Overcoming barriers as a Black woman entrepreneur

Why Representation in Mentorship Matters Throughout my life, I’ve been blessed with mentors of all backgrounds. Each one poured into me in ways that shaped who I am today. As I’ve grown and stepped into the role of mentoring others, I’ve come to truly understand the unique power of having a mentor who looks like you. When your mentor shares your lived experience, the conversations shift. We don’t just talk about career moves or leadership strategies. We talk about what it means to move through the world as Black women. We talk about the subtle and not-so-subtle differences in how we’re perceived, how we present ourselves, and how we carry our culture into rooms where diversity is lacking. Those talks have given me courage. They’ve reminded me that I don’t need to shrink myself to belong, but instead can show up as my authentic self. They’ve also helped me pass that same wisdom on to the young women I now mentor. Representation in mentorship is not about exclusion. It is about affirmation. It is about being seen, heard, and understood in ways that only someone who has walked a similar road can provide. When we carry that forward to the next generation, we create a ripple effect of resilience, confidence, and leadership. The truth is, not every space will give you a seat at the table. Mentorship teaches you that you can bring your own seat, sit tall, and remind yourself and others that you belong. Every Black girl deserves that mirror. Every Black girl deserves that reminder: You belong here. You can thrive here. You are not alone. Who we choose to mentor today will shape the leaders we see tomorrow. #RepresentationMatters #Mentorship #BlackExcellence #WomenInLeadership #EmpowerHer

Black women, this one is for us: Day 1 of 30 Conversations: The Power of Your Voice Why? Because the one the truth I had to learn the hard way is: 👉Every form of success begins with communication. Every opportunity I’ve ever stepped into, whether in business, leadership, relationships, or influence, came from one thing: my voice. And yet… I wasn’t always this way. Growing up, I was the quiet one. Reserved. Always shrinking my words. But I made a decision: I would learn how to speak with power, with truth, with authority. And what I discovered changed everything: My voice wasn’t “just words.” It was influence. It was transformation. It was wealth. Today, my voice is my most powerful tool. It has opened doors I once thought were shut. It has built businesses, moved audiences, and created the kind of impact I once only dreamed of. Having spoken with more than 1,000 Black women, I know this for sure: when we become one with our voices, everything shifts. It elevates us. It strengthens us. It gives us the kind of chutzpah that Bozoma Saint John talks about, the energy that makes us irresistible and allows us to show up as our full selves. Day 1 Challenge: Say 3 things you’re proud of. Say it out loud. Here are mine: 1. I’m proud of raising my children to dream without limits. 2. I’m proud of how I juggle motherhood, marriage, and business—and still show up for my own dreams. 3. I’m proud of how I lead my team with vision, even when it’s hard. Simple. Imperfect. Real. And that’s the point. Now it’s your turn: What are your 3?

They say women have to jump through hoops that men dont- imagine being a Black Muslim woman trying to find your success story in a competitive, oversaturated and may I dare say racially bias society🫢 Hi, I’m Fadumo 👋🏾, founder of Mopaway Ltd, a Nottingham-based commercial cleaning company redefining what excellence and impact look like. This isn't going to be a sob story about a Black, Muslim woman fighting subtle corporate racial bias, while trying to make it in the commercial cleaning industry. This is about creating opportunities, empowering people, breaking barriers while redefining what success looks like.

When do you black women get an opportunity to take off their capes and stop being superwoman? My therapist had me thinking on this so I decided to do some research. We celebrate Black women in higher ed for our strength, resilience, and brilliance. But beneath the excellence, many of us are tired not because we’re weak, but because we’ve been superhuman for too long. The cape is what we put on to survive: to mentor beyond our load, to lead with grace in the face of bias, to carry students, colleagues, and communities through storms. But when do we take the cape off? When do we feel safe enough to rest, to be vulnerable, to simply be? What the research says-not what I said • The Strong Black Woman / Superwoman Schema describes the cultural pressure to always be strong, suppress emotion, and care for others at personal cost. (Beauboeuf-Lafontant, 2009; Nelson et al., 2024, PMC12241146) • In higher education, Black women carry a disproportionate share of emotional and diversity labor — mentoring, advising, mediating work that is essential but often invisible and unrewarded. (PMC9618268) • The long-term cost of staying in “cape mode” includes burnout, isolation, and mental health strain. (PubMed 38511837) What taking off the cape can look like Saying no without guilt. Resting without apology. Setting boundaries that protect your peace. Building spaces where vulnerability is honored, not punished. Leading with authenticity, not exhaustion. My hope That leadership redefines strength to include softness and rest. That more of us learn to take the cape off not because we’ve stopped being strong, but because we finally know we don’t have to prove it anymore. #HigherEd #BlackWomenInAcademia #Leadership

