Celebrating Black Business Month With ‘Brilliance In Motion’

Every entrepreneur knows how tough it is to own a business; when you add Black and then female to the equation, the battle gets even rougher. This Black Business Month, some are hoping to make the battle a little bit easier to win. 

“Brilliance In Motion” was an event put on by She Did That in collaboration with Shopify to highlight several NYC-based Black-owned businesses. The event, held in SoHo at Shopify NY, featured Amina Iris, ELTSUH, GLDN HAUS, TERRA·TORY, Jam+Rico, The Sable Collective, Brooklyn Tea, Never Settle, OUI The People, Jorja Zee, BeEyeConic, and Style Eyes Optical. 

These businesses were a diverse group, including art, clothing, eyewear, handbags, fragrance, candles, jewelry, and everything in between. 

Founder of She Did That, Renae Bluitt, says that the space she curates is not only for success but for comfort. 

“It is a safe space for black women founders to come together,” she said. 

She added that her company is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and days like this one remind her that the space is necessary. 

“This space is so needed, and there needs to be resources poured into it, love poured into it, and that’s really my goal,” she said. 

Business owners at the event had similar sentiments about connecting with fellow business owners and customers in person. 

Karen Young, owner of OUI The People, said events like this help build community amongst fellow entrepreneurs. 

“I think always there’s a sense of camaraderie always and just pride, you know, being a Black-owned business,” she said. She added, “I’m in this different class of people who are so prideful of what we do and just really bring this incredible sense of heritage and storytelling to it all.”

This event, however, wasn’t just about building community; it was also about leaving with tangible skills that can help take your brand to the next level. The “Discover The Tools” session was hosted by Jared Frazer, a customer success leader at Shopify. The hour-long program was aimed at helping people better understand their software. 

Lola Olateju is a marketing manager for her brother’s pasta business, Leavyned, and said the session was extremely helpful and that speaking with someone directly from Shopify makes all the difference.

“He works directly for Shopify, and he offered tangible, insightful, and actionable information today,” She said. She added, “I was blown away. I was like, oh, wow, Shopify actually offers a lot more robust tools for my ability to navigate the business.”  

Bluitt says that sharing information like this is crucial to help make the playing field even for Black founders. Especially since resources and events like these are harder to come by due to the lack of corporate interest in DEI. 

“The lift is a lot heavier now. We all know that the commitments that were made to our community 6 years ago are like dust now, and the partnerships like this are few and far between,” she said.

She added, “We’re not working with people who were just doing it to check a box. These are people now who really believe in the power of our dollar, our influence, and they want to commit to the partnerships. So in that sense, it feels good.”  

Lisette Scott, owner of Jam+Rico, echoed these sentiments, sharing that rooms like this are crucial. 

“I think that more community is needed, especially during this time where there’s less funding for small businesses, less opportunities for small businesses to grow,” She said. She added, “In some ways, it’s better for us to kind of have this hub together as business owners so that we can share what we found, how we found it, what we’re doing different, and then learn from each other.”

The overall message for the day was clear: these owners love what they do and days like this help fuel their passion. 

Ashlee Muhammad, owner of BeEyeConic, said, “I think the number one thing that I’m taking with me is love. I think that love is going to transcend all of this. I think love is why we do what it is that we do, every single entrepreneur in this room.”