Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dr. Cameka Smith. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Dr. Cameka thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

As an entrepreneur, you are always taking a risk. For myself, when I
launched The BOSS Network fifteen years ago, I had a vision to support women
of color along their entrepreneurial journey. At the time, I was beginning my initial
foray into entrepreneurship after it became evident that my own career in
education was coming to a close. While that experience was challenging, I
learned to use it as leverage for what was next for me. I became passionate
about supporting other Black women who needed the education, information and
resources to navigate and lead their businesses. I watched as our network
continued to grow and expand through our various programs and events that
helped to change the way enterprising women are viewed among the masses.
Moving into the female founder space a few years ago and launching The BOSS
Impact Fund was also a new risk for me, but necessary as we sought to address
the need for substantial funding for Black women entrepreneurs. Now, fifteen
years later, I am proud to say that The BOSS Network has shifted the lives of
more than two-hundred thousand Black women entrepreneurs who have
benefitted from our mission.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

As President and CEO of The BOSS Network, I have been dedicated
to supporting and inspiring Black women entrepreneurs for fifteen years. I am
proud to say that over the years, we have created a robust community of
professional and entrepreneurial women who support each other through
conversation, online engagement, and event-based networking. We have
provided start-up skills for over 50,000 women, trained over 10,000 in business
strategies, and coached and mentored over 2,500 women of color founders.

○ As a native Chicagoan, I have been blessed to be surrounded by strong women
throughout my life–from my mom, women in my church, community and in
business. I knew that I was destined to be an entrepreneur at some point. Prior to
The BOSS Network, I spent some years in the education field until that chapter
came to an end. While it was a scary moment, I also knew it was time to put my
desire for entrepreneurship to the test.
○ In our earliest beginnings, we kicked things off by leveraging the power of
connection with our target audience. I knew that there were countless other Black
women who not only were experiencing what I felt, but who were also confused
as to what their next steps needed to be to launch their businesses. The BOSS
Network found strategic methods to tap into this audience–from our membership
incentives, online engagement, newsletters, live event-based networking (virtual
after COVID), corporate sponsorships and more. We successfully leveraged the
power of connection to support and reach our audience.
○ I was proud to watch our brand continue to evolve and grow–and to see that
others noticed as well! As one of the fastest-growing women communities, we
garnered several accolades, including: Top 50 Website for Entrepreneurs (Inc.
Magazine), 10 Best Career Sites for Women (Forbes.com) and a top Twitter
Account to Enhance Your College Experience (BlackEnterprise.com). In addition,
I was featured in EBONY Magazine as a 40 under 40 Entrepreneur, named as
one of the Top 40 Chicago Game Changers by Ariel Investments, listed as one of
The Network Journal’s 40 Under 40 Business Leaders, and was presented with a
Rising Brand Star Award by Adweek.

Have you ever had to pivot?

As time progressed during COVID, I became well-aware of the
challenges that this market faced–especially when it came to capital, mentorship
and scalability for small business owners. It is well-known that the single greatest
barrier to success for new businesses and startups is access to capital, and
unfortunately minorities make up less than 1% of founders that get investment.
Highly aware of this need, The BOSS Network has consistently created
resources and opportunities for entrepreneurs over the past fifteen years,
including initiatives such as these:
BOSS Business University
BOSS Business University offers a digital learning platform providing
comprehensive mentorship programs led by industry experts. Founders receive
training, workshops and personalized coaching. Participants attend tailored live
virtual sessions aligned with corporate partner goals to empower small
businesses. Our in-house curriculum supports start-ups and seasoned
entrepreneurs seeking success. We focus on enabling Black female
entrepreneurs to develop robust business models for financing and expansion.
Pathways to Success Program
The Pathways to Success program, one of our flagship initiatives, provided
significant support to 132 Black women entrepreneurs in Atlanta by addressing
key challenges such as access to capital, digitalization and mentorship. The
program included six live training sessions, mentorship from senior executives,
and the creation of a supportive The BOSS Network Partnership Opportunities
entrepreneurial community. As a result, 52 participants adopted financial tools,

96% reported improved business positioning for growth, and many saw tangible
outcomes such as new websites, product repackaging and hiring new
employees.
Voices of Strength Report
The Voices of Strength Report was one of the first reports to look at the impact of
entrepreneurship for Black women founders. The key learnings show that beyond
capital, mentorship and training–provided through our programs–are far more
valuable to Black women founders who seek to start, grow, or scale their
businesses. The comprehensive support offered by BOSS Business University,
combined with resources from our corporate partners, has had a profound impact
on the trajectory of these entrepreneurs.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

A time in my life that demonstrated great resilience was when my
mom, Elizabeth Smith, unexpectedly passed away. I was steeped heavily into the
launch of our inaugural BOSS Impact Fund when I received the news. Although
devastated and filled with grief, I was able to remember the keys that she gave
me: including the will to push through regarding the circumstances. I was thankful
for the support of my corporate sponsors and my village that helped me to not
only meet our goals, but also allowed me the space to heal during that season
and beyond.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thebossnetwork.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebossnetwork/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-BOSS-Network-100057381531153/
• Twitter: https://x.com/TheBOSSNetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Image Credits

For Dr. Smith’s headshot (white blazer w/black blouse), Dwight Thomas