Contraversial Thought? Diversity Isn’t One Size Fits All — Why Being Black Must Stand on Its Own This might ruffle some feathers but doing the hard thing is not always easy. We often talk about anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practices, policies, and legislation and want to focus on the right words to use so not to offend but how much of that truly goes beyond rhetoric? If we’re genuinely committed to equity and inclusion, why are we still saying we’re “working on it”? What does it really take to move from statements of intent to actions that create measurable, lasting impact? While diversity encompasses many protected characteristics, being Black is one of them — and, like every other protected characteristic, it deserves to stand alone in its own right. Too often, conversations about inclusion merge experiences into a single narrative, when in reality, each has its own history, context, and lived meaning. Recognizing this distinction is key to ensuring that our approach to anti-oppressive practice is truly intersectional and grounded in respect for individual identities. As a Black woman, I think often about how systems can unintentionally uphold the very inequities they aim to dismantle. It’s not enough to have the right language or frameworks. We need to ensure that our decisions, leadership structures, and daily practices reflect those values in real and tangible ways. Accountability, transparency, and courage are essential if we want progress that lasts. These reflections led me to write and speak about what meaningful change looks like, and how we can push past comfort zones to create space for real transformation. I’d love to hear your thoughts... How do you see anti-oppressive practice showing up or not showing up in your work or community? Let’s start a conversation about what genuine, collective action can look like. #AntiOppressivePractice #EquityAndInclusion #RaceAndRepresentation #DiversityInAction #MeaningfulChange

📌 Black women are being pushed out of the labor force at historic rates, 300,000 this year alone. That’s not just a labor market disruption; it’s an economic crisis. At the same time, these exits are fueling a surge in Black women’s entrepreneurship. It’s a powerful act of resilience and reinvention—an effort to transform systemic inequities into opportunity, leadership, and legacy. But let’s be clear: entrepreneurship should be a choice, not a last resort when traditional employment closes its doors. If these ventures are to redefine wealth and stability, they must be met with access to creativity, capital, and visibility. Thank you to Essence and Shanel Evans for amplifying this story. Coverage like this ensures Black women’s economic leadership is not erased, but recognized as central to our future prosperity. Equity isn’t charity. It’s an economic imperative. Read the full story at www.essence.com

The Rise of “Lived Experience” The term “lived experience” has started showing up everywhere. At first glance it feels like progress. It suggests that the stories of people who have been ignored for too long are finally being recognized as valid and necessary. For Black women, lived experience is more than a phrase. It is reality. It is the meeting before the meeting, where our ideas are reshaped by others before they reach the table. It is the evaluation form where confidence is mistaken for attitude. It is the conference room where we are praised in public but forgotten when decisions are made. It is the quiet exhaustion that comes from showing up strong every day because softness is seen as weakness. It shows up in healthcare when our pain is minimized or ignored. It shows up in community spaces where we are expected to carry everyone else’s load while being told we are resilient. It shows up in the silence that follows when we finally tell the truth and no one knows what to do with it. Data can describe gaps, but lived experience exposes the weight of those gaps. It holds the stories that numbers leave behind. It shows how racism touches the body, the voice, the paycheck, and the peace of mind. Lived experience carries the weight of everything Black women have endured and overcome. It holds the truth of survival, persistence, and brilliance within systems that were never designed to protect us. When we talk about racism in America, we cannot stay at the surface. We have to listen to what Black women already know from the lives we live. Our voices are more than stories. They are evidence. They are truth spoken through endurance. They are history that refuses to disappear. If lived experience is finally being recognized, then the next step must be recognition that leads to repair. Listening means nothing if it is not followed by change. Because every Black woman has a lived experience. The question is whether the world will stop long enough to hear it. #LivedExperience #BlackWomenAtWork #IfWeCouldSpeak #UnspokenAtWork #OurUnheardVoices #TheUnsaidTruth #ProtectBlackWomen #EquityInAction #SilentNoMore #FYP

The 6 Myths About Black Men In professional spaces and beyond, persistent myths about Black men continue to shape perceptions and impact opportunities. These stereotypes are not only false—they cause real harm. It’s critical that we recognize and challenge them to foster equity and inclusion. Here are six common myths about Black men—and the truths behind them: Myth: Black men are inherently dangerous or violent. Truth: This stereotype is a harmful legacy of racism, leading to bias and unjust treatment in policing, workplaces, and communities. Myth: Black men are absentee fathers. Truth: Many Black fathers are actively involved in their children’s lives, despite systemic barriers like mass incarceration and economic challenges. Myth: Black men are uneducated or uninterested in learning. Truth: Black men pursue education and professional growth, often overcoming significant obstacles to succeed. Myth: Black men only excel in athletics or entertainment. Truth: Black men are leaders, innovators, and professionals across all industries and disciplines. Myth: Black men are hypersexual or predatory. Truth: This racist myth is baseless and contributes to harmful fear and discrimination. Myth: Black men don’t feel pain or emotion. Truth: Black men experience the full range of human emotions and deserve equitable support for mental and physical health. Breaking down these myths is essential for building inclusive workplaces and communities where everyone can thrive. Let’s commit to confronting bias, amplifying Black voices, and creating meaningful change. #Inclusion #Equity #Diversity #BlackMenMatter #Leadership

This topic tackles the unspoken rules of "professionalism" head-on, arguing that these standards are not neutral benchmarks of competence but are instead rooted in white, Eurocentric, patriarchal norms. From dress codes that ban natural Black hairstyles to communication styles that privilege emotional detachment and specific dialects of English, "professionalism" often functions as a silent gatekeeper, policing the bodies, language, and cultural expressions of Black women and other marginalized groups. This conversation uses Black feminist theory to deconstruct these oppressive norms and provides a framework for organizations to co-create new, liberatory standards of excellence that value authenticity, cultural wealth, and diverse ways of being and knowing. #BlackFeministThought #OrganizationalTheory #DEI #Leadership #CriticalManagementStudies #SocialJustice #BusinessStrategy #BlackFeministThought #OrganizationalJustice #RadicalLeadership #CulturalConsulting #ChangeCatalystCo