Growing Black Women Owned Businesses
A transformative network of Black Women Business Owners facilitating the growth of our businesses through community, collabs, & confidence!
Project Description
Black women are the cornerstone of our families, communities, and cities. Collectively, we have the answers and what we need to thrive. Since forever, we’ve been resourceful, resilient, and creative problem solvers and builders. Black Women business owners have the knowledge, skill and opportunity to shift the paradigm for our families and black people around the world. Our businesses are our vehicles.
While growing in number and more visible than ever, we have yet to harness our collective power to grow in wealth and influence! Black Women-Owned Businesses -
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Average annual revenue is nearly 5 times lower than those of all other women owned businesses
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Average revenues have dropped 20% since 2007
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Are mostly solo endeavors with 97% having no employees
Now’s the time for us to change the facts and rewrite the narrative.
The Women Entrepreneur Leadership Lab (The WELL) is a transformative network of black women business owners that facilitates the growth of black-women-owned businesses by fostering community, collaboration, confidence and capital.
We seek to close the success gaps in black women-owned business by offering a proven continuous improvement approach and safe space for black women business owners to collectively explore and address our unique business challenges while establishing and sharing our own best practices.
The WELL is one part sister circle, one part mastermind, and one part research initiative – all parts love.
We will continue close the success gaps in Black Women-Owned Business by offering a proven continuous improvement approach and a safe space for Black Women Business Owners to collectively explore and address our unique business challenges while establishing, sharing, and scaling our best practices. Join us in the advancement of Black Women and our businesses.
With 40+ Black women business owners within 3 Chapters located in Baltimore, Washington DC, and Chicago we providing a safe space made by us for us with membership benefits that support community, collaboration, confidence, and capital!
Here’s what’s included in your new virtual membership:
- Full Access to our Member-Only Platform & Members
- Our Signature Problem Of Practice Programming with Monthly Meetups*
- Extensive News & Opportunities Resource Center
- Accountability Partners & Monthly Syncs*
- Member-Only & Member Lead Events & Workshops*
- WELL Webinars, Courses, & Templates
- Membership Incentives, Perks, and, Discounts
* Both Virtually and In-Person
With your support, we can continue to achieve our mission while advancing economic justice, supporting Black women-owned businesses, and meeting the needs of Black women right now as we build our collective futures.
With the funds we raise through this campaign, we will:
- Launch new chapters across the country to support Black women virtually during this time
- Provide expert speakers, insights, tools, and resources that serve our members during their of owning a business as a Black woman
- Provide our members with access to capital through specific grants provided by The WELL
- Budget For Liberation by circulating our Black dollar with specific budgeting measures for Black women in business
Nakeia L. Drummond is results-driven leader, entrepreneur, and educator with 14+ years of project management, strategic planning and change management experience. She views her career as a tapestry of experiences that have unlocked her purpose. In 2015, Nakeia founded NLD Strategic, a management consulting firm that supports strategy development, implementation, and measurement in social impact organizations and businesses.
About one year into business ownership, Nakeia knew that other black women entrepreneurs likely shared similar experiences and challenges but she couldn't quite find the business community that offered the support she sought. Simultaneously, she took interest in the disparities in data for black women owned businesses and the solutions that were too rarely informed by black women. Applying the philosophy and her belief that "the answer is in the room," Nakeia set out to create The WELL, a network focused on building collaboration and business growth for black woman-owned businesses by black women business owners.
Nakeia is a 2017 graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program where she developed the plan for The WELL, a 2017 The Daily Record "Leading Women" recipient, and a 2018 Warnock Social Innovation Fellow. Nakeia is the proud mother of a son, Asher; “bonus mom” to daughter Kaycie, and wife of her best friend since 5th grade, Jacen.
Learn more about our work at thewellnetwork.us
Updates
The Campaign FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions:
Fund a WELL Woman for the month!
Supporting the growth of Black Women owned businesses
There are 2.6 million black women owned businesses. If we all allocate/budget $1 a day to a 'black liberation' fund, that's $949M collectively in 1 year! There's power in numbers!
Sponsor another Black Woman Business Owner an annual membership within our transformative network!
The "WELL on your way" Business Grant is offered to WELL Women who have completed a year within The WELL and meet our grant criteria!
These Black women business owners can apply these funds to their businesses for operations, staffing, and more.
The "WELL On Your Way" Startup Grant provides WELL Women within years 1-3 with funds to secure business needs to continue growth and longevity.
Monthly we bring in speakers/experts to for insights and growth in our four WELL domain topics!
Our Early Entrepreneur Growth Program is a 6 month coaching program for women of The WELL. Grants 6-month program for 6 women ($2340), plus offset the cost of mentor fees ($5460).
- Launch Event ($5,000)
- 6 months of meet-ups ($5,000)
Help us tell our story!
- Storytelling
- Videography
- Photography
Each month we meet virtually & in-person to share our 'Problems Of Practice', fellow, and support one another. These events are made complete with appropriate technology, our workbook, and of course food!
Rewards
Fund a WELL Woman for the month!
Supporting the growth of Black Women owned businesses
There are 2.6 million black women owned businesses. If we all allocate/budget $1 a day to a 'black liberation' fund, that's $949M collectively in 1 year! There's power in numbers!
Sponsor another Black Woman Business Owner an annual membership within our transformative network!
The "WELL on your way" Business Grant is offered to WELL Women who have completed a year within The WELL and meet our grant criteria!
These Black women business owners can apply these funds to their businesses for operations, staffing, and more.
The "WELL On Your Way" Startup Grant provides WELL Women within years 1-3 with funds to secure business needs to continue growth and longevity.
Monthly we bring in speakers/experts to for insights and growth in our four WELL domain topics!
Our Early Entrepreneur Growth Program is a 6 month coaching program for women of The WELL. Grants 6-month program for 6 women ($2340), plus offset the cost of mentor fees ($5460).
- Launch Event ($5,000)
- 6 months of meet-ups ($5,000)
Help us tell our story!
- Storytelling
- Videography
- Photography
Each month we meet virtually & in-person to share our 'Problems Of Practice', fellow, and support one another. These events are made complete with appropriate technology, our workbook, and of course food!