Women in Business

Nationwide — A prayer for change and a moment of inspiration transformed Marcinda Hankins' life, taking her from earning just $300 a week as a waitress to building X’clusive Looks Beard Sauce, a multi-million-dollar beard care brand redefining men’s grooming. As a single African American mother, her story is one of resilience, innovation, and empowerment, inspiring others to dream big and pursue their purpose. Her Inspiring Journey After being laid off from JPMorgan Chase in 2018, Marcinda, based in Frisco, Texas, faced significant challenges as both a woman and a single mother. Determined to support her family, she launched a salon suite business offering makeup and facial services. However, when the pandemic brought unforeseen difficulties, she took a part-time job at a cigar lounge—and that’s where inspiration struck. “Men often asked if I had anything that could make their beards feel as good as their faces after a facial,” Marcinda recalls. “I realized a gap in men’s grooming and decided to fill it.” With her expertise as a licensed esthetician and insights from conversations at the lounge, Marcinda crafted a breakthrough formula that would change the face of men’s grooming. By focusing on the skin beneath the beard, X’clusive Looks Beard Sauce provides deep hydration and prevents dryness, itchiness, breakage, dandruff, and split ends—issues often overlooked by traditional grooming products. “I wanted to create more than just a product; I wanted to deliver an experience. Too many men don’t know how to care for their beards properly, and my mission is to educate them while offering something that truly works.” Unlike conventional beard oils, X’clusive Looks Beard Sauce not only hydrates the beard but also nourishes the skin, ensuring a well-groomed look without the greasy residue. A Mission to Empower Women Beyond business success, Marcinda is passionate about empowering women, particularly single mothers, to pursue their dreams and build their own success. “I’ve been in a place where I felt overlooked and stuck,” she shares. “Through faith and persistence, I found my purpose. I want to inspire women to believe their ideas matter and can lead to extraordinary success.” Her journey proves that adversity can fuel innovation, and she hopes to inspire other women to trust their vision, step into their purpose, and take action. Revolutionizing Men’s Grooming X’clusive Looks Beard Sauce is quickly becoming a game-changer in the men’s grooming industry, earning rave reviews from customers nationwide who report fuller, healthier, and itch-free beards. With natural ingredients—including honey for its healing properties—the product is particularly beneficial for men with sensitive skin or persistent beard issues. Marcinda is also collaborating with esthetician schools to educate future professionals on proper beard care, ensuring that the next generation of grooming experts understands the importance of skincare beneath facial hair. Support & Connect To support X’clusive Looks Beard Sauce or explore partnership opportunities, visit MyXclusiveLooks.com . Stay connected for updates, grooming tips, and inspiration by following @MyXclusiveLooks_llc on Instagram. About X’clusive Looks Beard Sauce X’clusive Looks Beard Sauce is a premium beard care line created by Marcinda Hankins, a licensed esthetician dedicated to transforming men’s grooming. Designed to tackle dryness, itchiness, breakage, and dandruff while promoting healthy skin, it delivers a superior grooming experience for men of all skin types. Marcinda’s journey is a testament to the power of faith, determination, and a clear vision—proving that challenges can lead to extraordinary opportunities and that anything is possible when passion meets purpose.

Deidre Mathis is once again making history in Houston, Texas as the owner of Wanderstay Boutique Hotel, the city's first adults-only themed hotel. It is another remarkable achievement for Mathis, who also made history in 2018 when she launched the first Black-owned hostel in the United States.

