At Vital Voices, we know that women leaders are core to creating economic growth. At a time when a historic number of Black women own small businesses, we are highly committed to supporting Black women-owned businesses around the globe. Looking for small businesses to support this Black Business Month? We’ve curated a list of 9 Black women-owned businesses you should know.
Osazoduwa Agboneni | Chief Executive Officer, Nenis Auto Care & 2018 VV GROW Fellow
Osazoduwa is the Chief Executive Officer of Nenis Auto Care. Nenis Auto Care is an automobile maintenance center that provides high-level professional and affordable automotive care in a friendly and positive environment for an experience that is second-to none and uniquely Nenis.
The company offers a variety of dedicated automotive services ranging from car wash and detailing to preventive maintenance, repairs and automotive waste management for both individuals and corporate organizations. Nenis Auto Care provides customers with body repair, paint restoration, vehicle inspection, fleet maintenance, pre-vehicle purchase inspection, car wash, car detailing, auto diagnostic and auto repair services.
Connect with Osazoduwa and Nenis Auto Care:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nenisautocare/
Website: http://www.nenisautocare.com
Marie-Reine Ahonon | Founder and General Manager, Procuris ltd: Food processing & 2019 VV GROW Fellow
Marie-Reine is the Founder and CEO of PROCURIS ltd, an agro-business company that distributes and transforms cereals for baby food and adult consumption in Benin. They sell plant seeds, Shea butter, imported yeast and wheat flour for bakeries and women distributing to secondary markets. In addition, PROCURIS ltd offers pre-mixed meals for babies.
PROCURIS ltd provides small capital support to women in their community to launch agricultural businesses in producing grain for PROCURIS at market rates. PROCURIS is passionate about fostering women’s entrepreneurship and property ownership within Benin.
Connect with Marie-Reine and PROCURIS ltd:
Website: www.procurisltd.com
Chimnonso Azazi | COO, Posh Potties & 2019 VV GROW Fellow
Chimnonso is the Chief Operating Officer of Posh Potties, a company that provides toilet facilities to public and private sector users in Nigeria. Their restrooms are mobile and ensure access to clean and safe sanitation facilities to all populations across the country. Posh Potties is contributing to the SDG 6’s target of safely managed sanitation services by increasing access to toilets across Nigeria while building waste and water management ecosystem projects in Lagos.
Chimnonso’s vision for Posh Potties includes expansion to urban states, and perfecting the local manufacturing of the restrooms, while growing a technical workforce through employment. She is also targeting innovative solutions to challenges in waste disposal by working with local sewage treatment plants to find modern, sustainable solutions for waste water treatment.
Connect with Chimnonso and Posh Potties:
Website: www.poshpotties.com.ng
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/poshpotties/
Instagram: @poshpotties
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chimnonsoazazi/
Fannie Gondwe | Founder and Executive Director, Perisha Agro and Packaging Enterprise & 2020 VV GROW Fellow
Fannie is the Founder and Executive Director of Perisha Agro and Packaging Enterprise, an eco-inclusive business enterprise that focuses on seed multiplication of root and tuber crops and value addition in Lilongwe, Malawi. They multiply orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) vines and cassava cuttings and process orange-fleshed sweet potato flour, cassava starch, high quality cassava flour, orange maize flour, garri and kondowole.
Perisha is fighting malnutrition, promoting food security and addressing post-harvest loss challenges and aims to improve the nutritional status of women and children in Malawi by promoting the growing consumption of nutritious foods. They have a 120 hectares farm and work with smallholder farmers on an out-grower farming system, purchasing the raw materials from farmers and then processing them into various products. Perisha also provides both permanent and seasonal employment for farmers, supporting families and communities and enabling value chain addition for farmers.
Connect with Fannie and Perisha:
Facebook Page (business): https://www.facebook.com/PerishaAgro/
Facebook Page (personal): https://www.facebook.com/fannie.gondwe
LinkedIn (personal): https://www.linkedin.com/in/fannie-gondwe-37671936/
Twitter (personal): @fannie_gondwe
Maragret Koman, Managing Director, Mace Foods Ltd & 2019 VV GROW Fellow
Margaret is the Managing Director of Mace Foods Ltd, a company specialized in producing and marketing spices and ethnic foods. Mace Food Ltd produces five varieties of dried hot chilies for domestic and international retail, and the pharmaceutical and food industries. They also produce ethnic and indigenous foods, such as African leafy vegetables that are of high quality and a nutritious option for many consumers who may not be able to access these foods regularly.
