Celebrating Black History Month with these Black-Owned Businesses

February always presents an opportunity for a time of learning and reflection for #BlackHistoryMonth. We’ve put together a guide of Black-Owned Businesses featuring some amazing food, beverage, beauty and lifestyle brands that we admire and will continue to support beyond February.

Keep reading to explore our round-up and please leave any resources or brands in the comments so we can celebrate them, too!

Food

image via @blondery

Blondery | Brooklyn-based Auzerais Bellamy spent a decade perfecting her blondie recipe, based on a memory of a pecan praline candy she ate as a child. This original blondie recipe soon grew into a wider offering of blondies and brownies you can now find on Blondery’s site.

Capital City | When Washington D.C.-native Arsha Jones moved to the suburbs of Maryland, she missed the mambo sauce she grew up with in the city. To give her family a taste of the sweet, sticky, tangy capital condiment, she started making her own in her kitchen.

Sanaia | CEO and founder, Keisha Smith-Jeremie created an adult-friendly applesauce brand that comes in a variety of flavors inspired by her childhood in the Bahamas including guava, hibiscus, lavender pear, ginger, tamarind, blackberry and unsweetened apple,

ReMix | Take your waffles to the next level! ReMix is made with only natural ingredients and void of preservatives and added flavors.

Cocoa Belle Chocolates | CB Chocolates offers pretty jars of luscious chocolate butters – ranging from milk to dark and even vegan – creative barks and, of course, sophisticated boxes of delicate, jewel-like chocolates that are just as much candy for the eyes, as they are for the soul.

EXAU Olive Oil | When California native Skyler Mapes launched EXAU Olive Oil with her Italian husband, Giuseppe Morisani, she became the first Black woman to co-own an olive oil brand. EXAU Olive Oil is made from olives found in Calabria, Italy, and the brand offers three extra virgin olive oil blends — Turi, Avus and Lina — all produced from the Morisani family’s olive trees

Southern Culture Kitchen | Owner Erica Barrett, frustrated by the amount of time, money and ingredients it took to make a single pancake from scratch set out to create a mix that would solve her problem. Her pancake and waffle mixes, created with help from her mother, are created with real ingredients that can be cooked semi-homemade with a totally-from-scratch taste.

Mama's Biscuits | Starting with her grandmother’s recipe, the CEO of Mama’s Biscuits, Lesley Riley, became dedicated to finding the secret to the perfect biscuit. It's how she created gourmet biscuits made with real butter and free from trans-fat, preservatives and artificial flavors.

Zach & Zoe Sweet Bee Farm | This Family-owned business offers a wide array of raw, flavor-infused honey harvested in New Jersey. Flavors include lavender, matcha, beetroot, ginger and seasonal offerings like blueberry, all of which are infused with real deal, high-quality ingredients.

Sol Cocao | Two ingredients go a really long – and delicious – way in Sol Cacao’s dairy and nut-free chocolate bars. The Bronx-based company is owned and operated by Daniel, Dominic and Nicholas Maloney, three brothers, who were inspired to form the company after seeing how difficult it was to find quality chocolate like the kind they had grown up eating in Trinidad and Tobago.

Marjorie’s Beef Jerky | Marjorie’s Beef Jerky which was founded in 1991 by Michelle Timberlake and is the only Black woman-owned jerky company in the United States, is known for being a snack high in protein and loaded with flavor

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Mumgry | Lilian Umurungi-Jung came up with the idea for Mumgry while unsuccessfully shopping for a snack that adhered to her strict pregnancy dietary restrictions. The Pistachio Chocolate Almond Butter alone is enough to set this brand of nut butters apart from its competitors, and additional flavors from the plant-based, dairy-free, gluten-free product line include Smooth Peanut Butter and Chocolate Peanut Butter.

