Meet the Founders of the First Black-Owned Sliced Bread Company
Three entrepreneurs from Flossmoor, Illinois — Charles Alexander, Mark Edmond, and Jamel Lewis — have made history after launching Black Bread Co., the first-ever Black-owned sliced bread company in the US.
The idea first came to Edmond while he was buying groceries last year in the midst of the social unrest surrounding George Floyd's death. He tried to search for a brand of bread that was Black-owned but in a "not so shocking discovery," he didn't find any.
"I left the store frustrated, and immediately hit up my boys to let them know we needed to change this," Edmond told Travel Noire.
Lewis and Edmond, who are serial entrepreneurs, and Alexander, who is a communications professional and professor, have known each other since high school. They immediately decided to team up to launch the first Black-owned sliced bread company.
However, it wasn't all about just making money. The trio says their main purpose in building the company is to shatter the glass ceiling in an industry where Black people aren't represented as owners.
"We face a double stigma. We are not only Black, but we are Black men," Alexander shared. "We have had to go into these predominately white rooms to debunk the myths around Black men and entrepreneurship. We are serious about what we are doing."
They also wanted to help improve how Black consumers spend their money while at the same time providing excellent products and services.
"Our motto is 'come correct' and you will see that in every facet of the business," Lewis said. From marketing, branding, as well as the taste of our bread. We ultimately want Black people to start looking into where they spend their money, and see how it will benefit our communities. Too often, we just spend money without being intentional."
Black Bread Co. has officially launched their online shop where its high-quality honey wheat and premium white bread can be purchased. Since then, they have received overwhelming support. They are looking forward to adding more products such as hot dog and hamburger buns, multi-grain bread, and brioche as well as having their products soon available in local grocery stores.
For more information about Black Bread Co., visit BlackBreadCo.com or follow the brand on Instagram @TheBlackBreadCo
Award-Winning Black-Owned Bakery Launches First-Ever Dessert Truck
Nationwide — The award-winning online bakery, Luv’s Brownies®, home of the Original Heart-Shaped Brownie®, is bringing its sweet treats to the Bay Area with the launch of its first-ever dessert truck. Luv’s Brownies kicked off the first two locations on January, 9th & 10th at the Rose Garden Farmers’ Market and Cupertino Farmers’ Market.
The Luv’s Brownies mobile dessert truck will bring its famous heart-shaped brownies and a new menu — including heart-shaped brownie ice cream sandwiches and marshmallows, house-made waffle cones, and caramel. Inspired by Luv’s Brownie founder Cuban heritage, the dessert truck will also feature Cuban-style specialty coffee drinks, and more — to gathering spots across Santa Clara County.
Customers will also be able to use the new Luv’s Brownies mobile app to find out where the truck is located and easily order online. They will also know the truck is nearby when they hear the Celia Cruz “La Vida Es Un Carnaval” jingle coming from the speakers and in the app notifications.
The dessert truck marks a major milestone for Luv’s Brownies, which is gearing up to celebrate 25 successful years in business. “The launch of this dessert truck is a dream come true,” said founder and CEO Andrea (pronounced Aundrea) R. Lacy, who started the family-run bakery in 1996. “I’m filled with gratitude for our team and our customers, and I’m excited about the opportunity to delight customers in a whole new way.”
Lacy is also committed to giving back to the community, which is why the 25th-anniversary celebration will include the launch of the company’s “ Grit Award” Scholarship. A portion of every sale will go to the 501c3 scholarship fund to support talented young people who have faced challenges with tenacity and who wish to pursue higher education at a four-year university, junior college, or vocational school. “I created the scholarship because I want to encourage students who have worked hard and shown constant progression,” said Lacy. “continuous learning is important.” And, no challenge should stop anyone from making their dreams a reality.”
Two-time winner of the People’s Choice “Best Sweet” Dessert Award at the International Hospitality Convention, Luv’s Brownies has a loyal following of subscribers and supporters. Tara Tallman, Vice President of Game Day Operations and Human Resources for the San Jose Giants, said, “The San Jose Giants have partnered with Luv’s Brownies for 10 seasons and we are very excited to see them reach this milestone.”
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo also welcomed the launch of the Luv’s dessert truck, saying, “I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations to Andrea and her entire team at Luv’s Brownies.”
“We are proud they continue to call San Jose home and hope to celebrate another of 25 delicious years with them!”
