By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
The number of Black business owners in the U.S. has been steadily increasing year over year, according to recent studies. In 2022, there were approximately 194,585 businesses in the U.S. with majority Black ownership—a significant rise from 124,004 in 2017, according to Pew Research and data from the Annual Business Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Science Foundation.
This National Black Business Month, entrepreneurs like Anissa Truitt, Christina Sledge and Ceal “Coach KB” Starks are part of that growth, transforming passion projects into profitable ventures. Take a look below at how their journeys are redefining what Black excellence looks like in the world of business and how they are inspiring a new generation of leaders to dream bigger.
Anissa Truitt
Anissa “Donny” Truitt is founder of 17th and Granville, a small, Black and queer-owned clothing brand based in Maryland.
“I was tired of not seeing clothes that felt like me…not just in terms of design, but what they represented,” said Truitt. “I wanted something that spoke to identity, safety and being able to show up in the world without apology.”
Truitt shared that the journey to making this dream a reality has been anything but easy.
“I don’t have outside funding or investors backing me—it’s just me making it work with what I’ve got,” said Truittt. “I work full-time in tech and put whatever I can into this brand. A lot of my sales come from pop-ups, which means I need to have inventory on hand, and that’s tough when every dollar counts.”
Sometimes Truittt said she is left to make the hard choices between acquiring new stock or handling vendor fees.
“I’ve had to really push to stay visible, especially without a big budget or public relations,” said Truitt.
17th and Granville offers gender-neutral, size-inclusive clothing and accessories—including hoodies, overalls and pride-inspired pieces—that celebrate Black and LGBTQ+ identity.
“Everything I put out means something—to me and to the folks who stop by my table, try something on, and feel like they finally see themselves in a brand,” said Truitt. “That’s what keeps me going.”
Christina Sledge
Christina Sledge is CEO and co-founder of Sledge House Media, a multi-platform media company that she created with her husband Edward. The company, based in Howard County, Md., was established in 2021.
“Edward and I launched our company with one goal in mind: telling stories that matter,” said Sledge. “As a Black woman, wife and mother, storytelling isn’t just what I do, it’s who I am. What started as a personal mission has grown into a business that publishes books, produces films and helps others share their truths through powerful, purpose-driven content.”
From children’s books to documentaries, Sledge House Media is dedicated to uplifting voices that often go unheard.
Though successful and enjoyable, Sledge noted that the journey has not been easy.
“Navigating the media and tech space as a Black business owner has meant pushing past barriers, funding challenges, gatekeeping and constantly having to prove our value,” she said. “Still, we stayed rooted in the ‘why.’”
Ceal “Coach KB” Starks
Ceal “Coach KB” Starks is the founder and CEO of Ready to Live Soap Therapy, an Atlanta-based company dedicated to transforming mental health care for diverse communities. It was launched in 2022.
“I didn’t set out to start a business,” said Starks. “I was just trying to survive.”
Starks said that after she lost both of her jobs and struggled with unemployment for nine months, she hit a breaking point that led to depression.
“One day, I was sitting at my computer, crying while trying to apply for another job on LinkedIn, when my husband walked in,” said Starks.
She said her husband encouraged her to go play with the soap-making equipment she had. She reluctantly listened, but what she discovered was that her hobby made her feel better.
She then decided to research and found that what she did in her spare time could be considered art therapy. Starks found that though soap making wasn’t a popular form of therapy, she could work to change that.
“That moment of pain gave birth to Ready to Live Soap Therapy, a creative wellness company, where we offer hands-on, sensory-driven soap therapy experiences that help people unplug, heal and reconnect with themselves,” she said. “Our guests walk away with more than a bar of soap, they leave with clarity, peace and the feeling that they matter. We use scent, color and hands-on soap making as a tool for emotional healing.”
Starks shared that in their first year, they reached six figures with a 48 percent in profit margin, grew 13 percent month-over-month and delivered soap therapy to more than 100 community organizations, schools and non-profits
“We serve stressed moms, overworked employees, veterans, teens, adults with autism, people in underserved communities, and anyone carrying the weight of life but not sure how to let go,” said Starks. “We help people heal who didn’t even know they needed it.”