Callaloo Box | This brand is the brainchild of two sisters from Trinidad and Tobego who moved to the states and missed their home cooking. The online grocery store and subscription service is a one-stop-shop for Caribbean groceries including spices, hot sauces, biscuits (cookies, to Americans) and more

Egunsi Foods | Yemisi Awosan brings the flavors of her native Nigeria stateside with Egunsi Foods, a versatile line of soups and sauces. The soups are gluten-free and soy-free, and flavors include vegan options such as the creamy Gbegiri soup made from Nigerian Honey beans and the hearty, signature Egunsi Soup.

Berhan Grains Teff Flour | Teff flour is an ancient grain that is a staple in Ethiopian and Eritrean dishes, but the team at Berhan Grains is on a mission to show just how versatile it can be. Sure, the gluten-free grain can be used to make the Ethiopian flatbread Injera, but it also works well as a base for desserts, pasta and pancakes.

Beverage

image via @adjournteahouse

Adjourn Teahouse | What started as a high school business competition proposal for LaTonia Cokely grew into a company offering loose-leaf, hand-blended teas that are all sustainably sourced, according to the site.

Red Bay Coffee | Based in California, the company has devoted itself to using its high-quality coffee products to promote diversity and inclusion by hiring people of color, the formerly incarcerated, women and people with disabilities.

Brooklyn Tea | Brooklyn Tea boasts an amazing assortment of high-quality teas. You’ll find a Cream Earl Grey, Milk Oolong and Lemongrass as well as Cucumber Melon Green, Ginger Turmeric and Kyoto Cherry Rose Sencha.

Me & The Bees Lemonade | Now 16-year-old Mikaila Ulmer created Me & the Bees Lemonade nearly 10 years ago using her great grandmother’s Flaxseed Lemonade recipe as inspiration. Mikaila’s unique lemonade blend uses sugar and bee honey to create a beverage unlike any other. Today, the brand has delicious lemonade flavors, including Mint, Ginger, Iced Tea, Prickly Pear and Classic, and can be found in grocery stores across the country like Whole Foods Market, Kroger and H-E-B.

Blk & Bold Coffee and Tea | When Blk & Bold’s founders created a line of coffee and tea, they saw it as an opportunity to make a difference. As a company, they pledge 5% of profits to youth programming, workforce development and eliminating youth homelessness.

Berry Bissap| Berry Bissap is a company dedicated to bottling bissap. The spiced hibiscus tea originates from Senegal, but has grown popular all over West Africa. They sell the drink in its original form, but also offer variations of Pineapple, Mixed Berry and Cinnamon Citrus.

ZAFA Wines | Owned by Krista Scruggs, their farm grows grapes and produces playfully named bottles – like “Jungle Fever” and “The Science of Sleep” – that “finish under cap” as traditional-method sparkling wines.

AVEC Drinks | Founders Denetrias Charlemagne and Alex Doman were unsatisfied by drink typical drink mixer options that barely offered flavor or were loaded with sugar. Instead, they created mixers that are both delicious and better for you that come in five fun flavors — Yuzu & Lime, Grapefruit & Pomelo, Jalapeno & Blood Orange, Hibiscus & Pomegranate and Ginger

Uncle Nearest Whiskey | Inspired by the first known African-American distiller, Nathan “Nearest” Green, the Uncle Nearest brand carries three premium batch whiskeys and is the most award-winning American whiskey brand.

Skincare + Beauty

image via @beautybakerie

Beauty Bakerie | Cashmere Nicole launched Beauty Bakerie in 2011 as a way to raise awareness for breast cancer. After discovering she had breast cancer and undergoing a double mastectomy, Nicole continued to work on Beauty Bakerie. Almost a decade after its launch, Beauty Bakerie has been featured in Nylon, Essence, Teen VOGUE, Allure, Forbes and was even recognized by Beyonce. Beauty Bakerie has everything from eyeshadows to lip liners and can be found at your local Target.

