31 Companies to Support This Women’s Small Business Month
This National Women’s Small Business Month, we asked 31 women what women-owned companies they supported and want you to support in COVID-19. From furniture to desserts, check out these small business that they love.
Yolanda White (CEO at DAYO)
Non-toxic bathcare: JD BATH CO.
“JD Bath is delivering non-toxic bath care products that are women friendly. They were instrumental in helping me sustain my self-love/self-care time and the new soaps in the collection were everything.”
Erika Murdock Balbuena (Corporate Social Impact Expert at Amazon Web Services)
Yoga gear: BEYOND YOGA
“I live in these yoga pants and have since baby #2. I do actually practice yoga and hike in them but they are also my go to house pant. They are super soft and get softer over time, don't pill, have a fantastic high waist band and breathe well.“
Katelin Holloway (Investor)
Pregnancy support: POPPY SEED HEALTH
“Poppy Seed Health is making pregnancy support more accessible, trustworthy and personal for birthing people everywhere. Connect 24/7 with a doula, midwife, or nurse on-demand. Real time access to the pregnancy, birthing, and postpartum experts. Every mother-to-be and mother-again-to-be deserves a village when navigating one of the most physically and emotionally challenging chapters of her life.”
Tara Shirazian (Founder of Mommy Matters)
Masks: RAFI NOVA
“Family based, with women and mother at helm. They make masks for kids and adults. I think their masks are great, well fitting and useful/practical. I have purchased many. We will continue to need them! I love the small business/family owned aspect.”
Trisha Sakhuja-Walia (CEO & CO-Founder of Brown Girl Magazine)
Children Books: MANGO & MARIGOLD PRESS
“Sailaja Joshi runs one of the longest-standing South Asian publishing companies (part-time) with more than 17 books under their belt. This year, they published their first-ever young adult paperback with BrownGirlMagazine.com, and continue to advocate for diverse learning and reading by sponsoring hundreds of copies of their books for literacy-related nonprofits.”
Shelley Zalis (CEO at The Female Quotient)
Edible cookie dough: EDOUGHBLE
“My favorite sweet treat and edible cookie dough! Founder Rana Lustyan saw a problem – eating raw cookie dough is unsafe – and created a solution! I love watching innovative women take the world by storm, especially when it's so delicious.”
Olivia Owens (Creator & General Manager of IFundWomen of Color at IFundWomen)
Cleaning products: PUR HOME
“Angela Richardson (founder) is an absolute hustler with premium products to back it up. She's developed safe cleaning products that are unbeatable.”
Kristy Wallace (CEO at Ellevate Network)
Community membership: SHEEO
“SheEO is a community founded upon radical generosity, helping women and non-binary people at all stages of their careers support one another as they scale their Ventures. Everyone has something that they need and something to give, and the way that SheEO encourages an open, trusting environment to have those discussions is invaluable.”
Laura Mignott (CEO at DFlash)
Local juice spot: THE NOURISH SPOT
“The Nourish Spot is founded by Dawn Kelly. It’s an incredible fresh juice business, run by Dawn & her family. They have stayed open during the pandemic so that their local community could have healthy juices in this crazy time of Covid.”
Surabhi Lal (Chief Impact Officer at Luminary)
Restaurant: DESI GALL
“In addition to their restaurants, they now have a meal kit where you can order some of the ingredients of your favorite dishes to be sent to your door. Desi Galli's food, chaat especially, is my go-to in NYC.”
Sara Creagh (Founder & Creative Director at Creagh)
Fashion: GRAMMAR
“If you are a self-proclaimed button down shirt lover, then GRAMMAR is the brand for you. They are best known for creating the perfect white shirt and are ideal for rounding out any capsule wardrobe. Timeless pieces made with the highest quality in NYC. Founded by Althea Simons.”
Samantha Giannangeli (Operations Lead at Ellevate Network)
Custom products: THE T-SHIRT LADY & SON
“When we wanted to buy some branded items for our team, it was important to us that we work with a small, Black woman-owned business. The T-Shirt Lady & Son was the perfect solution, providing high-quality branded gear and amazing service that fit within our budget.”
