Capital One Business and Boss Women Media have named the winners of their third annual Black Girl Magic Summit Pitch Competition, with three businesses out of a pool of more than 10,000 submissions from Black women-owned businesses taking home grants totaling $100,000 to grow their businesses.
First place and a $50,000 grant went to Amber Williams of Le Rouge Cuisine of Dallas. South Carolina-based Blair Gyamfi and Morgan Taylor of Moms Actually took home second and a $30,000 grant. Third place and a $20,000 grant went to Fathiyyah Doster of Juice Defined, based in Tampa.
Each finalist pitched their business ideas to a panel of Capital One judges, including Monisha Edwards, founder of Scent & Fire Candle Company and 2021’s first place winner; Ashley Young, co-founder of Bridal Babes and 2021’s second place winner; Zainep Mahmoud, vice president, small business card at Capital One and Mekina Raga, vice president, business development banker at Capital One (NYSE: COF).
“This year's pitch competition winners are building inspirational businesses that are positioned for growth while also having a positive impact on society,” said Mahmoud. “Providing $100,000 in grants in partnership with Boss Women Media will not only help the winners grow their companies but also continue to help communities thrive."
First Place ($50,000) – Amber Williams, Le Rouge Cuisine
In 2014, Amber Williams was trying to build her catering business while working a full-time corporate job.
“I was on a tightrope, trying to balance a job I hated that was paying my bills and the future business I had always dreamt about,” she said. “I remember one day, I turned to God and asked, ‘What do I do?’ To my surprise, in the most calm voice, He said, ‘Jump.’ With assurance and a little fear, I quit my job and began my entrepreneurial endeavor as a self-taught chef.”
Le Rouge specializes in Creole dining experiences with southern charm and hospitality. Williams said the company also is committed to furthering education and access to healthy foods in underserved communities within the Dallas Fort-Worth metroplex.
Her goal is to open a commercial kitchen in southern Dallas that can serve as a multi-use production space for her business and other local companies.
Second Place ($30,000) – Blair Gyamfi and Morgan Taylor, Moms Actually
Moms Actually is a talk show that creates a space for moms to have candid and vulnerable discussions about the realities of womanhood and motherhood.
Founders Blair Gyamfi and Morgan Taylor said they are building a community where “motherhood meets sisterhood” to support women who have felt alone in their personal parenting journey.
Their topic-based conversations are aimed at breaking away from the “glossy” images of parenting on social media that create an impossible standard to live up to.
Gyamfi and Taylor said they will use the funds will offset production and operational costs for their second season.
Third Place ($20,000) – Fathiyyah Doster, Juice Defined
Fathiyyah Doster discovered the power of juicing and how beneficial juicing was to her healing process after she faced medical challenges.
Doster said she wanted to bring awareness to simple practices people could incorporate into their daily lives to improve their quality of life.
“I am a living testimony of what simple changes can do,” she said.
Juice Defined offers raw, fresh and cold-pressed juices, made to order and delivered. Located in a food desert, her business offers healthy options to the Opa Locka community.
She said that the pandemic was a blessing in disguise for her business.
“People began looking for healthier options to alleviate symptoms of illness,” she said. “They were interested in natural, holistic ways to care for themselves. So, while it was challenging in many ways, the pandemic also allowed us to scale our business.”