Uoma | Uoma Beauty, founded by industry veteran Sharon Chuter, is all about creating a makeup range that is “forward thinking, radical and uncompromising.” The range, inspired by Chuter’s African heritage, is fun, vibrant, and inclusive for every skin tone out there

Hyper Skin| Desiree Verdejo founded Hyper Skin after suffering from acne scars and hyperpigmentation during her first pregnancy. Hyper Skin complexion products contain turmeric, bearberry and other natural ingredients to help brighten skin, smooth texture and safely fade melasma or "the mask of pregnancy" and dark spots in general.

Embellish Beauty | Founded by cosmetologist, celebrity stylist and mother of three, Embellish Beauty CEO and founder Marcia Williams was inspired by her grandmother, a successful hairdresser in Philadelphia. Her color cosmetics beauty brand is vegan, cruelty-free and contains no gluten or parabens.

OUI the People | Founder Karen Young has revamped and reinvented OUI the People, a brand created with redefining beauty by creating items for preventing painful ingrowns and "razor bumps" (common with super curly hairs) and other shaving needs.

Pear Nova | We love this high-quality vegan nail polish brand created by Rachel James. BRWNGRLMGC is the indie brand's best-selling collection of nude polishes intended to flatter medium to dark skin.

Bread Beauty Supply | Bread Beauty Supply is on a mission to simplify wash day, with delicious smelling formulas for your best curls yet.

KNC Beauty | The brand behind Instagram’s favorite all-natural collagen-infused lip mask—and newly added retinol-infused eye mask—is brought to you by beauty columnist (and Instagram fave in her own right) Kristen Noel Crawley.

image via @thirteenlune

Thirteen Lune | Thirteen Lune serves as a one-stop-shop for skin, hair, and makeup products to know about. With allyship at the center of the e-commerce destination, Thirteen Lune celebrates beauty and community with its dynamic team of industry experts, promoting luxurious and efficacious products you’ll want to keep on deck

Pholk Beauty | "Soul food for the skin" is the motto of this woman-owned, black-owned skin care brand that celebrates the ancestral memory of the African diaspora. Founder Niambi Cacchioli is a world-traveler and historian who creates conscious products serving the ultimate purpose of transmitting culture, generation to generation

Walker's Apothecary | Founded by esthetician and makeup artist Shalea Walker, Walker's Apothecary includes a botanicals-based skincare line including "Green Dream Sativa Face Cream", "The Breakdown Enzyme Oil Cleanser" and "Rose Geranium Toner."

People of Color Beauty | Founder Jacqueline Carrington founded People of Color Beauty she noticed a lack of nail polish colors suited to her deeply pigmented skin tone. People of Color Beauty nail polishes offers a variety of colors that are non-toxic, vegan, and cruelty-free.

Lauren Napier Beauty | Renowned makeup artist Lauren Napier first founded LNB due to a lack of clean makeup remover. LNB has been featured in VOGUE, Refinery29, PopSugar and Bazaar.

Apparel + Lifestyle

image via @cloth_and_paper

Cloth & Paper | Founded in 2015 by Ashley Reynolds, Cloth & Paper offers leather planners, paper planner inserts, foiled dividers and exclusive stationery items that are both luxe and minimal.

Tal & Bert | Tal & Bert was founded in February 2020 by husband & wife duo, Ray & Val Talbert. Their creations combined their love of the outdoors, recreational mining, and art through designs made from hand-poured concrete that has been sculpted by hand in small batches. We are in love with their planters and home decor!

Dex & Bodie | Dex and Bodie was started as a creative outlet, featuring prints and small-batch kid's clothing a few years ago. Since then the brand has added carefully curated home decor sourced from various fair trade companies as a way to fill your home with items you love. We love to provide unique pieces while also helping those here at home in the USA and around the world earn a sustainable living through purchasing.

Tier NYC | Esaïe Jean-Simon, Nigeria Ealey, and Victor James came together in 2014 to create streetwear brand Tier NYC. You may have spied the label's brightly-colored tracksuits on celebrities like Winnie Harlow or Carmelo Anthony. In addition to the clothing, the trio has also put on in-person events, including their annual Artrepreneuer Festival for millennial creatives and entrepreneurs.