Shermin Lakha (Managing Attorney & CEO of LVLUP Legal)
Community: FREELANCE FOUNDERS
“As a female founder who built my law practice through networking and community organizations like the Luminary, I sympathized with several of my freelance clients who were concerned about how their workflow would shift due to COVID-19. Freelance Founders, a membership based community for top-tier freelancers, was launched at the perfect time to help address these concerns. Freelance Founders gives members the opportunity to have access to business experts, exclusive job opportunities, as well as network with like-minded creatives. Even as their attorney, Freelance Founders has also helped connect me with new clients by having me present as an expert on legal tools to help empower freelancers to build stronger businesses. They have been an amazing resource for freelancers and are continuing to expand their subscription offerings with a new marketplace for small business owners.”
Geri Stengel (President at Ventureneer)
Beverage: ELLIS ISLAND TEA
“Nailah Ellis started and has grown the largest Black-women-owned beverage manufacturer in the United States. Her Detroit-based company, Ellis Island Tea, brews all-natural beverages handcrafted from a recipe inspired by her Jamaican immigrant great-grandfather. The tea is made with hibiscus, which makes it rich, red, smooth, and flavorful.”
Kristin Merrick (Financial advisor/CO-Founder of Women Work Fucking Hard)
Accessories: ANNIKA INEZ
“Annika Inez is a modern, conceptual jewelry brand based in New York City. Each piece of jewelry is handmade using ethically sourced 14k gold-filled and sterling silver as well as hand blown glass. The founder, Annika Inez, designs all the jewelry herself keeping sustainability at the forefront of her designs. She is also a Brooklyn-based single mom to her teenage daughter.”
Ashi Jelinek (Founder & CEO of Kidsluv)
Children shoes: LITTLE LOVE BUG CO
“As a small business owner I am always looking for small businesses I can support. Little Love Bug Co. makes amazing shoes for kids at affordable prices and you can buy directly from them online. It feels good to support other women and small businesses always, and especially during this time.”
Kara Weber (President at Brud)
Apparel: HARPER WILDE
“I recommend Harper Wilde. Founders Jane and Jenna are on a serious mission to #LiftUpTheLadies by desexualizing the bra shopping experience, creating incredibly comfortable, supportive and reasonably-priced bras for real women, and regularly offering limited edition products whose proceeds (in some cases 100%) go to organizations including The Loveland Foundation (BLM), She Should Run, ARK-Southeast and more. Beyond these limited editions, Harper Wilde supports girls ages 6-18 with every single purchase, donating 1% of their proceeds (NOT profits - proceeds) to Girls Inc. As these amazing women say, "when we lift each other up, we’re unstoppable." I couldn't imagine a bra comfortable enough to wear every day during COVID - but HW made it (the Bliss! It really is). And knowing that every dollar I spend with them helps other women? Now that's up-lifting.”
Julia Pimsleur (Founder & Chief Empowerista, Million Dollar Women)
Essential oils: THE ARTISTRY OF ESSENTIAL OILS
“Valencia McClure's company makes soothing essential oils that help you calm, get focused and reduce anxiety, which are all more needed than ever right now. She created the company after using essential oils in her own cancer recovery and is now an impassioned advocate for wellness. Valencia is based in Texas and has been featured by Forbes as one of the Black-owned beauty brands to support.”
Rebecca Minkoff (Founder of Rebecca Minkoff and Female Founder Collective)
Supplements: ENERGY BITS
“Staying healthy during Covid is top of mind and this company has Chlorella and Spirulina products that have been proven to help ward off Covid and boost immunity.”
Melissa Mitchner (Founder & CEO of The Bark Shoppe)
Stationary: BY DAMI STUDIOS LLC
“By Dami Studios is a Harlem-based design house that creates custom and ready to order invitations, stationary and gifts. When I think of By Dami Studios, I think of all things creative, beautiful and elegant.”
Maribel Lara (SVP, Head of Consulting at Sasha Group)
Masks: CHA CHA COVERS
“Months ago when I wanted to invest in cloth face masks, I decided I wanted to support a Latina Entrepreneur with my purchase. I was already following Cha Cha Covers after having been introduced to them at the #WeAllGrow Latina conference a few years ago and saw that Ana was making masks. I jumped on the opportunity to support her and now have some masks that represent me and my culture.”
Afshan Khan (Founder of AKS)
Beverage: MOTHER KOMBUCHA
“Tonya Donati is an amazing entrepreneur who has build her company on the principles of being conscious about the earth and about people. Not only are her products amazing, made with the finest organic ingredients and single origin teas, but her entire manufacturing and packaging ensures that the health of our planet is maintained along with living wages paid to workers. I can get behind a company that makes responsible products any day and this ones doing right all the way.”