Once that dream became a reality, first in 2020, when Reaves and her former college roommate became the youngest African American women to ever co-own a property in a major hotel chain and then later when she acquired two more hotels as part of the Indiana-based Nassau Investment Group, the longtime hospitality-industry-worker-turned-real-estate-investor found herself yearning to help others get into the commercial real estate game too. “It’s truly an amazing experience and opportunity, but for decades, it’s been out of reach and limited mostly to those who are extremely wealthy or already experienced in the field,” says Reaves, 36, an Atlanta-based award-winning hotel consultant and asset manager who now boasts an investment portfolio that includes co-ownership of hotels and residential real estate properties totalling $30 million. ”I knew in my heart that I had to do my part to help connect others to these types of lucrative investment opportunities. Tapping into this industry has changed my financial future and transformed my life!” How to accomplish that goal eluded her, until finally a big “ah-ha moment” came in 2021 to create a platform of her own to help others leverage their financial resources; no matter how much or little they had to invest. Federal regulations requiring investors to raise more money to support their endeavors came the same year. The result is Vesterr , Reaves’ newly-launched crowdfunding platform that allows accredited and non-accredited investors to join in on commercial real estate securities opportunities, starting with as little as $5,000. “Think of ‘GoFundMe,’ but for commercial real estate investing,” says Reaves. “We’re the first Black-owned, first woman-owned crowd-funding platform for commercial real estate to include hotels in the country and this is just the beginning! The Vesterr platform connects investors with owners to raise capital.” Reaves says her mission is simple; help others grow their real estate portfolio by giving them access to the funds they need while providing investors with opportunities to invest in securities. Much like traditional crowd-funding platforms, those who sign up for Vesterr may peruse the site in search of investment deals in commercial real estate, including hotels, multi-family, retail space and more, that fit their unique investment needs. A minimum investment amount is listed up front and interested parties must meet a set deadline to contribute to the campaign. Vesterr investors also get to decide between investment projects that are more “hands on” or “hands off.” “This platform is really about creating opportunities for all, but I also want it to provide a space for those who have not traditionally felt welcome or included in this industry, such as women, people of color, young people and so on,” explains Reaves. “You can start with the minimum investment and build up from there. Gone are the days where you had to have tens of thousands of dollars just to get into the game. This is a game-changer!” Client Amina James agrees. She served as general partner for a recent deal, funding a Holiday Inn in Lake Charles, LA. on the Vesterr platform. “We met our fundraising goal and it was a successful raise,” gushes James, 38, of Washington DC. “I give so much credit to Vesterr. It is so easy for investors to ask questions using the Q&A feature on the site. When you put a deal on Vesterr you get great exposure and marketing support too.” James says a broad network of accredited investors, amazing customer service, easy onboarding compared to other platforms and option to use several different investment methods – not just cash – all make Vesterr an excellent choice. The “Black girl magic part,” she says, is a bonus. “I love that Vesterr is Black woman-owned too!” Reaves says success stories like James’ continue to inspire her: ”Whether you're an owner or developer or an experienced investor, Vesterr can assist to make it attainable for you to get funding and add commercial real estate assets to your portfolio. You can have your part of the American dream!” About Vesterr Vesterr is an innovative investment platform that provides access to commercial real estate securities including hotels, multi-family, retail for both retail investors (accredited and non accredited investors). For more information, visit Vesterr.com

Harmony Major, President and Founder of Excellent Presence , a Black woman-owned web design and marketing agency based in Tampa, Florida, is testing a new initiative to help change-focused companies grow their results and impact faster. It's called "Pay What You Can" and it aims to help BIPOC- and ally-owned companies get better results from their websites, branding, and digital marketing more quickly without massive investments. “Pay What You Can” is the first initiative of its kind in the digital marketing space. Excellent Presence hopes it will prove integral for growing African American-owned businesses in particular, who often find next-level expansion a challenge. Established in 2012, the company helps clients take actions that noticeably boost growth without exhausting their time, energy, or money. Harmony, who is also the company's Lead Performance Strategist, comments, "I know what it's like to crave high-quality help to reach the next level but feel restricted by resources. It’s agonizing. Entrepreneurs working to change the world shouldn’t be limited by our ability to afford top experts. We also shouldn't have to figure it all out on our own." Excellent Presence specializes in serving growing companies that already get traffic and sales, but need to speed results or reach new audiences. That can be hard to do with limited resources. So, “Pay What You Can” connects business owners directly with a Multi-Certified, 20-year Digital Marketing Strategist to build their website, content strategy, and/or marketing plan to reduce barriers to growth. “By intentionally supporting BIPOCs and allies creating change, we hope to start a ‘snowball effect’ of impact," added Harmony. "The goal of 'Pay What You Can' is to make high-quality help accessible to every serious, change-oriented company that wants it. We hope all companies will help spread the word about this initiative.” To learn more about the initiative, interested business owners can book a free consultation online to discuss their needs, goals, or partnership opportunities via the official website at ExcellentPresence.com/CreateChange/

