10 Black Entrepreneurs You Need to Know

Throughout Black History Month, we want to celebrate Black entrepreneurs. From beauty and fashion to technology and marketing. Here are 10 Black Entrepreneurs you need to know. 

Pat McGrath 

Makeup Artist, Global Beauty Creative Design Director of P&G, Founder,  Pat McGrath Labs

Based – UK 

While establishing a career as a makeup artist, McGrath spent 20 years developing and launching luxury cosmetic brands, runway shows as well as fashion and beauty advertising campaigns. She has become one of the most sought after people in the industry and has been dubbed “the most influential makeup artist in the world” by Anna Wintour, Editor in Cheif of American Vogue. As well as running her own cosmetics brand “Pat McGrath Labs” (a $1 billion company) she is also the Global Beauty Creative Design Director of P&G overseeing brands such as Covergirl, Max Factor and Dolce & Gabbana: The Makeup. 

David L Stewart 

Founder, World Wide Technology

Based – US

Steward founded WWT in 1990 and it still a Chairman today. WWT provides technology and supply chain services to various sectors including enterprise commercial, telecommunications and public sectors. The organisation has become one of the largest private companies in the US with over 5,000 employees and annual revenue of more than $10 billion. 

Andy Ayim

Founder, The Angel Investing School and Public Speaker 

Based – UK 

As well as founding The Angel Investing School, an organisation that consults business professionals on how to get started investing in startups, Ayim also consults organisations on how to build product teams that work with agility to create and develop successful products. Before founding his own company Ayim was the Managing Director of Backstage Captial and has worked for Investec and World First in various product roles. 

Kymberlee Jay

High-Performance Business Coach and Founder, DoodleDirect 

Based- UK

Jay started her career as a professional dancer and choreographer for stars such as Madonna. She went on to found successful animation and video service, DoodleDirect, a company that creates visual advertisements for client’s internal and external communications working with businesses such as Vauxhall and Knight Frank. Jay has since gone onto providing coaching for consultants within the arts and media industry establishing herself as a top high-performance business coach. 

Abadesi Osunsade

Founder, Hustle Crew and Author

Based – UK

Osunade founded Hustle Crew, an organisation focused on making technology more inclusive by consulting and designing training solutions for corporate partners, in 2016 and has since continued to grow. Featured by Forbes, TechCrunch, The Financial Times and Marie Claire, Hustle Crew keeps community and inclusivity at the heart of everything they do working with their clients to improve working culture and inspire positive change. 

Amari Ruff

Founder, Sudu

Based – US

After co-founding THX-MGT, a successful business consulting service, Ruff went on to create Sudu, a technology-based logistics company based in Atlanta. Not only do Sudu provide quick and efficient solutions they also pride themselves on putting diversity at the forefront of their business model, working with minority groups and veteran-owned firms who make up a majority of the market.

Trevor Johnson 

Head of Marketing, Global Business Solutions for Europe at TikTok

Based – UK

At TikTok, Johnson leads activities that consist of a Creative Lab, B2B Marketing and Communications, Brand Strategy and Creator Monetisation. He previously worked at Facebook as Director, Global Agency Development, as one of the first employees outside of the US, and has also held the role of Director of Market Operations, EMEA at Instagram. 

Maya Penn

Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, Animator, Artist and CEO, Maya’s Ideas

Based – US

Penn’s first business venture came in the form of a sustainable fashion company, Maya’s Ideas when she was just eight years old. Her designs have been featured in Forbes, NYLON, Marie Claire, Business Insider, Grist, Sustainable Living Guide, Wired and TIME Magazine. Since then, she has presented three Ted Talks, has been acknowledged by Oprah Winfrey on her “SuperSoul 100 Entrepreneur” list and has funded several charitable enterprises including an organisation dedicated to providing sustainable sanitary products to women in deprived areas of the world. 

Timothy Armoo

Founder, Fanbytes

Based – UK

In 2017, former maths tutor and computer science student, Armoo founded Fanbytes, an influencer marketing agency that uses software algorithms to find rising social media stars and assists in creating partnerships with big brands. Forbes has described Fanbytes as “owning the mind of Gen Z” in securing strategic investors like the founders of Boohoo and Pretty Little Thing. 

Jasmine Crowe

Founder and CEO, Goodr

Based – US

Crowe created Goodr on this fundamental belief that everyone should have access to food. The organisation aims to reduce food waste and feed those in need by using technology and logistics to allow food businesses to donate extra food to nonprofit organisations and earn tax deductions in the process. Starting by simply buying discounted food items and delivering them to those in need Crowe has since raised $1.1 million in funding and now operates within 7 different markets across America intending to operate in 20 by the end of the year.