Chanel Cathey (Founder & CEO at CJC Insights, LLC)
Lifestyle gifts: NiLu in Harlem, NY
“NiLu is my go-to gift and lifestyle destination in Harlem founded by the always stylish Katrina Parris. They have the best cards for every occasion and their gifts give back to the community. They find great local artists, creatives and businesses to support. I love discovering new brands in the shop. I also buy all of my coffee table books from here - including every Gordon Parks book in the story. During the pandemic, I spent a lot of time relaxing and reading these beautiful books. I recommend you stop in for a burst of creativity and imagination.”
Aliza Freud (Founder & CEO, SheSpeaks)
Menopause products: Pause
“Founded by Rochelle Weitzner, Pause Well-Aging is helping women learn about, and talk about, menopause. This is a topic that women need to address but find few resources available to them. Pause has created products to make menopause better, including a Hot Flash Cooling Mist and a Collagen Boosting Moisturizer. We sampled these products with our SheSpeaks Community and our members gave the products rave reviews!"
Felicia Stingone (Co-Founder, Brand and Marketing Strategist, Chief Marketing Partners)
Home Furnishings: Happy Kangaroo
“Happy Kangaroo’s magic draws from Rhonda's lifelong pursuit of accessible beauty, artistry, and originality. A world-citizen, global-traveler, former NYC restaurateur, floral designer, and now “return-to-work” mom, Rhonda started Happy Kangaroo in Fall of 2019 as a pop-up boutique that became an overnight success.
Happy Kangaroo’s Collections reflect the artistry the world has to offer. Whether working with you to create an impressive table setting, decorate an inviting room, find the perfect gift for a loved one, or discover something beautiful for yourself, the brand helps you celebrate life with beauty, craftsmanship, and originality.”
Deepti Sharma (Founder & CEO at FoodtoEat)
Restaurant: Corazon de Mexico
“They are a mother/daughter owned business that are survivors of gender-based violence. They have a focus to make sure they hire as many people that are survivors and have continued to support their community even when their business was continuously suffering at the peak of COVID. They worked with FoodtoEat to continue to help survivors at shelters and seniors.”
Cate Luzio (Founder & CEO at Luminary)
Clothing brand: Autumn Adeigbo
““I absolutely fell in love with Autumn Adeigbo, a proud Black fashion designer and female founder, after first seeing the Amy blouse. I knew I had to have it. Since that first purchase, I’ve been a huge fan with a few more AA purchases under my belt and a lot of social admiration. She is devoted to positively impacting the lives of women across cultures by utilizing female-owned production facilities in the U.S., and providing global artisans with meaningful employment and fair wages. She purchases in limited quantity and produces only what is ordered, minimizing fabric waste, excessive manufacturing, and surplus stock. Like Luminary, Autumn saw the need for a female eco-system and created it herself!”
Jennifer DaSilva (President at Berlin Cameron)
Clothing brand: DAYO
“DAYO is a Black Women-Owned clothing brand that is reimagining loungewear. Established in 2018, Dayo Women is a destination for stylish modern women who prioritize self-love, style, comfort, and stand for equality.”
Tina Yip (Director of Marketing & Culture at Berlin Cameron)
Retail shop: Yowie
“I've been a huge fan of Yowie and founder Shannon Maldonado for a while. Yowie is a Philly-based retail shop that curates a range of different brands - from ceramics to clothing. Yowie has also been doing collaborations with other independent brands like Lisa Says Gah and 1733. They also announced in July that they will be expanding into a one-of-a-kind space for creatives to shop, work and stay. Very excited about what's to come for the brand!!!”
Susan Gates (Co-Founder & CMO at TheWMarketplace)
Clothing brand: The Oula Company
“The Oula Company, based in Seattle, Washington, is a Black Woman-Owned company that makes beautiful apparel and home items from sustainably sourced textiles. The materials are vibrant and beautiful and the owner and CEO, Erika Massaquoi, draws from her experience as a fashion journalist and professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology. As she says on her website, "Black Joy is our aesthetic and our promise for all to celebrate." Her apparel and company are a joy. “
Heesun Lho (Director of Programs, Tory Burch Foundation)
Food: Partake Foods
“I love that I can enjoy their cookies with my daughter, knowing that it was so thoughtfully created with health in mind. Denise Woodard, the founder, is also incredibly passionate about raising awareness of Black and female entrepreneurship and food equality, and bakes these initiatives into the business.”