Phenomenal | Phenomenal is a female-powered brand that brings awareness to social causes. Founded by Meena Harris, Phenomenal has notable supporters including Jessica Alba, Serena Williams and Kerry Washington, among others, and is responsible for viral social-impact campaigns,

Grass Fields | Christelle Story reached out to her twin sister Michele with a business idea: designing and selling African-print dresses. That led to the creation of Grass-Fields, which was known as "The African Shop" back when the brand launched in 2013.

Andrea Iyamah | Andrea Iyamah designer Dumebi Iyamah adds a twist to retro swimwear by incorporating different patterns and brights colors common in Nigerian culture and fashion.

Ekua Ceramics | Ekua Ceramics, founded by artist Sara Ekua Todd, offers a stunning selection of hand-crafted ceramic pieces that are beautiful and functional. Her work has been exhibited at the A+D Museum in L.A. and can now be ordered through her online shop.

Aya Paper Co | SaVonne Anderson wanted to create stationery that not only reflected her community but also aligned with her advocacy for environmental justice. So, she started Aya Paper Co. in 2018. Anderson primarily sells cards, but you can also find other types of stationery and candles on her site. Each product is made with 100 percent recycled material to help reduce harmful impact on the environment.

Bfyne | Nigerian-American Buki Ade launched brand Bfyne known for its bold, unconventional take on swimwear. You can find expect unique cuts and bright colors and patterns inspired by trends in African culture.

Love, Vera | Finding an affordable lingerie brand with a diverse size range can sometimes be difficult. That's where Love, Vera comes in. The brand, created by Vera Moore and Nate Johnson, includes lingerie in sizes S to 4X, and the pair works behind the scenes to hire diverse Black talent for their ad campaigns.

image via @thelalexandrawinbush

Alexandra Winbush | Through her candle brand, Alexandra Winbush, Brittany Winbush tries to give her customers customized vibes with each purchase. Buy from one of the four scents currently offered and you'll also receive a curated playlist and tea to create a calming atmosphere throughout your home. Cee Cee's Closet NYC | If you need a headwrap for when you’re just not feeling like dealing with your hair, Cee Cee's Closet NYC is the go-to place!

Chic Geeks | Candice Adams's luxury tech accessory brand Chic Geeks offers fashion-forward cases for your Apple Products (sorry, PC users). The brand offers cases for your devices in a wide range of faux animal skins, glitters, and solid colors to choose from.

Melanie Marie Collection | If you're looking for a new necklace, Melanie Marie Collection is where you need to go. The brand offers several types of nameplate designs, as well as other pieces of jewelry, both custom-made and ready-to-ship.

Jam & Rico | In the summer of 2016, Lisette Scott launched her jewelry brand Jam & Rico, taking inspiration from the vibrant aesthetics present in her Jamaican and Puerto Rican roots and the rest of the Caribbean.

1920 Galore | TeQuila Miller established 1929 Galore to sell the vintage jewelry she loved seeing when growing up. Since 2009, Miller has primarily sold gold jewelry for those who are lovers of chunky rings, statement necklaces for layers, and hoop earrings in a variety of shapes.

BLK + GRN | BLK+GRN is your one-stop-shop for plant-based, cruelty-free goods created by Black artisans. You can find things like menstrual care items, bath, body, and hair products, books, candles, and essential oils.

The Honey Pot Co | The Honey Pot Co. offers natural, plant-powered solutions for feminine health. All of Honey Pot’s products are 100% natural and are free of chemicals, toxins, artificial fragrance, or synthetic materials.

BLK MKT Vintages | Brooklyn natives Kiyanna Stewart and Jannah Handy founded BLK MKT Vintage in 2014. The Bed Stuy, Brooklyn shop features collectibles and vintage finds (magazines, decor and more) that represent the richness of Black history. Everything is thoughtfully curated by Kiyanna and Jannah, and the collection is available via their brick-and-mortar store, as well as their online shop for non-New Yorkers.