JULY / AUGUST 2025 ISSUE PREVIEW
BUSINESS & CAREER
Baby isn't just being "put in a corner," she's being put in a box!
by Laura Wagenknecht
In one of the most iconic scenes in film history, Patrick Swayze’s character defiantly declares, “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.” It’s a powerful moment of seeing someone’s worth, and refusing to let them be marginalized or dismissed.
Today, however, a different and far more consequential version of this scene is playing out across the United States. Talented, innovative, and driven women entrepreneurs are not just being put in a corner, but rather a box they cannot get out of — not by a disapproving father at a resort, but by a complex web of systemic challenges that stifle their growth and, in turn, choke off our nation’s economic potential.
TECHNOLOGY
Making tech work for us: Accessible AI tools for Black-led small businesses
by John Lawson
For too long, Black business owners have been watching from the sidelines while the tech revolution marches on. Yeah, yeah, we’ve all heard the hype about artificial intelligence (AI) changing everything. But let’s get something straight — most of that conversation hasn’t included us. It’s been all corporate jargon and million-dollar implementations that make no sense for the average small business owner in our community. That stops today.
MONEY & FINANCE
When the future feels hostile: A financial grounding plan for women in uncertain times
by Tamara Lee
There’s a particular kind of ache that settles in your body when the people in power make decisions that strip away care, dignity, and security from everyday people. That ache has a name: betrayal.
On July 4, 2025, President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law. Framed as a solution to economic instability, this budget reconciliation bill outlines the core of his second-term agenda. But the name couldn’t be more misleading. What this bill actually delivers is a sweeping set of tax and spending changes that will hurt the most vulnerable among us….
This article isn’t going to fix broken policy. But it can offer you something else: a plan to stay financially grounded in the face of uncertainty.
BUSINESS & CAREER
Power, Presence, and Possibility: Why domestic inclusion of Black women leaders is a global imperative
by Dr. Leslye Kornegay
In a time when equity policies are being rolled back and diversity agendas are increasingly performative, we must ask a critical question: What is lost when Black women are left out of leadership? The answer is simple: Innovation, integrity, and insight.As I chronicle in my book “Leading to Change the World”, my journey through predominantly white institutions has taught me that Black women don’t merely adapt to systems — they improve them. And that improvement begins with domestic inclusion that recognizes our leadership as essential both to society and to the global economy.
health & wellness
Healing is revolutionary: Reclaiming our voice through reflection and story
by Punam Medina
I’ve come to believe that healing is one of the most radical things a person can commit to—especially for those of us who come from communities that have endured generations of silence, survival, and suppression. Healing isn’t neat or linear. It’s not a self-help slogan or a perfect aesthetic. It’s a slow and deeply personal process of remembering who we are beneath all the ways we’ve been told to shrink.
As a woman of color, a mother, an artist, and a counseling student, I’ve been walking this path of reclamation for the past several years. The deeper I delve into this work — both academically and through personal experience — the more I realize how reflection and storytelling can be powerful tools for individual and collective liberation.
BUSINESS & CAREER
Back to networking basics
by Chi Chi Okezie
Networking does not have to be a lost art in regard to building our businesses, professional endeavors, etc. As a matter of fact, re-visiting the basics of networking can enhance our strategic goals and mission for our networking objectives. In this article, let’s focus our attention on ways that we can effectively lean into simple and practical foundations for success.
HOME & FAMILY
From turbulence to transformation: How current events demand a new era of fatherhood leadership
by Dwayne Meeks
In the shadows of today’s political unrest, economic uncertainty, and ongoing health disparities, it has become alarmingly clear: Black families — especially Black fathers — are standing at a critical crossroads. What we do in this moment matters. We are navigating a season where sweeping federal decisions are silently choking out grassroots organizations and fatherhood programs that have carried our communities for decades. Funding is being stripped. Buildings once open to community providers are now padlocked. Our colleagues — some with years of federally supported impact — have been locked out without so much as a phone call. No explanation. No transition. Just silence. But here’s what no administration can lock out: our purpose, our power, and our prophetic charge to serve fathers and families.