Mace Foods Ltd is a World Fair Trade Organization certified Fair Trade Company, and is a seed merchant certified by Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services. Mace Foods Ltd thrives on innovation, being the first in their market to venture into chili production and processing activities on a commercial basis for both the domestic and export market.
Connect with Margaret and Mace Foods:
Website: www.macefoods.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/maggie.komen/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-komen-8999472b/
Carla Martina | Managing Director, Maryland Printers & 2020 VV GROW Fellow
Carla Martina is the Managing Director of Maryland Printers, one of North West Cameroon’s first printing companies. Their mission is to produce high quality prints at affordable prices while building skills, educating, and empowering others in the community to improve their career performance and provide networking opportunities. As a leading printing press in Cameroon, Maryland Printers offer comprehensive services and products including graphic design, video production, proofreading, editing, impressions, and typesetting. Their products include advertisement materials (posters, flyers, etc.), textbooks, pamphlets, magazines as well as innovative greeting cards that use local African traditional prints.
They are the first business in the Cameroonian printing press market to recycle paper waste to create rough pulp to be used as fuel in cook stoves. They also work with a local NGO that supports women and girls, to whom they donate paper that is used for training/production of arts and crafts with recycled paper beads. As the only female managing director of a printing press in her city, Carla Martina would like to become a role model for women in her community.
Connect with Carla and Maryland Printers:
Facebook Page (personal): https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100018764740713
LinkedIn (business): https://www.linkedin.com/company/maryland-screen-printers/
LinkedIn (personal): https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwati-carla-martina-595779199/
Evelyne Nyairo | Founder, Ellie Bianca & 2019 VV GROW Fellow
Evelyne is the Founder of Ellie Bianca, a Canadian-Kenyan, all-natural, environmentally sustainable skin care line that recognizes beauty in all forms. Their fundamental ingredient, Shea, is personally sourced by Evelyne from women-run co-ops in Africa, which they use to produce body and facial oils, facial serums, bath salts and lip scrubs.
Her business is built on three pillars: being kind to your skin, kind to the Earth, and kind to women. At Ellie Bianca, they believe that beauty is more than aesthetic, and that’s why each of their products are carefully formulated using all-natural ingredients that have been specifically chosen for their quality and effectiveness. They actively work to source their raw ingredients directly from producers, which allows them to have more control over ingredient quality, greatly reduces their carbon footprint and ensures that they are applying fair trade practices. Furthermore, they are passionately committed to bettering the lives of women around the world by empowerment through business, including profit sharing, fair trade programs and education.
Connect with Evelyne and Ellie Bianca:
Website: www.elliebianca.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evelyne-nyairo-a67bb85/
Facebook Page (business): https://www.facebook.com/EllieBianca/
Facebook Page (personal): https://www.facebook.com/evelyne.nyairo
Twitter (business): @EllieBiancaint
Twitter (personal): @evelyne_nyairo
Instagram (business): @elliebiancabeauty
Kistein Monkhouse | CEO, Patient Orator & 2021 VV GROW Fellow
Kistein is the CEO of Patient Orator, a digital health startup that helps chronically ill and undeserved patients document their medical problems in a way that addresses mistrust between underrepresented communities and healthcare professionals. Through their HIPAA compliant app, Patient Orator allows patients to store their medical symptoms securely, share them in real-time with caregivers, and record their interaction with their medical team to help foster greater post-discharge care.
Through this app, Patient Orator removes the anxiety that a patient faces that causes negative cognitive emotions leading to poor communication in healthcare delivery settings. Patient Orator also has a video blog site that educates the public on their health care rights by raising awareness regarding health inequalities and educating the public on healthcare rights.
Connect with Patient Orator:
Website: www.patientorator.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/patientorator/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/PatientOrat0r
Twitter: @patientorator
Instagram: @patientorator
Ibukun Awosika | Founder and CEO, The Chair Centre Group & Global Ambassadors Program Mentor
Ibukun Awosika is the founder and CEO of The Chair Centre Group. The companies in the group include The Chair Centre Limited, Sokoa Chair Centre Limited, Furniture Manufacturers Mart Limited, and TCC Systems and Services Limited. The companies are involved in furniture manufacturing, retail, and bankway security systems services.
Due to her interest in social issues including women’s issues, Ibukun is a co-founder and past chairperson of Women in Business and Management (WIMBIZ). A multiple award-winning entrepreneur, she is the first Nigerian recipient of the prestigious International Women’s Entrepreneurial Challenge Award (IWEC) as a nominee of the US Department of State in 2008.
Connect with The Chair Centre:
Website: https://thechaircentrenigeria.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChairCentre/