The Census Bureau’s 2018 Annual Business Survey found that 32.1% of Black business owners were women. As Women’s History Month comes to a close, we spotlight just a few of the Black women who are doing their thing on Charlotte’s entrepreneurial stage.
This list is in no way exhaustive.
If you are a Black woman doing business in Charlotte, drop us a line. We want to include your business in some of our future lists, as well as in our business directory — Black on the Map.
Charlie’s Angels Beauty Bar: Angel Petty opened her Beauty Bar in 2017 after downsizing from a previous location. The beauty bar offers natural hair care services, color services and more.
CharlotteFit: Taylor Calamese bought her fitness studio from Greenville to Charlotte in 2015. Charlotte fit is aimed at empowering women, particularly women of color.
Charlotte Spa & Esthetics: Janet McCullough opened her business in 2015 after she got laid off and realized she needed to have more than one source of income. Today, part of her work includes giving back, working with cancer patients whose skin has been ravaged by radiation treatments.
The Dooby Shop: Terese Hutchison opened the Dooby Shop in 2004 as a salon on West Boulevard and Reamont Road but has since transformed her business into a Cosmetology School.
Exposed Vegan: Zsa-Zsa Porter bought healthy food options to West Boulevard with her restaurant Exposed Vegan. The menu offers plant-based smoothies, soups and more.
Hause Collective: After growing up thrifting, Taylor Drew now owns her own thrift store in Carolina Place Mall. The store offers jackets, shoes, t-shirts and more items that call back to the 1990s.
Juice Box: Johnson C Smith University graduate Kimberly Wilkison opened Juice Box juice bar in 2016. Located in NoDa, Juice Box quickly became a hang-out spot complete with a special members-only section.
Pride Public Relations: Co-founded by Nepherterra Best and Dee Dixon in 2008. The two met in 1998 when Best interned for Pride Magazine her senior year in college at Johnson C. Smith University. Today, the firm has grown into one of Charlotte’s leading strategic communications agencies serving clients in the corporate, government and nonprofit sectors.
Silver Shield Security: Jenelle Jackson established the Charlottle operation of Silver Sheild security in 2012. Following controversial comments from CPI Security Ceo Ken Gill, Jackson’s business gained traction with 100 appointments in two days.
The Wrap Suite: When Stacie Holt-Eley saw a gift-wrapping business featured on TV she decided she wanted to launch a gift-wrapping business of her own. After attending wrapping courses and practicing daily she launched her business, The Wrap Suite, in 2020.
Note: The Dooby Shop and Charlie’s Angels Beauty Bar each received $40,000 in grant funds from the Center City Small Business Innovation Fund.
AWESOME! CONGRATULATIONS ???? To You ALL! ????✊????????
Why does if and/or where they received grant funding matters? That was personal and slightly messy QC…
You’re projecting your feelings about black women business owners receiving grant money. Why would sharing an accomplishment such as receiving funds to help their companies thrive be messy or personal when the information is publicly available?