The mayor is not alone as customers rave about the mouth-watering heart-shaped brownies that simply melt in your mouth and “now to be able to have the brownies literally come to you, it is a dream come true,” says Paula Winkel Head of Marketing Communications Conviva.” “I LUV the Luv Bites® (bite-size heart-shaped brownies) and cannot get enough of the house-made caramel and coffee drinks.”
Locations for the dessert truck include the Rose Garden Farmers’ Market on Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm and the Cupertino Farmers’ Market on Sundays from 9 am to 1 pm. Neighborhoods throughout Santa Clara County can request the truck to their neighborhood or hire the mobile dessert truck for private events. More locations coming soon.
For more information, visit LuvsBrownies.com or call (408) 757-8009.
TWO BLACK FORMER COLLEGE ROOMMATES CLOSE HISTORIC DEAL ON $8.3 MILLION HOTEL
Nationwide (BlackNews.com) -- When Davonne Reaves and Jessica Myers met as college students in the early 2000s, they never imagined they’d one day become business partners. Owning a hotel? Well, that was not even on the radar for the hospitality and journalism majors, then deeply entrenched into their studies. As two young African American women who’d grown up in working-class families in the South, the mere idea of hotel ownership seemed unfathomable. Some 11 years later, the fellow Georgia State University alum has done just that – and they are believed to have made history in the process.
Atlantans Myers and Reaves, both 33, formed a hotel ownership group of mostly millennials, partnered with Nassau Investments to acquire the Home2 Suites by Hilton El Reno, Oklahoma, located about 30 miles from Oklahoma City. Their investment into the $8.3 million deal is believed to have earned them the notable distinction of becoming the youngest African American woman to ever co-own a property in a major hotel chain. “I never thought by the time I was 33 that I'd be a hotel owner, but I admit that it feels great to have accomplished that at this point in my life," says Reaves, mom to a 2-year old son. "Making history in the process, well that’s just icing on the cake!" Myers says the venture overall was a solid investment, but it also ties into some “big picture” goals that she and Reaves share: “Statistically only two percent of hotel owners are African-American, and we want to change that,” she says. "There's a big void there and we want to help fill it."
Acquiring ownership of the property is a dream come true for both, especially Reaves, who spent the bulk of her professional career in the hospitality industry, working in restaurants, event planning, and multiple rank-and-file and mid-level management hotel positions. “I have done just about every job possible and worked every shift,” quips Reaves who cut her teeth in the industry serving as a front desk agent at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. “The only thing I haven't done is unclog a toilet,” quips Reaves. She eventually progressed to bigger roles, including in 2015 when she was tapped to relocate to the Boston area to take on a career-changing role as an associate for CHMWarnick, the largest third-party hotel asset management company in the country. She maintained that position for two years until a hankering for her hometown inspired her to return to Atlanta. Once there, she reconnected with Myers and the rest, as they say, is history. The International Society of Hospitality Consultants, an exclusive invite-only trade industry organization recently honored Reaves with its Sixth Annual Lori Raleigh Award for Emerging Excellence in Hospitality Consulting award.
Myers, whom after years working as a communication and advertising industry professional for CBS and Outfront Media, first dipped her toe into flipping single-family properties two years ago after "watching one too many episodes of HGTV.” With the business acumen, she’d honed over her years in corporate America, her side hustles quickly evolved into a full-time gig, edging her closer to another major career goal: “owning over 1,000 doors in the commercial real estate space” she says, referring to flipping single-family properties. Myers and Reaves also maintain their own companies, The Vonne Group and It’s Jessica Myers, but in 2019, they also formed Epiq Collective, to collaborate on commercial real estate ventures.
“Our goal is to own at least 1,000 ‘doors’ and create 221 hotel owners in 2021,” explains Myers, of their commercial real estate plans and desire to draw those who have not traditionally been represented in the industry – such as young people, people of color and women – into the arena. “If you have some capital and you’re looking to grow it, we’re open to having those conversations,” explains Reaves, who has dedicated her first major commercial real estate deal, to the memory of her late grandmother, Elizabeth Swans Smith.
“She passed away in January 2020 and I’d told her that I was going to own my hotel one day,” remembers Reaves. “I told our team of investors that I wanted to own this hotel by February 6th. That’s my grandmother's birthday and coincidentally it’s Jessica’s birthday too. Knowing that I’ve done that, just gives me chills!” Myers says she’s equally excited. “We’re so proud to bring that ‘Black girl magic’ to the commercial real estate industry; this is just the beginning!”