BUSINESS & CAREER
Success scares me: The silent struggle of the qualified
by Tymeka Whiteside
Success. It’s a word that evokes images of accolades, promotions, and recognition. For many, it’s the ultimate goal—a tangible outcome of effort, experience, and education. But for others, even those who are unquestionably qualified, success doesn’t always feel like triumph. Instead, it can provoke anxiety, self-doubt, and an unexpected fear that whispers, “Do I really belong here?”
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Burnout & self-care: Why filling our cups matters for everyone
by Whitley English
Burnout is not just a buzzword — it is a real and growing challenge faced by service providers, caregivers, and clients alike. Whether you are a healthcare worker, counselor, social worker, community health worker, or someone receiving services, you are human first. I believe that self-care is not a luxury — it is essential.
Business & Career
The path to success isn't always straight or perfect
by Wande Meadows
I’m sharing the following story because leadership isn’t always graceful. It’s not all strategy meetings and photo ops and polished bios. Most days, it’s messy. It’s vulnerable. It’s falling apart in private while holding the vision in public; and even in public, sometimes I fall apart.
Too often, we only share the shiny parts, as if we have it all figured out. I certainly didn’t. What I did have was a deep love for people, for children, and for justice, and I’ve spent my life letting that love lead me, even when I was exhausted, even when fear visited.
business & Career
How to become a respected leader
by Sherrika Sanders
Leadership at its core isn’t about being followed. It’s about helping others rise. It is about unleashing the magic in other people.
You make steps towards becoming a respected leader when you are able to focus on how to empowers others. How do you make them better? One of the biggest mistakes leaders make is believing their title automatically grants them respect. But what qualifies as respect?
Respect is inclusion. Respect is communication. Respect is emphatic. And respect is earned, not given. Following are some ways you gain respect as a leader through showing others how to operate as their highest selves.
Feature Spotlights
ENTREPRENEUR
TAMARA OLMEDO
Cuentos y Café
Founder & Owner
Asheville, NC
"Cuentos y Café was born out of the deep desire to have a space where BIPOC stories could be at the center of the conversation; frustrated at having to dig around to find stories that celebrated diverse experiences and not seeing enough of myself and those I love and care for reflected on the shelves of mainstream bookstores. I want to create a platform where stories written by amazing and talented BIPOC storytellers can shine, for more than just a month out of the year, dictated by who knows. "
ARTIST
KWADWO SOM-PIMPONG
Crafted Glory
Founder & Owner
Clyde, NC
Kwadwo Som-Pimpong, of Crafted Glory, purchased his first home in 2015. One surprise for the first-time buyer? “It never occurred to me that the furniture wouldn’t come with the house,” he laughed. That realization started his journey to find furniture he loved, and it’s since led to a business that’s growing one handcrafted piece at a time.
sponsored by
COMMUNITY MEMBER
ALFRED "KNOWLEDGE" GREEN
Young Struggle
Founder & Owner
Asheville, NC
"Young Struggle is not just an organization, but a family of community members working together to make the community a better and safer place to live....We help and activate for our community as a whole, and those in the justice system, to create change in our community."
ENTREPRENEUR
SHERRIKA SANDERS
Transform the Gaap
Founder & Owner
Atlanta, GA
"Too many women feel like they have to choose between success and their values. I show them that they don’t. Instead, they can step into their God-given purpose with confidence, clarity, and balance."
COMMUNITY MEMBER
TYMEKA WHITESIDE
Bridging the Gap Community Enrichment
Founder & Executive Director
Morrisville, NC
"Family, faith, and purpose guide everything I do, and I’m committed to using my experience to uplift and support others — whether it’s through leadership coaching, ministry, or community development."
ENTREPRENEUR
NIKKI BRADLEY
Nichely, LLC
Founder, Owner, & Chief Brand Strategist
Concord, NC
"My work is all about helping leaders stop playing small, step into their voice, and become the go-to in their space — whether that’s online, on stage, or in the boardroom. I’m especially passionate about supporting women and BIPOC professionals in owning their brilliance and telling their stories with confidence."
