19 Black-owned businesses You can Support, today and always

Prioritizing Black-owned small businesses is a small but meaningful decision that allows you to vote with your dollars and help bring about lasting change. In an effort to highlight just a handful of brands we love, we’ve compiled a list of 19 Black-owned businesses that you can support today and every day.

This list is far from complete, but is meant to be a start. We also encourage you to look for Black-owned small businesses in your local community. 

1. Zandra Beauty

Founded by Zandra Cunningham in 2010 when she was just nine years old, Zandra Beauty is an all-natural skincare company that looks to inspire young people. Stocked online as well as in big-box stores like Target and Whole Foods, Zandra Beauty donates up to 10% of every purchase to support the education of girls all over the world.

2. Afrocontigbo

Blending traditional West African dances with contemporary moves, founder Korma Aguh-Stuckmayer is using her dance company Afrocontigbo to bring Igbo and Afro-fusion styles of dancing to her community in Minneapolis and to people across the globe. Forced to shutter her studio earlier this year due to the pandemic, Korma now streams classes online multiple times a week, which you can reserve on her website. 

3. Partake Foods

As the mother of a child with multiple food allergies, Partake founder Denise Woodard knows how hard it can be to stock your pantry with snacks that are safe for allergen-sensitive kids. That’s why she launched her cookie brand, a snack food company that’s good for everyone. (Plus, Partake is donating 10% of total website sales to the Food Equality Initiative for the month of June.) 

4. Lauren Napier Beauty

Founder Lauren Napier’s journey in the beauty industry began with a desire to have clean skin. A beauty expert and makeup artist, Lauren found herself unhappy with any of the makeup remover options in the beauty field — so she made her own. With 100% recyclable packaging and cruelty-free practices, Lauren’s devotion to making beauty products that do good echo her beauty brand’s honest ethos: “There is beauty in taking it off.”

5. McBride Sisters

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more powerful and inspiring origin story than the one behind The McBride Sisters Wine Collection. Co-founders Robin and Andréa lived for nearly half of their lives unaware of one another, in the wine regions of California and New Zealand. Once they finally met, they discovered their individual passions for wine, and combined forces to launch the largest African-American-owned wine company in the United States. Their wines are available in many big-box stories across the country, and are available to ship to 31 states across the US.

6. Telfar

Founder Telfar Clemens launched his unisex fashion brand in 2005, years before the rest of the industry would follow suit. Telfar’s bags, which are made of vegan leather and come in three sizes, are known for their accessible price point and trend-setter status. The brand’s inventive and approach to fashion is likely best encapsulated by the tagline for Telfar’s 2018 collection: “Not for you — for everyone.” You can shop Telfar’s latest collection in their online store.  

7. The Wrap Life

Nnenna Stella founded The Wrap Life just two days after she taught herself how to sew. Now, seven years after TWL first launched, Nnenna has cultivated over a quarter of a million fanatic Instagram followers and a swath of celebrity supporters via the offerings on her online shop. Featuring a range of wraps inspired by West African expressions of head dress, Nnenna’s mission is to make the art of head wrapping accessible and easy. 

8. Hanifa

Founder Anifa Mvuemba launched Hanifa Clothing in 2012 after seeing an opportunity to design feminine, high-end clothing for bodies often underrepresented by the fashion industry. Designing styles in a size range that spans 0 to 20, Hanifa makes curve-hugging, feminine designs for women of every size and background. You can buy Hanifa Clothing via their online shop.

9. Lemlem

Since 2007, Liya Kebede’s fashion label Lemlem has worked to highlight Ethiopian weaving and clothing culture. Lemlem, which means “blooming” in Amharic, employs traditional weavers in an attempt to break their cycle of poverty, all while preserving the art of weaving. The brand also donates 5% of all direct sales to the Lemlem Foundation, which works to connect women artisans in Africa with healthcare, education, and pathways to jobs. You can shop Lemlem clothing on Liya’s online store. 