Reaves and Myers are available to share their story of inspiration, education, and empowerment through all media platforms. For more information, please visit EpiqCollective.com.
New Black-Owned Line of Stylish Waist Trainers Launches with Reality Star Amara La Negra
In Summer 2020, Hanna Sanchez, the Afro-Latina founder of Waist Forever, launched her company and within six months has already achieved six figures in revenue.
Nationwide — Waist Forever, a Black-owned innovative fitness company, has launched a collection of unique waist trainers with celebrity Amara La Negra, who stars in VH1’s Love and Hip Hop. The waist trainers give women an instant hourglass figure, and with consistent use, it gives more permanent results by actually molding an hourglass shape.
Tuesday, December 8, 2020
New Black-Owned Line of Stylish Waist Trainers Launches with Reality Star Amara La Negra
In Summer 2020, Hanna Sanchez, the Afro-Latina founder of Waist Forever, launched her company and within six months has already achieved six figures in revenue.
Amara La Negra's Waist Forever collection
Nationwide — Waist Forever, a Black-owned innovative fitness company, has launched a collection of unique waist trainers with celebrity Amara La Negra, who stars in VH1’s Love and Hip Hop. The waist trainers give women an instant hourglass figure, and with consistent use, it gives more permanent results by actually molding an hourglass shape.
The newly launched collection is floral in design and is ideal for people who want to achieve or enhance their hourglass figure while also supporting a good cause. Within the collection, there are three different styles, a waist trainer with one, two, or three straps. The Amara Maximillia: 1 Strap Waist Trainer Floral Beauty option offers wearers comfort, style, and can aid weight loss around the midsection.
Waist Forever says the neoprene compression can make the waistline look smaller and can be discreetly worn to the gym, work, or while running errands. The Amara Maximillia collection is designed to create a sauna effect that targets the midsection and core. This increases how much a person sweats during their workout, which can help to burn fat faster, reshape and reduce fat deposits, and support weight loss.
In addition, people who use waist trainers may experience back support through firm tension control. This is useful for people with poor posture, hunched shoulders, or bad neck posture. The company offers a size guide on its website for interested parties who are unsure of the correct waist trainer to order as up to nine different sizes are available across the range.
For each unit sold, a percentage of the sales will go to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and Black Lives Matter (BLM). View the collection at WaistForever.com/collections/amara-la-negra
A High-Quality Compression Board can also be purchased from Waist Forever and is designed to be worn under any tight girdle or body shaper designed to flatten the tummy. It is made of high-quality fibers produced during the company’s strict manufacturing process and aims to provide lightweight, soft, and durable comfort. It can help with postpartum inflammation or after aesthetic procedures.
Hanna Sanchez, the Afro-Latina founder of the company, comments, “Waist Forever is committed to helping women feel wonderful, but we are also passionate about giving back to the world around us. They are partnering with and supporting non-profit organizations focused on women and vulnerable populations by donating a portion of our profits, including through our new collection with Amara La Negra.”
To learn more about the company and/or to make a purchase, visit WaistForever.com
THIS COUPLE HELPS BLACK-OWNED BRANDS GET THEIR PRODUCTS INTO GROCERY STORES
Nationwide (BlackNews.com) -- Meet Allen and Subriana Pierce, an African American entrepreneurial couple whose company, Navigator Sales & Marketing, connects grocery retailers with small business owners that sell their own line of packaged foods, household items, etc. Their company is a food and beverage broker with product representation in over 15,000 stores including Albertsons, Safeway, Ralphs, Food Lion, Whole Foods, Stater Bros, Kroger, and more.
As the founders of a Black-owned company themselves and fully understanding the importance of diversity and inclusion, Allen and Subriana are working hard to increase the representation of Black, minority, and women entrepreneurs in the food retail industry.
“We connect retailers with brands from this growing network and lead minority relationship consultations to ensure these brands are well-supported through each retailers’ system. With these tailored solutions, we will see an increase in three key areas: the presence and exposure of under-represented entrepreneurs, the number of qualified CPG entrepreneurs, and the successful integration of minority-owned brands into the marketplace,” says Subriana.
Their company mentors businesses for success provides access to financing and connects them to investors, tech, and supply chain resources aimed at growing minority and women-owned businesses in the Food & Beverage and Consumer Products industries.
