formulated for women of color. Shontay's motivation stemmed from her own struggle, a common challenge faced by Black women—finding a sunscreen that not only provides moisture but also seamlessly blends into the skin. With this mission, she set out to redefine the sunscreen experience for women of color.
Learn more about her entrepreneurship journey here:
Kandice Reynolds
April Johnson - CEO of Happied
Industry: SaaS
Backed by Hearstlab, Google for Startups, Techstars, and more, Happied is a startup that uses technology and industry expertise to take all of the stress out of team engagement for companies. The current version of Happied emerged from a pivotal shift away from its original concept. Originally, Happied was a company that connected DC professionals with happy hour spots. During COVID-19, Happied encountered difficulties that ultimately served as inspiration for the evolution of the platform into its current form.
Learn more about the evolution of Happied and how they found product-market fit:
Mogul Millennial team
Pinky Cole - CEO of Slutty Vegan
Industry: Food; Restaurant
By now, everybody and their mama knows what Slutty Vegan is. But just in case you don't, Slutty Vegan is a leading, plant-based burger restaurant with over 10 locations including Atlanta, Dallas, Harlem, and Birmingham.
Among the fan favorites at Slutty Vegan are the Sloppy Toppy burger, the Chik'n Head, and the One Night Stand.
In an interview with Mogul Millennial, Pinky talks about her entrepreneurship journey and her tips for founders:
Mogul Millennial Staff
Cashmere Nicole - CEO of Beauty Bakerie
Industry: Beauty
Beauty Bakerie is a cruelty-free, vegan-friendly and gluten-free cosmetics company. Launched by Cashmere Nicole, this brand has raised over $14 million dollars according to Crunchbase, and can be found in Target and Ulta stores across the country.
Here on Mogul, Cashmere talks about her journey launching Beauty Bakerie and her tips for entrepreneurs:
Stephanie Heath
Sheena Allen - CEO of CapWay
Industry: Fintech
CapWay is a platform that provides financial education and services, resources, and banking options for the unbanked. Launched by serial entrepreneur Sheena Allen, CapWay is backed by Y Combinator, the Opportunity Fund, Valor Ventures, and more.
In an interview on Mogul Millennial, Sheena shares how building relationships helped her raise money for her startup:
Mogul Millennial Staff
Ranay Orton - CEO of Glow by Daye
Industry: Consumer Goods
Ranay Orton founded Glow by Daye with a mission to enhance the hair maintenance experience through high-quality, thoughtfully designed products. One of the first products that she launched was her satin hair bonnet. Fast-forward to today, their product line has expanded to include satin hair scarves, hooded dryers, shower caps, and more.
In an interview on Mogul Millennial, Ranay shares how she made $1 million with one product:
Mish Saka
Jasmine Jones - CEO of Myya
Industry: E-commerce
Jasmine Jones is the CEO of Myya (formerly Cherry Blossom Intimates). Myya offers breast cancer survivors a completely customizable virtual post-mastectomy bra fitting experience. Myya is also the only fully encompassing post-mastectomy care brand that can bill insurance directly for customers, making the shopping process seamless.
Jasmine sat down with Mogul Millennial to share her tip on pivoting your business and her advice for founders:
Mogul Millennial team
Tobi Bosede - CEO of DentalFynd
Industry: AI; Healthtech
DentalFynd, is a startup that’s using AI to democratize dentistry. Tobi's inspiration for launching this startup stemmed from her own struggles in finding a dentist.
In an interview with Mogul Millennial, Tobi talks about her entrepreneurship journey and her journey around customer acquisition and minimizing churn:
Mogul Millennial team