Leading with purpose: These three Black women entrepreneurs turned their passion into profit

A flourishing business often begins by identifying a common pain point and having the passion to address it. We’re celebrating three stories of Black women entrepreneurs who were inspired to both honor and also transform something in their rich cultural heritage. Unhindered by the status quo, each took the opportunity to be leaders of change right in their own communities.

Stacey Brown celebrates Black hair culture, the natural way

Stacey Brown felt she was channeling her grandmother, Emma, when she started her hair care brand Kanuni Brown, based in Detroit, Michigan. In the 1960s, Emma Brown’s home-based beauty salon was more than a place for hairstyling; it was a sanctuary where women gathered, shared stories and felt cared for. “That sense of community was so strong,” Brown says. “She was known for nurturing women’s total well-being — not just their appearance, but their spirit.”

Inspired by her grandmother’s work and applying decades of experience as a registered nurse, Brown launched a line of natural, non-toxic hair care products. She wanted to provide an option for safe, but effective, home hair care. “I use my nursing knowledge to help educate women about medical conditions and how they can impact hair,” Brown explains. “As a formulator, I educate women about the significance of ingredients, so they can make informed decisions to improve, maintain and protect their hair.”

While providing all-natural alternative solutions, Kanuni Brown joins a longstanding heritage of Black hair care, also influenced by Brown’s grandmother. “Her legacy is a testament to the importance of Black culture, where hair is not just a part of one’s appearance, but a form of self-expression and identity,” Brown says.

Eager to keep growing her business, Brown participated in dozens of small business expert coaching sessions and free, self-paced courses from Verizon Small Business Digital Ready. She learned foundational financial skills, such as sales forecasting and how to prepare profit and loss statements. She created her own marketing plan, built brand awareness through email and social media, and, crucially, learned to measure success.

Brown credits the program with teaching her essential business acumen. “Digital Ready gave me a great foundation to get my business off the ground by gaining some much-needed knowledge and skills,” she says. “We saw a 15% rise in new customers, a 25% boost in repeat purchases and a 31% increase in gross sales in just a few months of applying what I learned.”

Now, Brown is working on expanding her company’s reach, with a focus on increasing distribution, building strategic partnerships, and continuing to educate and empower women about the importance of healthy hair care. 

Iesha Murry redefines comfort food with plant-based ingredients

What started as a personal health journey for Iesha Murry and her husband, Jason, has evolved into a flourishing business in Indianapolis, Indiana. The couple’s commitment to plant-based eating led them to create Mrs. Murry’s Naturals, a vegan food service that offers grab-and-go meals through local markets and cafes and caters events.

Seeing a gap in the market for flavorful and accessible plant-based meals, Iesha became passionate about creating healthier versions of dishes that would still appeal to every palate. Both Iesha and Jason made career changes to invest in their new business. Iesha attended culinary school to receive formal training in vegan cuisine. “We tailor everything to match what you’re used to eating,” Iesha says. “We just took out the animal products.”

When it comes to her food, Iesha incorporates the traditions and flavors that have defined Black cuisine for generations. By recreating classic comfort foods like sweet potato pie, pineapple upside-down cake and pot pie using plant-based ingredients, Mrs. Murry’s Naturals is able to connect deeply with their customers, many of whom are experiencing vegan cuisine for the first time. “We get a lot of customers who say, ‘If I knew vegan food tasted this good, I would’ve tried it a long time ago,’” Iesha says. “Vegan doesn’t mean bland or boring.”

The food itself is just one of many ways the couple invests in the community. Iesha and Jason also partner with local farmers to source ingredients. They belong to organizations for Black entrepreneurs, sponsor events and cooking demos, and are staples at the weekly farmers market.

Iesha says that Verizon’s Digital Ready has been instrumental in the growth of Mrs. Murry’s Naturals. Since joining the program in 2021, she has taken more than 100 program offerings, inspiring her to earn multiple business certifications and improve operational efficiency with new accounting and point-of-sale systems. As she looks to expand into wholesale distribution and larger retail partnerships, Iesha credits the program with helping her lay the foundation for sustainable growth and seeing herself as a business leader. “I’ve learned so much,” she says. “It helped me grow my business, and it’s given me the confidence in rooms I used to be afraid of.”

Saundra Gilliard empowers women leaders through their own stories

Saundra Gilliard is on a mission: to redefine what it means to be a successful female leader in the workplace. Her company, Femininely Free, helps organizations and individuals use the power of personal storytelling to challenge traditional growth narratives. With master’s degrees in both organizational science and transformational leadership, Gilliard’s career has been shaped by her desire to help women prosper professionally. “I wanted to provide a platform for women to tell their stories and realize their power and agency,” she says.

Femininely Free offers workshops, coaching and consulting services that empower women to bring their full selves to the workplace and reframe their path to success. Using her own experience in the corporate space, Gilliard helps them embrace inclusive, authentic approaches to leadership. “Black women, in particular, have long been expected to conform in work environments that don’t necessarily reflect our culture or values,” she explains. “Storytelling allows us to challenge these expectations and redefine success on our own terms. I want all women to see that their strength and softness can coexist in professional spaces.” For Gilliard, exploring the narratives that have shaped society’s opinions and systems is a critical way to dismantle beliefs that can limit a woman’s success.

For her own professional growth, Gilliard turned to the Verizon Digital Ready program. Through her learnings, she developed a business plan, refined her brand and revamped her marketing approach, including redesigning her website and finding her target audiences. She says the program has been her “mini university,” providing guidance on business principles and helping her grow Femininely Free. “Participating in the Digital Ready program helped me hone in on an effective marketing plan that matches the size and needs of my business. I’ve been able to break through my fear of social media and used it to grow my email list by 65%,” she says.

With new business strategies in place, Gilliard is focused on reaching more women and empowering them to rewrite their own narratives in all areas of their lives.

Verizon Small Business Digital Ready is part of Verizon’s goal to support 1 million small businesses by 2030 with the free resources to succeed in the digital economy. Visit CitizenVerizon.com to learn more about the company’s responsible business efforts. To sign up for Digital Ready, visit digitalready.verizonwireless.com. An individual user's experience may vary and results are not guaranteed.