Allen comments, “We are committed to combating systemic racism, and are devoting more of our time, platform, and resources to uplifting the Black, brown and women business owners.”
Interested business owners are encouraged to apply at NavigatorSales.com/become-a-client.
The Foundation
Most of the company's plans to create opportunities for Black and minority entrepreneurs are being orchestrated through their charitable arm, Navigator Lighthouse Foundation, which provides the pathway to product sales that would otherwise struggle to achieve relative to the major CPG and other consumer brands.
The foundation just recently expanded its client roster with the addition of Nikki Chu, celebrity interior designer and star of Nikki Chu Unboxed on Aspire TV with her new product line: Nudies Essentials, Disposable Eco Chic Undies; Denise Woodard, Founder, Partake Cookies, a Jay-Z backed, Black-owned vegan cookie company; Nahum Jeannot, Founder, Go Oats, unique frozen breakfast treat inspired by Chef Nahum; Go Oats will soon to be featured on Shark Tank and rounding out the roster, the youngest client, Ethan Holmes, only 15-years old when he launched Holmes Applesauce. In addition, regional brands such as Lillie's of Charleston, Taste Bars, and Brooklyn Granola.
Other brands that they have worked with that are owned by minorities and women include ECOS, Purpose Tea, Ramona's Frozen Burritos, Panacea Life Sciences to name a few. However, the launch of Navigator Lighthouse offers much more hands-on training including sales support services. Ultimately, the mission of the Foundation is to educate, train, provide funding opportunities, and to provide access to critical resources to prepare business leaders’ growth.
BLACK-OWNED GREETING CARD BRAND, CULTURE GREETINGS, NOW OFFERS IN-STORE PICKUP AT WALGREENS
Nationwide (BlackNews.com) -- Dr. Dionne Mahaffey, founder of Culture Greetings, a woman-led and Black-owned greeting card company, announces the launch of a new print-to-store integration partnership with Walgreens.
Through the technology integration with the Walgreens Photo Prints and Store Locator APIs, in addition to the Culture Greetings’ mail-to-recipient delivery option, customers will now have the choice to pick up their customized printed greeting cards in any of the 9,277 Walgreens or Duane Reed locations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
“The launching of this new partnership and integration reflects a significant first for the Walgreens API team,” said Andrew Schweinfurth, Manager, Walgreens Developer Relations. “As we welcome Culture Greetings and founder Dr. Dionne Mahaffey, we acknowledge that she is the first African American female founder to join the platform.”
Founded in 2018, Culture Greetings offers more than 2000 greeting cards featuring imagery centered around and elevating the Black and Brown communities' voices. Card options span all mainstream and cultural holidays and occasions, life milestones, social justice, LGBTQ+, and photo-card templates for customized personal greetings.
“We are excited be a part of the Walgreens Developer Program,” explains Dr. Mahaffey. “As we approach our two-year anniversary, this new integration marks a significant milestone for us, expanding the greeting card aisle, bringing more inclusive options, and providing customers with the instant gratification of picking up their customized card within minutes of creating it.”
Culture Greetings will continue to offer its flagship delivery method of mailing cards directly to the customer's recipient. On the website, customers can choose a greeting card, write a personal note using handwriting fonts that mirror real penmanship, and click “send,” which cues their state-of-the-art printing press. Gift cards from Target, Amazon, iTunes, and other brands can also be included in the mailing. The company then prints and mails the card directly to the recipient’s address the following business day, saving customers a trip to the store.
About Culture Greetings
Culture Greetings is a Black-owned greeting card brand. Customers pick a card online and write a note inside using handwriting fonts that mirror real penmanship. Through innovative technology, Culture Greetings will print, stamp, and mail the cards directly to the recipient. The platform now offers same-day pickup in partnership with Walgreen's in-store photo prints. For more information, visit CultureGreetings.com
EXPAT ENTREPRENEUR JEWEL DANIELS DELIVERS A BLUEPRINT TO THRIVE IN A POST GLOBAL PANDEMIC WORLD IN NEW BOOK
Nationwide (BlackNews.com) -- Most people currently face the pressing concern of how to move the needle from crisis to success during a global pandemic. The answer. You write a groundbreaking Amazon bestseller titled Three Sides of Every Crisis”: Strategies to Sustain Business, Manage Your Career and Take Care of You by Jewel Daniels that offers a roadmap on how to pivot during an international economic tsunami. Then, you do just that.
