In a society that demands we fight for diversity and inclusion; many Black business owners are not only asking for a seat at the table but are creating their own. The following Black-owned businesses saw a need in our community and designed a product and business model, that solved  a problem with us specifically in mind.

1. Airfordable

Airfordable is transforming the way we travel. The site allows customers to make installment payments on flight tickets. Founder, Ama Marfo, created Airfordable in college when she had difficulties affording the $2,000+ plane ticket home to Ghana. So, here’s how it works — find and submit your ticket to the  Airfordable site, lock in your ticket by paying a fraction of the total cost, then pick a payment plan.

2. Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books

Uncle Bobbie’s is located in Philadelphia, PA under the ownership of Marc Lamont Hill with a motto of “Cool people. Dope books. Great coffee.” It is modeled after Hill’s childhood experiences during his time at his uncle’s home.

Welcome

3. Eat Black Owned

Owner and professional truck driver, Edward Dillard, knew the importance of buying Black to the point where he designed Eat Black Owned. It is a nationwide directory of Black-owned restaurants that includes diverse listings featuring vegan/vegetarian, seafood, pastry, and soul food.

4. Puzzle Huddle

Parents Matthew and Marnel founded Puzzle Huddle because they know representation matters. Their puzzles feature culturally sensitive images that empower and encourage children of color. The Puzzle Huddle site offers pocket-sized puzzles as well as canvas paintings.

5. Bevel

Bevel is taking barbershops by storm with its new gold or silver-plated beard trimmers. With Nas as its celebrity face, Bevel is making grooming products for Black men to give the sharpest line ups and razor bump-free faces. The line offers something for every man no matter if you rock a baldy or locs — Bevel’s got you.

6. Pattern Beauty

Tracee Ellis Ross released a natural hair care product line that has been in the making for over ten years. She took to her Instagram to explain why Pattern Beauty is unique to our community.

 

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Thrilled to introduce PATTERN // my new hair care brand specifically for curly, coily, and tight textured hair.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ @patternbeauty is the result of 20 years of dreaming, 10 years in the making (I wrote my first brand pitch in 2008, right when girlfriends finished ) and 2 years of working with chemists. I’m so excited to share this with y’all. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ @patternbeauty is here to empower and nourish curly, coily and tight-textured hair. 3b to 4c. The formulas are unique and packed with luscious & safe ingredients-trust me I know, because my panel and I tried 74 different samples to get these 7 formulas for phase one.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ @patternbeauty is for those of us who need more than a quarter size of product. large conditioner sizes that actually fulfill the unmet needs of our community. accessible pricing because everyone should have access to their most beautiful hair in their own shower, and gorgeous packaging that conjures the legacy of our history and makes us all feel like the royalty that we are. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ I’m excited for PATTERN to join the natural hair movement, and to celebrate our hair for what it is: beautiful! The line will be available on patternbeauty.com this Monday, September 9 at 9am ET!!!! #RockYourPattern

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7. Ujamaa Box

Ujamaa Box is a Black-owned subscription box company that caters to all things Black ranging from herbal teas, soaps, books, key chains, and hot sauces. Founder Ebony Costain created Ujamaa Box centered around cooperative economics, and her belief that for us to all prosper and profit, we must build and maintain our businesses together.