Black women now own an estimated 2 million businesses in the United States - that's 14% of all women-owned firms and nearly half of all Black-owned businesses. Between 2019 and 2024, revenue among Black women-owned firms grew by an impressive 80%.
In an industry that has historically overlooked, underserved, and even harmed Black women, a new generation of entrepreneurs is building alternatives. They're creating mental health platforms that acknowledge cultural trauma, fitness brands that celebrate bodies of all sizes, holistic practices rooted in ancestral wisdom, and community spaces where Black women can heal without code-switching or conforming.
Here are seven Black women wellness entrepreneurs whose work is changing the landscape.
Ten years ago, Dr. Joy Harden Bradford launched Therapy for Black Girls, an online platform dedicated to connecting Black women and girls with culturally competent mental health providers and resources. What started as a directory and podcast has evolved into a movement that's downloaded millions of episodes and helped countless Black women access therapy.
"A lot of times when we talk about mental illness or mental health, there's a lot missing from the conversation," Dr. Bradford explains. "We all have mental health we have to take care of. It doesn't always have to be about mental illness."
Seven-time Grand Slam singles champion and former World No. 1 Venus Williams founded EleVen to address a void she experienced as an athlete: quality activewear that allowed women to express themselves while performing at their peak.
"I launched this company intending to create a brand that empowers women to feel their best," Williams told BET. "Feeling good in what you're wearing always adds a layer of self-confidence. I want our customers to feel like they can conquer whatever their day might bring when they wear EleVen."
Media mogul Necole Kane transformed her personal health crisis into a mission that's changing how Black women experience their periods. After losing both parents to preventable illnesses at ages 41 and 42, Kane embarked on a holistic wellness journey that revealed a sobering statistic: 80% of women live with hormonal imbalances that can lead to fibroids, PCOS, endometriosis, and estrogen-induced cancers—and Black women are 2-3 times more likely to face these diagnoses.
"Too many of us are left feeling like our health concerns are brushed aside," Kane says. "I knew we deserved solutions that listened to these signals and supported our well-being at its core."
Three Spelman College graduates, sisters Malaika Jones Kebede (CEO) and Nia Jones (Chief Impact Officer), along with media personality Tai Beauchamp (Chief Brand Officer), launched BROWN GIRL Jane in January 2020 as a luxury wellness and beauty brand specializing in plant-based CBD products for women of color.
The founders bootstrapped their business with under $50,000 of their own money and posted multiple months of six-figure sales within their first year. But their impact extends far beyond revenue. In June 2020, they launched the #BrownGirlSwap campaign, asking consumers to swap five mainstream brands for Black women-owned alternatives. The campaign generated over 9 billion impressions and garnered attention from celebrities like Halle Berry.
"We're trying to build a community for every woman and wherever they are on that path towards wholeness, which is not a destination, but a lifestyle," says Jones Kebede.
After being diagnosed with a brain disorder that forced her to leave teaching, Zakia Blain turned to diet and exercise to wean herself off medications that caused debilitating side effects. What started as a personal health journey—and a challenge posted on Instagram with just $75—has become FBF Body, a multimillion-dollar inclusive fitness and lifestyle brand.
FBF Body creates activewear and shapewear for women sizes small to 5X. But it's more than clothing—it's a movement built on the radical idea that plus-sized women deserve cute workout clothes and spaces where they're celebrated, not criticized.
"I wanted to show up in the community and give a voice to people who were left behind when it came to fitness and activewear," Blain says. "Plus-sized women have been ignored by the fitness world for a long, long time."
What began as homemade sugar scrubs created while pursuing her doctorate has grown into Zen in a Jar—a lifestyle brand that turns everyday routines into rituals of luxury. Dr. Nikki Brooks-Seevers first created body butters and scrubs to balance academics with creativity, but when demand grew, she left her career as a federal IT project manager to become a full-time entrepreneur.
Today, Zen in a Jar ships internationally from its production and retail space in District Heights, Maryland. The brand's line includes body oils, candles, and curated gift sets—all designed to make self-care feel intentional rather than rushed.
Located in Brooklyn, New York, HealHaus is committed to building a community dedicated to changing the stigma attached to healing. Co-founder Elisa Shankle created a physical and digital space where Black women can access yoga, meditation, and wellness services free from microaggressions and cultural insensitivity.
HealHaus offers classes, workshops, and community events that center Black women's experiences and create what Hall and Shankle call "intentional healing spaces." Whether through in-person yoga sessions or virtual wellness programming, HealHaus ensures that Black women can show up fully as themselves.