Dawn Patton, a proud resident of View Park in Los Angeles, is the visionary founder of Try MY T—a gourmet, fresh-brewed iced tea brand she established in her neighborhood. Patton's achievements are notable, and she speaks of them with well-deserved pride. "There are only a handful of African American women-owned iced tea beverage manufacturers in the U.S., and I happen to be one of them," Patton shared. When Try MY T first entered the retail scene, it was available in six Whole Foods Markets and a select number of Sprouts Farmers Markets. Today, Patton's iced tea can be found in 65 Whole Foods stores across Arizona, Hawaii, and Las Vegas, as well as in 93 Sprouts locations throughout Southern California. In fact, Try MY T has expanded into three revenue streams: warehouse clubs, retail, and foodservice. "Foodservice includes restaurants and corporations," Patton explained. "Then we have warehouse clubs like Costco. We're gearing up for roadshows because Costco invited us to showcase our products in five of their Southern California clubs."

Delphine Pruitt, PhD From a woman-owned construction company to a community-focused café, Delphine Pruitt is here to help Southern California businesses and communities flourish. With more than 25 years of financial industry experience and acumen Delphine Pruitt knows, and is known by, just about everyone serving Black-owned businesses in Southern California. But, more importantly, she is trusted and respected by them too. With a generous heart for helping others and an easy-going grace that helps her to move from community events to corporate boardroom without missing a beat, her efforts have garnered prominent recognition, including the recent honor of a Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from the Biden administration. The recognition is bestowed upon individuals who exemplify unwavering integrity, outstanding accomplishments, and exceptional contributions to serving the public good. She also received an honorary doctorate degree from Leaders Esteem Christian Bible University for her outstanding commitment to humanitarian causes throughout her career. “The Lifetime Presidential Achievement Award is an incredible honor,” said Pruitt. “But what I know for sure is that being able to help small business owners achieve their dreams is the gift of a lifetime.” In 2023, Pruitt joined U.S. Bank Chief Diversity Officer Greg Cummingham to accept a recognition from the Greater Los Angeles African American Chambers of Commerce, which honored U.S. Bank as the Banking and Financial Corporation of the Year, a relationship that Pruitt helped to nurture and strengthen. “Delphine is helping people to pursue their dreams. She’s opened doors for U.S. Bank to provide support in our communities of color and has transformed the lives of countless individuals while propelling economic growth and amplifying voices in marginalized communities across the country,” said Cesar. This small business month, U.S. Bank is celebrating the entrepreneurs who power small businesses across the country, and Pruitt and her peers the Business Access Advisors serve as important ambassadors of U.S. Bank Access Commitment , the bank's long-term approach to help close the wealth gap for underserved communities, including communities of color, which launched in 2021 , and expanded to include bilingual Business Access Advisors in 2024 . A typical week in the life of Pruitt provides a glimpse of the depth of her connections with clients across the community. First, she headed to downtown Los Angeles to visit U.S. Bank client O2EPCM, Inc. dba O2 Engineering, Projects & Construction Management, an award-winning company founded in 2016 by Omoné O. Livingston. While already a U.S. Bank client, Livingston didn't actually meet Pruitt until years later at a community event and they immediately hit it off.