10. HealHaus

While HealHaus’s Brooklyn outpost is closed for the time being, co-founders Darian Hall and Elisa Shankle have taken their vision for a safe, inclusive and community-oriented wellness space online. Specifically designed to inspire community while providing a fresh approach to the wellness aesthetic, HealHaus strives to create and share an environment that allows all who come to heal. You can shop their apothecary online or purchase an unlimited membership for HealHaus Live.

11. Red Bay Coffee

Started in 2014 by bay area native Keba Konte, Red Bay Coffee is a coffee company with a commitment to sustainability and economic restoration. Red Bay hires and serves people of all backgrounds, especially those who have traditionally been left out of the specialty coffee industry including people of color, the formerly incarcerated, women and people with disabilities. The recent recipient of three medals at Golden Bean North America, Red Bay Coffee is currently offering a subscription service that enables you to safely access high-quality caffeine without having to patronize a big-box coffee chain. 

12. OUI the People 

After wondering why men’s razors offered hundreds of options while women’s were limited to the same baby pink three-pack, founder Karen Young launched OUI the People. “Rather than pursuing flawlessness, we aim to build efficacious products, designed thoughtfully, that help you feel great in the skin you’re already in,” says OUI. Offering three razor styles and a whole slate of thoughtful accessories, OUI the People is the answer to your shaving woes — and a nice alternative to your old pharmacy standby. 

13. Pyer Moss

Founded in 2013, designer Kerby Jean Raymond’s mens and womenswear fashion label Pyer Moss speaks about heritage and activism through a sartorial lens. Kerby has consistently utilized his Pyer Moss platform to speak about the Black experience, and this year has been hard at work providing COVID-19 relief. Pyer Moss is available on their online shop and at luxury fashion retailers. 

14. Outlet.fyi

Founded by Khalid Livingston, Outlet.fyi is a multicultural media and marketing company rooted in the arts. Based in New York City and Los Angeles but working worldwide, Outlet.fyi seeks to connect people to experiences produced by contemporary artists and cultural institutions. Organizations and individuals work with Outlet to tell their stories authentically. You can subscribe to their newsletter to hear about future virtual events, initiatives, and more. 

15. BLK MKT Vintage

While their brick and mortar based in Bedstuy, Brooklyn is currently closed, BLK MKT Vintage’s online shop is a treasure trove of hand-picked, well-loved vintage pieces. Owned by Jannah Handy and Kiyanna Stewart, BLK MKT Vintage is sourced from flea markets and estate sales, and features everything from ‘70s-era HBCU merch to anti-apartheid bumper stickers from the ‘80s. 

16. Kutula

LA-based sisters Bo and Kay Anuluoha are second-generation owners of KUTULA, a brand that specializes in authentic, African-inspired fashions. KUTULA (which means “to leap forward”) recently made contributions to the costumes in Marvel’s “Black Panther,” and has been worn by everyone from Beyonce to Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors. While their flagship boutique remains closed for the time being, you can see more of their incredible designs on their Instagram.

17. Dyversifi

With Dyversifi, founders Toby and Dumebi Egbuna have built an anonymous career insight platform designed to help people find jobs they love. By gathering tailored insight into the minority experience from real employees and making it available to those looking to learn more, Dyversifi is designed to give underrepresented groups a candid look at various corporate cultures.

18. The Honey Pot Co.

CEO and founder Bea Dixon started The Honey Pot to meet a very personal need. After suffering from bacterial vaginosis for months, Bea created the formula for an effective, clean feminine wash that would become the basis for The Honey Pot’s full line of products. She launched the plant-based feminine care company in 2014, which is now available on the shelves of many major retailers as well her online store.

19. AphroChic 

Husband-and-wife team Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason are the brains behind AphroChic Magazine, a lifestyle magazine stuffed with gorgeous interior inspo and powerful profiles that showcase BIPOC creatives in a range of fields. Jeanine and Bryan are also talented interior designers and offer super stylish goods like rugs, wallpaper, and more to shop on their website.