From the US to Jamaica, and many places in between, Author Jewel Daniels has gone from success to success. Her timely and valuable book hit Amazon's bestseller's list in less than two months finding space amongst the ranking of best practices to manage in the midst of tough economic conditions.
There’s no getting around the fact that this global pandemic has disrupted most industries and many businesses,” said Jewel Daniels about her new book. Three Sides of Every Crisis will help readers understand how to maneuver through rough days and take control of an unforeseen future. This could be the most valuable book many read this year. Its contents are relevant, direct, and actionable.”
Jewel is a passionate and engaging leadership expert, author, and speaker who has built a business with a global client list. Getting her start in her beloved hometown of Brooklyn, Jewel has proven herself an avatar of the expat entrepreneur, with her travel-work adventures taking her from the U.S. to Asia where she studied international relations in South Korea, and now Montego Bay, Jamaica. The Caribbean island is her home of seven years where she has expanded her leadership development company and took to penning Three Sides of Every Crisis, her fourth book ripe with strategies for entrepreneurs and business professionals.
The book challenges readers to adjust their perspective and push past obstacles to find opportunities which the author said often goes undiscovered until the pressures of a crisis cause an eruption of hidden talent and creativity to rise to the surface. Employees who are facing an uncertain future due to job separation will find solutions that liberate them from employer’s decisions or business forecasts.
Three Sides of Every Crisis takes a deep dive into proven methods and key strategies for businesses to reposition and succeed in what Jewel calls the next "new normal." She lifts her practical knowledge and marries it with incredibly researched and documented experiences of industry titans and growing organizations that create a blueprint for best practices to survive and thrive.
The client's feedback for Jewel's book has been extremely passionate.
Richard Kerr, a software developer, Caribbean Producers Jamaica Limited, recently said, “There are persons who are today managers and supervisors who had no idea this could happen to them. Thanks to Daniels Communications we have harnessed the power of critical thinking and effective communication to solve the challenges posed in this new normal. We were led and now we lead.”
The company has become an example of how to pivot by building an on-line platform of Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) certified webinars called Kick the Crisis that reflect the principles in her book.
"These are incredibly challenging times where people need tangible resources and answers from experts," Jewel said. "This approach provides just that plus credit backed by the world's leading HR organization."
Jewel is the CEO of Daniels Communications Global which delivers acclaimed, diverse services aimed at helping organizations perform better while developing the leadership skills of their team. She is also the president of the Jamaica Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and head of the HRMAJ Western Chapter.
To learn more about Jewel, visit JewelDaniels.net. For the Kick, the Crisis webinar series information, visit https://bit.ly/kickthecrisis..
ONLINE DIRECTORY PUTS THE SPOTLIGHT ON NYC BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES
Nationwide (BlackNews.com) -- The Big Black Book NYC social media small business directory launched its new website in celebration of black, brown, and women-owned businesses. The website launch date also coincided with the directory’s 3rd anniversary. The directory is a Rolodex of entrepreneurs who provide a series of services and products.
Currently, there are 125 listed businesses in 27 different categories (e.g. cleaning services, home security, fitness, authors, financial services, apparel, fashion, mental health, and youth & education services to name a few). The listed businesses are both profit & non-profit located in NYC, Long Island, CT, NJ, PA, GA, FL, and SC.
The Big Black Book NYC’s website, TheBigBlackBookNYC.com, provides small business owners with another platform where their visibility in the NYC area community & beyond can be accessed especially in these uncertain times. Our entrepreneurs need all the limelight they can get so they can continue bringing economic stability and power to our communities.
The event was organized with the intention of empowering small business owners for continued success. The Big Black Book NYC founder & CEO Beth Brown invited guest speakers to provide the website launch attendees with free mini business workshops. Guest speakers were: Young Executive Carl Michel (motivational speaker), Teszra Corey of One on One Tax & Financial Group (business finance speaker), Lennie Carter of TruCircle (mental health tips), Harold Dangervil of Excellence in Execution Planning (small business tips), DJ G Leo & violinist Natalie P. Hall Additionally, during the website launch event 9 attending entrepreneurs were awarded cash prizes thanks to the donations of small business owners. On Saturday, August 15th The Big Black Book NYC continued celebrating National Black Business month by hosting a headshot & directory building event in Brooklyn & soon new entrepreneurs will be added into the directory!