There are various industries that could use a dose of diversity. Entrepreneurship is one of these career fields. However, there are many talented individuals breaking through these barriers and making a name for themselves as an entrepreneur. While black women have long been underrepresented in a number of fields, there are many among those who are crushing entrepreneurship. Continue reading to discover a few of these brilliant business owners.
Tonya Rapley
Noted as one of the top money minds among millennials, Tonya Rapley has built a successful career for herself from the ground up. She was experiencing the paycheck-to-paycheck life for quite some time. Living in the largest metropolitan area in the United States and earning a small amount of money working for a nonprofit, Tonya knew she had to rethink her approach to her finances. Millennials have it tough enough with the current financial market, but Tonya worked around her circumstances and created a financial resource tailored to her age group. She is now the owner of My Fab Finance, helping numerous individuals with their money goals.
Cynthia Watkins and Kathryn Burnett
Mother-daughter duo Cynthia Watkins and Kathryn Burnett have become influential figures in the entrepreneurship space. Having grown up feeling that women of color were underrepresented in many areas, the pair decided to take action by creating dolls of color. By introducing these to the market, their goal was to reinforce how beautiful and capable their children are. Creating dolls of color for future generations to grow up with helps children of color gain a more profound sense of self, belonging and identity. The two are now proud owners of HarperIman Dolls.
LaRayia Gaston
LaRayia Gaston is the proud founder of Lunch on Me, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit with a profound purpose. This organization’s main goal is to end starvation among the heightened homeless populations in the city, with a focus on enriching their mind, body and spirit. Lunch on Me provides nutritious meals to skid row six days a week throughout the entire year. Not only do they fuel these individuals with organic food, but they also provide them the opportunity to engage in yoga classes, community parties and female-focused healing gatherings.
The aforementioned names are only the beginning of an ever-growing list full of passionate black female entrepreneurs. Fueled by a purpose bigger than themselves, these outstanding individuals are paving a pathway that their younger selves would be proud of, as well as inspiring numerous other children of color to follow their dreams of entrepreneurship.