Meet Charis Jones, the founder and CEO of Sassy Jones , the nation’s fastest-growing Black-owned privately held retailer. What began as a part-time jewelry business has turned into an $80-million-dollar company. Even more, she just opened her company's very first flagship retail store. Sassy Jones, which launched in the founder’s minivan where she drove across the country to various trade shows after giving birth to her then 4-month old twins, is now a multimillion-dollar enterprise that designs incredibly unique jewelry, audacious ready-to-wear women’s clothes, and accessories. If you own a piece of Sassy Jones, you understand you are purchasing not only a product, but empowerment and purpose. Additionally, every purchase benefits menstrual poverty to young African girls. “I am thrilled to open our first location where customers near and far can come for a fully immersive shopping experience,” said Charis Jones, Founder and CEO of Sassy Jones. “A place where the unicorns can play – it isn't about the purchase, it’s about how each customer feels. I want the Sassy Jones woman to walk away with more than just a handbag, I want her feeling gorgeous, connected and loved. This location will be the first of many to do just that.” Teaching women to be fearlessly unapologetic with their style choices, the success of Sassy Jones is attributed to the brand’s cult-like fanbase, which grew rapidly after a series of Sparkle Parties – the brands weekly show garnering more than 30k viewers which teaches women how to feel undeniably confident in the brand’s newest arrivals. The Sparkle Party gained popularity among celebrities like Kim Coles, Cynthia Bailey and some of “The Real Housewives.” Today, the multimillion-dollar brand has scaled to three warehouses, employing a team of over 40 employees, and has amassed countless national recognitions, including ranking at No. 24 on Inc. 5000’s list of fastest-growing, privately held businesses measured by revenue and growth with 12,000% growth. Sassy Jones was also named by Forbes as a top brand that thrived during the pandemic and continues to be a lifestyle brand that caters heavily to Black women, a market that is underserved by major fashion labels. Visit the brand's official web site at ShopSassyJones.com

Meet Ari Simpson, the founder of a statement t-shirt brand called Tees of Life who was able to generate a million dollars in revenue within just three years while she was also juggling motherhood and a full-time job. In 2020, Simpson and her husband founded Tees of Life to quench her creative thirst to say what she wanted to say. Since she has always loved statement t-shirts, she thought of creating a t-shirt brand that features sassy messages of self-love and confidence directed mostly to women. Simpson said she and her husband were clueless when they started the business, but they were passionate about what they were doing. Simpson, who was then working a 9-5 job, used all her free time from work to grow the business. She even sacrificed her lunch breaks, PTOs, weekends, and special events with family and friends, she told Black Enterprise . Within just 3 years, everything she did has been worth it. The brand got an overwhelming response initially from their local community until they reached more people on social media and sold more than 50,000 statement t-shirts. As Tees of Life hit the million-dollar mark, Simpson left her job to focus more on the business. Learn more about the brand via its official website at TeesofLife.com Also, be sure to follow the brand on Instagram @TeesOfLife_Official

NBA icon Magic Johnson, whom Nix worked with on several community projects for over a decade, was the one who broke the news to her through a phone call. She said she almost didn't take the call since she was in a middle of a Zoom call at that time. But when she answered, she heard him say, "Hello Miss VP." "I had to pinch myself," said about what she felt upon hearing the news, according to Sports Illustrated . Nix began her career 30 years ago as a project manager at Merill Lynch and became a contract negotiator for Bank of America when the companies merged. That's when she first met Johnson and started partnering with him on community events. She eventually pursued a career as a financial adviser wherein she balances leveraging her wealthy clients' net worth with maximizing social impact. She volunteered on the bank's charitable foundation to help organize events and fundraisings. In 2015, Nix started to work as the executive director for the Community Lakers Youth Foundation wherein she initiated programs for the youth's well-being. She said she always makes sure she personally reaches out to the kids they help. "Because they get to see a lot of themselves in me, and I see myself in them. I let them know where I grew up and where I went to school because I wanted to give them some inspiration," Nix told The Los Angeles Sentinel . Along the way, she has built an impressive reputation in corporate philanthropy. Now with her recent promotion as the VP of Charitable Affairs, she plans to further expand the Los Angeles Lakers' charity work.