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30 Black Women-Owned Businesses You Need to Discover

Black-owned businesses continue to grow in the United States according to the Annual Business Survey (ABS) reports by the Census Bureau. Thus between 2017 to 2020, black-owned businesses increased by 11 percent contributing to $141.1 billion of the country鈥檚 gross revenue in 2020.

Furthermore, black women-owned businesses within the same period rose to over 52,000 representing about 37% of all black-owned businesses. In general, black-owned businesses employed more than 1.3 million people in 2020. This added over $1.7 billion to the US economy in the form of aggregate payroll.

Subsequently, with this increasing trend, black female-owned businesses are projected to be on an upward trend. Thus, in this article, we take a look at the women pacesetters who have become trailblazers on the business front and an inspiration for people of color. Check them out below.

Here are the 30 Black Women-Owned Businesses You Need to Discover.

1. The Lip Bar (TLB)

Founded by Melissa Butler in 2012 this downtown Detroit company has grown to a celebrated brand within the makeup and beauty industry. This black woman-owned business stands out because it is focused on Vegan products. Their items include makeup and skincare treats.

Moreover, Butler鈥檚 mission from the onset was always to have more diversity in the cosmetic industry as opposed to the approach of 鈥渙ne-shade-fits-most beauty standard鈥�. Thus the company is committed to making products that create vibrant statement colors for deep skin tones. This is evident in an interview Butler had on April 20, 2023, with BeautyMatter.

Butler鈥檚 take on a BeautyMatter interview, “If it doesn’t look good on deeper skin tones, we won’t launch it, and that’s not a claim too many other brands can make.”

Besides rejection in the early days, including on “Shark Tank, the entrepreneur persisted to establish the venture and TLB鈥檚 products are present in big stores. Such as Walmart, Meijer, and Target.

2. EDEN BodyWorks

Atlanta, Georgia is where this black woman-owned business sits. Started in 2004 by Jasmine Lawrence, EDEN BodyWorks deals with natural hair and skin care products. The company is dedicated to having women live happier and healthier lives as per the CEO鈥檚 words from their website.

Jasmine Lawrence’s words on the company鈥檚 website, “Inspired by nature’s finest ingredients, the products EDEN offers compliment our commitment to encouraging women to live happier, healthier lives.”

Lawrence鈥檚 desire to start the company was sparked by a hair-damaging chemical burn that she suffered. Thus she struggled to get natural products to restore her hair, triggering a desire in her to cover the same gap in the market.

3. Nubian Skin

The British businesswoman, Ade Hassan, started this London-based business in 2014. The company is a luxury brand that focuses on skin-tone underwear and tights for both ladies and men with deep skin tones. Thus making it worth noting especially if you鈥檙e melanin blessed and are in love with high-end products. 

If you’re interested in learning about the black entrepreneurs of all time. Check them out here.

4. Pat McGrath Labs

This black woman-owned enterprise was started in 2006. The founder Pat McGrath Labs started the company after a vast hands-on experience as an acclaimed makeup artist. Her love for bold tones inspired her invention.

Furthermore, in 2015 the company launched its debut product known as GOLD 001 and it sold out in a short period. Within the same year, the company grew to a valuation of $1 billion. The company is based in New York City.

5. TPH by Taraji

It was started to take care of the scalp and hair. The haircare products of this black woman-owned business cater to all types of hair. Taraji P. Henson founded the company in 2020 after a long time of whipping up products in her kitchen.

Subsequently, during the company鈥檚 launch, they started with over 15 products tailored for different hair and scalp needs. The company is headquartered in New York.

6. The Honey Pot Company

This black woman-owned business is the brainchild of Beatrice Dixon alongside her brother. Based in Atlanta, Georgia the company is celebrated for plant-derived feminine care products. Beatrice鈥檚 invention was triggered by a bacterial vaginosis she suffered for eight months. The company was started in 2014.

7. McBride Sisters Collection

A wine-making black women-led venture that focuses on quality bottled and canned wines. Started in 2005, the company was inspired by the McBride sister鈥檚 passion for winemaking.

To add on, Robin and Andr茅a McBride grew up in different locations and only met in their adulthood. Andr茅a grew up in New Zealand while Robin was raised in California.

After their first meet-up during the 1990s at the request of their dying father, they discovered their love for winemaking. Then they turned it into a thriving business. In 2020, they were ranked by Wine Spectator magazine, as the largest black-owned wine company by volume in the US. The company is headquartered in Oakland.

8. Aya Paper Co.

The founder of this sustainable stationery company is SaVonne Anderson. The company is conscious of the environment and makes its products with 100% recycled materials.

