Dream Fund Winners: Insights from 5 Black Women Entrepreneurs in the Beauty Industry

And So, She Left: Wisdom from Women Beyond the Corporate World

This episode is sponsored by The Diversity Agency.

Anita Grant (Hello Hair), Salem Berhane (IncluSV Beauty Solutions), Kristina Knox (Arbre), Monique Gallivan (Gyallivant), and Seyi Adaghe (ROUN Beauty) are the five winners of this year's Shea Moisture Dream Fund Grant. They know the costs and barriers of entrepreneurship.

From Unilever brand Shea Moisture, The Dream Fund was created to support Black-owned women-led businesses across Beauty and professional services in Canada, awarding $10,000 to each of the winners.

In this special episode, we sat down with the winners to hear about their journeys so far. They talk about the financial barriers facing black entrepreneurs, how they found the courage to take the entrepreneurial leap in precarious situations, and why community is at the heart of what they do.

The Winners talk about:

• The biggest issues they faced when starting out
• Not being taken seriously by customers and funders
• Seeking funding as black women in the beauty space
• Their journeys starting their businesses during COVID
• Taking the seemingly precarious leap into entrepreneurship
• The importance of being vulnerable to connect with your community

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Hosted by Katherin Vasilopoulos. Made by Cansulta and Ethan Lee.

Music by © Chris Zabriskie, published by You've Been a Wonderful Laugh Track (ASCAP).

Songs used in this episode include: "Air Hockey Saloon," "What Does Anybody Know About Anything," "I Don't See the Branches, I See the Leaves," "CGI Snake," "I Am Running Down the Long Hallway of Viewmont Elementary."

Used under the Creative Commons 4.0 International License