We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alicea Gay . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alicea below.
Alicea , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
ByBlack was launched at a time when the world was devastated by COVID-19 and our nation was infuriated by political, social and civil unrest after the murder of George Floyd. It felt like the world was beginning to understand and advocate against the disparities and discrimination that Black people, businesses, and our communities have faced in this country for decades.
However, there was also a silver lining. 2020 proved to us that many people want to buy black. Even, “Yelp stated in its Q2 earnings report that more than 2.5 million searches for black-owned businesses were recorded between May 25 and July 10”. In our local communities, we’ve all experienced a degree of difficulty trying to find a Black nail salon, plumber, contractor or electrician. Similarly, our market research revealed that corporations and governments have issues diversifying their supply chains with Black firms. No matter the will or budget to “buy Black”, procurement officers struggle to find qualified Black enterprises to meet their needs.
But finding a business isn’t always that simple. There are many cookie cutter directories out there with unverified data and have limited capabilities. The problem is- how do you know if that business is credible? How do you know if they are really Black-owned? We must find a way to establish uniqueness in the “minority-owned” business conversation.
The history of Supplier Diversity Certification programs was born out of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement and guided by legislative mandates enacted to end discrimination that gave large businesses a disproportionate share of opportunities. Over 63 years later and we can see how this very notion played a role in COVID-19 PPP fund distribution, set-aside legislations, and Federal contract spend with Black-owned businesses.
In the world of government and corporate procurement, Black businesses are considered “minority-owned”. This is a common umbrella term that describes a broad population of identity-based groups like Women, Asian Pacific Islanders, Hispanics, Veterans, and the LGBTQIA+ community – all of which have nationally recognized certification programs. Though we believe in the value in collective associations, it’s important to “identify” within a segment. We believe it is important that we not sacrifice specificity at the expense of inclusivity. Black people are not minorities- we are Black people, and our businesses deserve the same amount of visibility, distinction, and accreditation.
So enter ByBlack- our solution removes the barriers, disadvantages, and the excuse that “I can’t find any Black-owned businesses”. The ByBlack Platform is a community where certified Black business owners can engage strategic relationships, unlock procurement opportunities, access capital, and develop sustainable pipelines. Until we created ByBlack’s certification, there was no such program for Black businesses. Through our work with USBC and our corporate partners, we deepen relationships by providing entrepreneurial training, financial education, professional development, corporate matchmaking, and networking.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
ByBlack, powered by U.S. Black Chambers, is a national directory and the only national certification exclusively for Black-owned businesses offered at no-cost. ByBlack is designed to provide Black entrepreneurs a way to reach new customers and get access to valuable resources and contracts. At ByBlack, our mission is to create meaningful economic opportunities for Black people through the Black businesses in our communities. We realize this goal by building bold tools and strategic partnerships that enable Black enterprises to grow and thrive. We are a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization, developing everyday solutions to the generational problems of the Black economic agenda. We celebrate the “Color of Commerce”- connecting the diverse universe of Black business by building our platform that fosters community, search and discovery across the vast industries we serve.
As a brand, we are both a mantra and call-to-action. ByBlack, pun intended, is a product developed for us and by us that influences us all to consciously “buy-black”. We’re a team of thought-leaders that turned a passion project into a resource that has changed the way our nation defines Black ownership. There’s Ron Busby Jr., John ”Ezeugo” Anukem, and Braxton Gunter who are the co-founders of the first ByBlack Directory. Then there’s Jib Adegunloye- our data engineer extraordinaire; and Daniel Anikwue who helps us engage with our rapidly growing 27K+ member community. And for me, I’m happy to bring my skills and knowledge as an entrepreneur and resident certification expert to the team. I think I can speak for all of us to say that it is incredibly rewarding and humbling to see how our otherwise unconventional and disruptive ideas have manifested into a brand that people/organizations not only accept, but wear as a badge of honor.
Our greatest asset is that we believe in the importance of representing every brand and sector within the economy. This allows us to uniquely prioritize B2B (Businesses to Business), B2C (Business to Consumer), and B2G (Business to Government) enterprises as we look to scale the number of businesses on our platform. Whether your focus is on enterprise supply chains or finding a restaurant for date night, ByBlack wants to introduce anyone to quality Black-owned businesses. In the coming years, we have a bold vision of providing financial access, educational resourcing, and impactful networking tools to enable business owners to thrive in an ever-changing economy.
Any advice for managing a team?
I was once told that when it comes to employees to “hire for passion first, experience second and credentials third… Appreciate their value and compensate them for it in ways that matter to them… The best way to improve your business is to improve the lives of your employees”.
It’s all about fostering an open, positive and collaborative organizational culture. Part of helping your team achieve their full potential is making sure they’re supported and engaged at work. Encouraging and maintaining morale starts with team leadership. At ByBlack, we are fortunate to have not only the right people, but people who feel equally passionate, responsible, motivated and empowered about the work we’re doing together. It is important to lead by example, build trust, and support one another inside and outside of work because your team’s overall well-being is just as important to their morale as workload and resources.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
ByBlack has partnered with The U.S. Black Chambers, Inc., a national organization and ecosystem of 140+ Black Chambers of Commerce across the United States to advance our shared agenda. Through this engagement, we leverage local Chambers of Commerce, their membership, and the supplier diversity pipelines of our corporate partners and supporters. We’re also backed by corporate supporters such as American Express, Uber, MGM Resorts, Microsoft (just to name a few) that are committed to diversifying their supply chains and increasing spend with Black-owned businesses by leveraging ByBlack as a tool for sourcing and acquisition.
We also work with mission-aligned, community-based, and non-profit organizations to help target, market, and promote ByBlack initiatives, business trade organizations and member organizations focused on Black entrepreneurship. Our distribution strategy includes corporate-sponsored initiatives that feature certified firms, expanded media placements, paid advertising, earned advertising, social media promotion, conferences and designated campaigns.
We host annual conferences and consumer-based pop-up shop activations featuring #ByBlackCertified businesses to help spread the word and demonstrate the value of joining our community.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.byblack.us
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/byblack.us/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/usblackchambers and https://www.facebook.com/byblack.us
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/u-s-black-chamber-inc-
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/usblackchambers
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@theu.s.blackchambers832
- Other: Get Access to Entrepreneurial and Financial Education Training at www.usblackchambers.org/webinars Become a Member of USBC at www.usblackchambers.org/membership
Image Credits
Dorothy Hong Team Epiphany