Honoring the Black Women Who Inspire Fearless

Honoring the Black Women Who Inspire Fearless

Fearless Foundry exists because of Black women.

It’s a bold statement, and it's the truth, but let me backup for some further context.

In 2017 I was working full-time as an international Business Development Leader for a scaling Australian startup, when a dear friend who also happened to be my esthetician approached me about getting some help building her own brand and first website. I couldn’t have been happier to help because I knew she had everything it takes to build a thriving business but was struggling to figure it out on her own.

She wasn’t the first woman like this who had come to me seeking help with branding, marketing, and design work—little did I know she wouldn’t be the last.

But as the weeks went on and her project was coming to an end, my mind started spinning. She had all of the digital foundations she needed to start booking clients and getting paid online, but was still unsure of herself and didn’t see a lot of resources out there for founders like her. A part of me started to obsess about the lack of funding and guidance for underrepresented founders, particularly Women of Color, and what I might do to change it.

Fast forward two years. I quit my job to focus fully on building a business of my own to support underrepresented and underestimated founders, particularly women, people of color, and queer folk, with branding, marketing, and business development. All because of an idea that was planted working on Jaye’s website.?

It’s not lost on me that within a year my first full-time hire was Allena Fleming , another incredible Black woman creator who has grown to be a great leader inside our company.

As I look back over the length of my life and my career thus far, I see consistently the way that the work and incredible examples of leadership by Black women have helped me become a stronger CEO, and believe in the importance of breaking down barriers through the ways we show up in the world and workplace.

This month our team will be honoring the MANY Black women who inspire us and our work here at Fearless Foundry .?

So without further ado, I want to introduce you to some of the most incredible Black women founders who have blown me away and taught me a ton about what it means to be truly fearless. Find their work and follow them—I promise they will leave you inspired and in awe.

Whitney Beatty & Ebony Andersen

Whitney is the founder of Josephine and Billie’s , the first EVER cannabis dispensary to be owned by a Black woman in all of America. She works alongside her business partner and COO, Ebony Andersen—they are champions for equity both in their industry and in the business world at large and have changed the conversation about capital raising in cannabis in a manner that I couldn’t admire more.

Jazmin Alvarez

I love nothing more than a woman with a vision, and Jazmin has that in SPADES. When she stepped into Sephora and saw how few products were truly clean, let alone made by POC, she decided to do something about it and build a brand of her own . In addition to her thriving Instagram & e-commerce presence, she launched her first store in NYC this past month.

Jaye Hill

Fearless wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for her and the business she built. My go-to esthetician and the ultimate hype woman, Jaye is someone whose work and content will always make you smile. Five years ago she was working out of her first small studio, and today she has a?beautiful space in Seattle ?that stays booked and busy all year long.

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??????Nayo Carter-Gray, EA MBA

Hands down one of my favorite people in the world of accounting and bookkeeping, Nayo is a passionate leader for?scaling businesses ?when it comes to making sure their finances are handled properly. She stands out in the industry as a leader who isn’t afraid to pass the mic and make a point to ensure that representation happens in what has been for years a white-dominated industry.?

Ariel Belgrave Harris

One woman I met during my 2022 travels who I cannot be more grateful to know and call a collaborator is Ariel. Ari is a bundle of energy and joy, and a?burnout whisperer ?who walked away from the world of tech and is now hard at work helping women and companies better prioritize their well-being.

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Dominique Broadway

We live in a world where women, particularly Black women, are not seen enough in financial spaces. Dominique is disrupting that narrative entirely through her community, educational content, and conferences geared toward?building investment knowledge ?and generational wealth within the Black community.

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Adrienne Hibbert

Some people see problems and simply know they are meant to solve them—Adrienne is that kind of person. When a nearly devastating birthing experience forced her to face the awful reality of how vulnerable and mistreated WOC are in our current medical system, she decided to change the statistics by starting the?first-ever directory ?to match Black patients with Black doctors in their communities.

Tierra Bonds, Wealth Building Financial Coach

Credit is a scary thing, but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, financial education can be empowering, especially for marginalized communities, which is exactly why Tierra built her business to better educate young WOC about how to manage their money and?improve their credit ?to build lasting wealth.

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Moji Igun

Sustainability should be on all of our minds, but there’s a big difference between thinking about it and taking action. Moji is a brilliant strategist when it comes to creating customized solutions for companies to truly?honor sustainability throughout their business model , manufacturing, and operational actions in the world.

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??Sherrell T. Martin

Never one to mince words, Sherell has paved the way for bookkeepers to get the respect and recognition they deserve. As an?award-winning consultant , she serves clients and her industry at large through her educational guidance and expertise in uncovering the money leaks inside growing businesses.

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Jasmine Childress

Another amazing Black woman that we wouldn’t exist without. Jasmine was the?designer ?behind our Fearless Foundry brand, as well as so many other amazing creative projects. We adore her and her work and could not recommend her more.?

Karen Okonkwo

When there wasn’t enough stock imagery that accurately represented the way our world looks, Karen decided to do something about it. Today, her company?Tonl ?offers the most diverse online library of stock photography and has scaled significantly as the result of her strategic partnerships with big brands like Amazon and Capital One.

I want to candidly say that there is no possible way we have enough words or days in the weeks ahead to honor every Black woman that has impacted us, but I think our audience also knows us well enough to know we’re going to continue honoring Black women well beyond February. I hope as we shine a light and share the stories of these women with all of you that their work inspires you just as much as they have inspired our team.?

With love & admiration,

— Madeline

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For over three decades, this global diversity and inclusion consulting firm has been supporting leaders and organizations with developing transformative, sustainable solutions for equity and inclusion. The Winters Group has partnered with hundreds of organizations to develop, execute, and measure strategies that foster inclusion and lead to breakthrough results. Check them out on Instagram!?