Happy Black History Month! We’re celebrating Black History Month 2023 by highlighting these hard-working black female-owned businesses in our community. As womxn in business, these awesome business owners enrich communities, guide, and push for positive change in and outside of work. Cultivating hundreds of connections in and out of the Atlanta community see how these ladies drive traffic though various networks and professions! Support these womxn and their businesses this Black History Month (and Beyond!)
Giana Shorthouse
Giana Shorthouse is the owner of Studio Giana, a multidisciplinary design studio focused on interior design and prop styling. As a creative spirit Giana is consistently inspiring clients and friends to find beauty in their spaces. Giana would describe herself as always chasing a simpler lifestyle and hungry to learn anything about health, wellness, and spirituality.
Trinita Ervin Patton
Trinita Ervin Patton is the Founder/CEO of Ladybug for Girls is an innovative health education and wellness brand created to inspire athletic girls to become Champions by putting the health of their Mind and Body first. Their mission is to empower young girls with the tools to feel beautiful from the inside out through health education.
Vanya Francis
Vanya Francis is the founder of Cherished Life, a boutique yoga and wellness company that specializes in Prenatal Yoga, Holistic Birth Doula support, and their signature wellness product, Cherished Tea. Vanya’s entrepreneurship was inspired by her personal passion for holistic wellness, which started with yoga and has expanded to include holistic health coaching, wellness products, and doula services.
India Hayes
India Hayes is the Co-Founder of Mini City. She has volunteered domestically and internationally for more than a decade. India is a transformer; she has seen first hand how supporting communities, especially womxn’s communities can completely change lives within and outside of it. Assisting the homeless resonates personally with her because she has seen firsthand the effect of homelessness on citizens of Atlanta.
Valerie Crisostomo
Valerie Crisostomo is the talented founder of Black Girl Florists who has built a community for black florists to support each other. With so many moving parts of the business that many may not think about, Valerie is an entrepreneurial soul who serves as a mentor and resource to womxn around her. She focuses on community and collaboration to uplift and inspire the florists community.
Adrienne Rice
Adrienne Rice is the Founder of Sustainable Georgia Futures. Sustainable Georgia Futures seeks to address two of our nation’s crises: climate change and systemic racism. As founder, Arienne’s mission revolves around developing green economy pathways, specifically for Black communities and people of color in the South through various methods of relational organizing.
Keyetta Mincey Parker
Keyetta Mincey Parker is the Owner and operator of A Sip of Paradise Garden, a nonprofit bartenders’ community garden. Keyetta shares the vision of creating a community for hospitality professionals that will help construct their wellness and improve their quality of life. As a leader, Keyetta, empowers members to develop through various aspects of their lives whether it be spiritually or socioeconomically.
Kia Perry & Jazlin Pitts
Kia Perry & Jazlin Pitts are the Co-founders of HERMARKET. A community for independent women-owned brands. As co-founders both Kia and Jazlin close the gap between womxn-owned businesses and retail space audiences. These two ladies elevate business owners and create a push for exposure for many businesses to be discovered where it typically is a challenge.
Mwandisha Gaitor
Mwandisha Gaitor is the owner of 2 Pieces of Toast LLC and is committed to raising awareness in the community on social injustice and abolishing food insecurities, poverty, and poor food accessibility. Referred by her peers as “The Chef of the Movement,” Disha takes pride in highlighting the benefits of local procurement from community gardens and growers.
Shanita Miller
Shanita Miller strives for excellence while simultaneously cultivating genuine connections wherever she goes. Shanita is the founder of Black Girls Guide Atlanta and began the business from the ground up. Shanita makes differnce to the small business world by taking intended trips and highlighting local places in Atlanta to have a good time, eat, drink while simultaneously spotlighting womxn and black-owned businesses!
Wande Okunoren-Meadows
Wande Okunoren-Meadows comes from a history of entrepreneurial womxn. Her mother, Olutoyin Okunoren, purchased Little Ones Learning Center in Forest Park, GA and together they transformed the Center into a holistic early childhood education program. She is also co-founder of Hand, Heart and Soul Project which also tackles inequity in all areas of life through educating young minds and preparing them for future leadership and improvements in all qualities of life.
Brittany Claud and Candace Wheeler
Brittany Claud and Candace Wheeler are the Co-founders of consulting company, Vivian & Virginia Ventures . Working full-time jobs and full-time entrepreneurs Brittany and Candace are two best friends. They work with partners whose ventures are created to solve historic or systemic problems such as economic disparities, lack of diverse and equitable practices, creating solutions for our national affordable housing crisis.