To boot, they make art prints, calendars, notecards, greeting cards, and gifts for people and moments that matter the most. This black woman-owned business was launched in 2019 and has its headquarters in Fayetteville, Arkansas in the United States.

There exist countless American Business Women to be celebrated for their success.

9. Six One Agency

The New York-based marketing agency is a black woman-owned business started in 2016 by Kilee Hughes. With the dynamic nature of the media industry, the company engages in tailored communication strategies for brands in the beauty, lifestyle, and wellness spheres. Thus providing services like content and social media strategies among others.

10. Zuvaa

A black woman-owned business that showcases African print and fabrics. Kelechi Anyadiegwu received motivation to launch her business in 2014 from compliments of her dress code of African attire.

Better still, the company is an online marketplace for African fashion and accessories based in New York.  The name Zuvaa comes from a Zimbabwean language and it means sunshine.

11. Fanm Djanm

The name of this black woman-owned business is derived from the Haitian Creole language and it means “strong woman”. The company prides itself on handmade head wraps, headbands, turbans, and hair accessories.

Paola Math茅 is the founder and she started in 2014 by selling head wraps from her apartment. Since then the Austin-based business has established itself as a sustainable business. They are dedicated to a zero-waste policy through the recycling of fabric.

12. The Crayon Case

Raynell Steward or popular by her influencer moniker 鈥楽upa Cent鈥� started this black woman-owned business in 2017. She aimed to give amateur makeup artists an array of products that would offer them professional quality as they experiment.

What鈥檚 more, the idea was inspired by her personal experience. She is self-taught in how to do make-up. Thus The Crayon Case which prides itself in over 100 products is a beacon for both professional and newbie makeup artists.

13. Camara Aunique Beauty

It was founded in 2019 by the highly sought-after celebrity makeup artist, instructor, cum coach, Camara Aunique. She started the lash line to make everyday women appreciate their beauty by adding to it and not taking away anything from their beauty. She shared these sentiments while speaking to Voyage LA Magazine on August 10, 2020.

Camara鈥檚 words in a Voyage LA Magazine, 鈥� I wanted to create a lash line for everyday women to feel beautiful and not something that would take away from their beauty but add to it. I also wanted to touch women who were often forgotten about, the women who lost their lashes due to alopecia and cancer鈥�.

While on the same interview, she disclosed her struggle with domestic violence which inspired her to keep fighting for her makeup career and business.

Camara added, 鈥� I鈥檓 a survivor/ thriver of domestic violence which almost made me give up makeup but I kept going I knew there was something I needed to learn and trust the process, for the first five years of my freelance career I could barely survive but I learned how to push through and I grew as an artist 鈥�.

14. Pipcorn

This black female-owned business was started in Brooklyn by siblings Jen and Jeff Martin in 2012. The success of this brother and sister duo came after their “Shark Tank,” feature. Within 24 hours after their episode aired on the show, their orders went up to over 7000. Within three months after that, their sales were way over $1 million.

To add on, the products are made from heirloom corn that is Non-GMO Project certified. Though not certified organic, the farmers engaged to grow it use sustainable practices. According to the company reports, the flavors used are free of preservatives and artificial flavors.

Besides Pipcorn which remains a major seller for the company, they have also introduced a spicy line of snacks. They include Spicy Cheddar Popcorn and Spicy Cheddar Cheese Balls.

Meet more Women Entrepreneurs and learn how they are changing the world.

15. Klur

From a spa and facial studio in 2011, this Los Angeles black woman-owned business employs sustainability in making its products. The skincare line founded by Lesley Thornton is formulated to take care of different skin conditions and ethnicities. It launched its retail brand in 2013.

What鈥檚 more, the company holds that its products are botanically based with zero animal or insect-derived ingredients. This is driven by their commitment to animal protection. Thus their formulas don鈥檛 include animal by-products.

16. Golde

Started in 2017 by Trinity Mouzon Wofford alongside Issey Kobori. The focus of the company is to provide superfood-boosted essentials for health and beauty.

To boot, as per their mission statement, this Brooklyn-born black women-owned business is given to making wellness easy, accessible, and fun for all. Their belief is that feeling good comes along with being well.

17. Slug Global

This company is the creative idea of Georgian R&B singer, Bosco (Brittany Bosco). Driven by passion, the artist launched the project in 2016 in Atlanta.

Moreover, she alongside other artists brings together a wide range of professional backgrounds and disciplines. Hence with their creativity, they offer captivating visual experiences well blended with music and culture for the business.

18. REVAMPED PR

Myrlaun Walker is the founder of this results-driven, black female-owned publicity and management agency. The company specializes in the fashion and music spaces. Their focus is to enhance brand development through branding, image consulting, public relations, and more strategies.

