Megan “Elle” Mason is the founder of The Elle Collective; a strategic creative boutique centered around PR and brand strategy. Her company includes a roster of individual talent and corporate clients that she has helped to open doors for! Working with companies like BET and TV One have helped to shape Megan’s expertise and sharpen her skills. But for Megan, it goes beyond just getting the job done. She cares for the health of her clients and friends, so she created Solace, a talent, wellness management service to help artists, athletes, and other creatives manage their wellbeing. Being in the entertainment industry is not easy and Megan does all this while being a mother and wife. She tells us how her parents emboldened her to be an entrepreneur and gave her a clear perspective on life and the family dynamic.

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Kika Wise is the very first Black female franchisor in the U.S., but that wasn’t something that she necessarily aspired to be. Kika Stretch Studios was created out of necessity. After the birth of her first child, Kika needed a job. So, she used her training as a professional dancer to create a space to assist people with stretching, a form of exercise too often overlooked. Her studio turned into two locations, and soon enough, Kika took a crash course in franchising. Now with 20 locations across America, Kika’s newest venture, Black Box Franchising, gives small business owners the tools they need to become franchisors and expand. Kika discusses success, roadblocks, lessons from other entrepreneurs, and how she went from needing a job to creating an empire.

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Akim Vann, founder and owner of Bakery on Bergen, believes that “math is in everything,” and she is correct! Her bakery offers more than just pastries and sweets. It also doubles as a classroom where she tutors children and instructs baking classes. From acting on Sesame Street and having a hit record with her dad as a child, to owning this creative bakery, and becoming a licensed yogi, Akim says that teaching is her superpower. She is a mathematician who is passionate about education, culture, and being a mom. Her bakery offers a menu that includes recipes inspired by her own mother and their Chinese heritage. This mompreneur details lessons learned about business, navigating life changes, and the challenges she faced after the passing of her late husband. Learning tastes better freshly baked at Bakery on Bergen!

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From serving a sentence in prison for bank fraud to establishing several programs to empower, educate, and uplift communities across the country, Dr. Jamila T. Davis talks about her journey. She describes how she re-established her relationship with her children after years in jail and how she wrote several books and started legit businesses to help her family from behind a prison wall. Dr. Davis drops gems on how to become an entrepreneur and change your mindset to achieve your goals. Her story is sure to inspire and motivate.

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5001 Flavors is a family business that has dressed celebrities for everything from music videos to award shows since the 90s. Co-founder and mompreneur, Shay Wood details becoming an entrepreneur while attending Columbia University alongside her then-boyfriend, Guy Wood. The company grew to several businesses, including a Harlem brick and mortar, eyewear line, spirits brand, and now a podcast. Shay gives advice on how to separate love from business, getting her daughter ready for college, and working with Hip Hop royalty, all while being the first family of fashion!

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Founder & Editor-In-Chief of World Bride Magazine, Myrdith Leon-McCormick details her journey transitioning from the corporate world to celebrity manicurist working with the likes of Stanley Tucci, and Edie Falco, to launching her own global bridal magazine, all while being a mom to three children. World Bride Magazine is recognized as the premier destination for multi-cultural, multi-racial, and inclusive wedding information and content. Myrdith is a trailblazer, a brand and marketing expert, and true mompreneur who champions hard work, style, creativity, travel, and business.

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Author, Journalist, Literacy Advocate, and Mompreneur, Maya Payne Smart is on a mission to help as many children as possible achieve reading literacy and talk. Her book, “Reading for Our Lives” is an action plan that can be implemented in children as early as birth. Maya shares her journey into the business of books, her struggles and unconventional wins with social media, and her passion for helping parents address America’s growing literacy problem.

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Daughter of the legendary Otis Redding digs into what it’s like being a philanthropist, the Otis Redding Foundation, and managing the estate of a music icon alongside her mom!

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