Media Personality Surprises 5 Black Women Business Owners With Billboard Ads

For Black Business Month, media personality Sheletta Brundidge surprised five Black women with billboard advertisements for their businesses.

August is National Black Business Month, where Americans recognize Black-owned businesses nationwide.

Black business owners account for about 10%of U.S. businesses and 30% of all minority-owned businesses.

A Harvard Business Review report also found that 17% of Black women are starting or running new businesses, compared to 10% of white women and 15% of white men.

Billboard Ads for Black Women’s Businesses

Five Black women entrepreneurs, including founders of Soul Grain Granola, Slyvia Williams and Liza Maya, were featured in scrolling advertisements in downtown Minneapolis.

“I mean, we’re going to take over the world now,” said Maya.“But honestly, we’re trying to grow strategically and expand our presence to become a household name hopefully.

The billboards were sponsored by a $15,000 investment from media personality Sheletta Brundidge’s production company ShelettaMakesMeLaugh and will feature local businesses for two weeks.

The advertisements also featured Rosline’s Candles, founded by Rosline Friedrich, Lip Esteem, by Temeka Jones, Nature’s Syrup, by De’Vonna Pittman and Lakeview Terrace Farmer’s Market, by Chaz Sandifer-Lakeview.

Brundidge told Twin Cities Business that after reading footballer Randy Moss’ story about investing in Black companies, she was inspired to invest in women entrepreneurs.

“It’s not just to help them, but also show other people that we’re worth the investment – to show other people what it looks like to support Black women in business – because if we don’t do it, nobody else will,” she said.

“I’m so glad that so many people are here looking at these billboards, but I need them to translate into searching, into supporting, also investing.”

Feature Image Credit: TCB