19. Mented Cosmetics

A black women-owned makeup brand that is acclaimed for its lipsticks which are vegan, paraben-free, non-toxic, and cruelty-free. Other than lipsticks, they have an array of cosmetics for every skin tone.

On top of that, the founders Amanda E. Johnson and KJ Miller started this brand in New York in 2017. Their mission was to offer women of color more beauty choices. In the present day, the company鈥檚 products are available for every shade and ethnicity.

20. BYCHARI

The self-taught Jamaican-born jewelry designer, Chari Cuthbert started her business in 2012. Based in Los Angeles, each jewelry piece is a reflection of the designer鈥檚 life and style. The handmade works of BYCHARI are an appreciation of simplicity, yet a testament to luxury.

Get spoilt for choice with these famous Jewellery Brands from around the world.

21. Uoma Beauty

It is a highly regarded black woman-owned beauty brand based in Los Angeles with an operational presence in the UK as well. The business is credited to Nigerian-born entrepreneur Sharon Chuter.

Furthermore, this company provides its customers with a makeup range that embraces forward-thinking and innovation to a high degree. Hence they bring a freshness of ideas and inclusivity with their face, lips, and eyes product collections. The business was launched in 2018.

22. Riot Swim

An upscale swimwear brand started in Houston in 2016. The owner is Monti Landers. The brand鈥檚 products include a vast range of colors and styles while still boasting a luxurious minimalistic look.

23. SoleRebels

Transforming her community with footwear, the Ethiopian businesswoman, Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu founded her business in 2005. Located in Ethiopia, the company is one of the fastest-growing footwear companies in Africa. It has sold products in more than 50 countries around the world.

From humble beginnings after college studies, Alemu started her business on a family property. Her inspiration was to offer employment opportunities in her community. The name is in honor of the Ethiopian rebel soldiers who wore handmade rubber tire sandals.

24. Black Girl Sunscreen

An everyday use product for darker skin tones that uses natural ingredients that protect the skin such as avocado, jojoba, cacao, carrot juice, and sunflower oil. Hence these components soothe the skin making the sunscreen double as a moisturizing lotion.

The California-based business is the innovative work of Shontay Lundy started in 2016. The product is appreciated for its lightweight and its ability to eliminate an all-white residue after application.

25. Mahogany Books

At the heart of Washington, DC is the Mahogany bookstore that is focused on advancing the knowledge of African-American literature. This black woman-owned business was founded in 2007 by Ramunda Young and her husband Derrick.

26. Harlem Candle Company

Teri Johnson was inspired to establish her business out of her love for fragrance, jazz, and Harlem. She embarked on the journey in 2014.

Subsequently, this travel and lifestyle expert has grown her black woman-owned business to a luxury home fragrance brand with a specialty in scented candles. Thus the candles are motivated by the richness of Harlem. The company is located in New York.

27. Janet & Jo.

Kendra Woolridge was inspired to start her luxurious, vegan, and toxin-free nail lacquers by her love for polish and family. Thus the company is named in honor of her two grandmothers namely, Janet Lee and Jo Woolridge.

She put up her black woman-owned venture in Washington D.C. in 2019. The company has over 10 nail polishes that provide beauty free of the consequences of toxins found in some nail lacquers.

If you’re a fan of luxury brands, we got you covered for clothing, nails, jewelry, and just everything.

28. Claude Home

A design and d茅cor brand located in East Hampton that was established by Maggie Holladay. She switched gears into design work after a first attempt in fashion with little success. This business has turned into a highly sought-after source for vintage furniture as well as contemporary pieces.

29. KNC Beauty

Sparked by her first sight of lip masks while on a trip to Tokyo, Kristen Noel Crawley brought the idea to La Mirada, California in 2016. She started KNC Beauty after discovering the American market lacked natural lip masks.

Her black woman-owned business has evolved to offer other products such as retinol-infused eye masks, as well as collagen-infused lip scrub and lip balms. While speaking to Glossy Magazine on October 7, 2021, she confessed to starting her brand because she had dry and crusty lips.

Crawley鈥檚 words on the Glossy Magazine podcast, 鈥淚 started the brand because I had those dry and crusty lips. Since I launched my brand, I haven鈥檛 had any problems with my chapped lips.鈥�

30. Relev茅 Entertainment LLC

Nestled in Beverly Hills, this faith-based entertainment company is a renowned black woman-owned business. The business specializes in talent management, brand development, television, and or film production.

Founded by Dr. Holly Carter in 2009, the company is known for developing the television and theatrical career of superstars like Usher, Michelle Williams, Kierra Sheard, Mary Mary, and more artists.

These black women-owned businesses tell stories of passion and determination. Having shattered glass ceilings of gender and color, these female-led ventures are a legacy and source of inspiration for generations to come.