Successful Black entrepreneur exemplifying resilience and innovation.
By Michael Glauser, Next Avenue Contributor
In 2025, the landscape for Black entrepreneurs is more dynamic and tech-integrated than ever, yet the core secrets to success remain rooted in purpose, resilience, and community. While Silicon Valley’s hyper-growth startup model still dominates headlines, most thriving Black-owned businesses across the U.S. follow a different playbook—one grounded in experience, authenticity, and sustainable growth.
This summer, my team at My New Enterprise (a company I co-founded to empower Black entrepreneurs) completed a 4,000-mile bike journey from Oregon to Virginia, interviewing 100 successful Black business owners deeply embedded in their local communities. None fit the Silicon Valley mold. Instead, they leveraged decades of industry know-how, embraced technology on their own terms, and built businesses that serve both economic and social missions.
Nearly half of these entrepreneurs were over 50, proving that age and formal business schooling aren’t prerequisites for success. Their stories underscore a timeless truth: entrepreneurship is about solving real problems with passion and grit.
1. Start With a Purpose That Transcends Profit
Every entrepreneur we met had a mission that went beyond just making money. Their businesses were vehicles for community uplift, job creation, and solving local challenges.
Take Gail and Will Williams of Idaho Sewing for Sports. Their company manufactures padding and tubing for ski resorts but, more importantly, creates meaningful jobs for people facing employment barriers. This blend of profit and purpose reflects a growing 2025 trend where Black-owned businesses contribute over $217 billion in revenue and employ more than 1.2 million people nationwide, with social impact as a core driver.
2. Leverage Deep Industry Expertise
Most entrepreneurs built their businesses in fields where they had prior experience, turning expertise into competitive advantage. Sam Spayd, a retired Air Force and commercial pilot, runs Aero Legends in Oregon, offering unique World War II biplane flights. His aviation background gives him authenticity and a niche that can’t be easily replicated.
This approach is common in 2025, where Black entrepreneurs innovate within familiar sectors—healthcare, tech, creative industries—while layering in new technologies and AI to enhance offerings.
3. Build Resilient, Community-Centered Businesses
Black-owned businesses often act as economic anchors in underserved urban and rural areas, creating jobs and fostering local growth. Although they represent just 3% of all U.S. businesses, their impact on job creation and economic vitality is disproportionately large.
4. Navigate Funding Challenges with Creativity and Tech
Access to capital remains a major hurdle. Despite Black women entrepreneurs seeing over 80% revenue growth since 2019, nearly half of Black business owners face loan denials, and venture capital funding remains scarce—just 0.5% of U.S. VC dollars in 2023 went to Black founders.
Successful entrepreneurs are turning to alternative funding sources like community lending circles, fintech platforms, and AI-driven credit optimization tools that streamline loan applications and improve approval odds.
5. Embrace AI and Automation to Scale Sustainably
While rapid scaling isn’t the goal for every Black entrepreneur, many are adopting AI and automation to boost efficiency and customer engagement. Tools like AI chatbots for customer service, automated inventory systems, and data analytics help tailor products and marketing without sacrificing the personal touch.
AI also accelerates back-office tasks: drafting communications in your voice, extracting tasks and deadlines from emails, forecasting cash flow weeks ahead, automating receipt processing, generating SEO-friendly alt text, and summarizing lengthy documents into actionable insights. These technologies free entrepreneurs to focus on growth and community impact.
6. Build Strong Teams and Networks
Choosing team members who complement your skills is critical. Many Black founders emphasize surrounding themselves with advisors and mentors who bring technical expertise, especially in tech startups. Investors who offer mentorship and connections—not just capital—are invaluable.
Community engagement remains key. Listening to your customers and building buzz through authentic connections—whether at local events or via social media—helps businesses stay relevant and grow organically.
In 2025, Black entrepreneurs are rewriting the rules by blending traditional wisdom with cutting-edge technology and deep community ties. Their stories prove that success is not just about chasing the next big exit but about building resilient, purpose-driven businesses that uplift communities and create lasting economic empowerment.
Kevin "KevRoss" Ross is a music and radio industry expert. He is a 20 -plus year entrepreneur with the leading most successful industry trade publication and site Radio Facts (www.radiofacts.com). He has also published various books, magazines, performed marketing and promotions for major corporations and recording artists and he is on the advisory board of several industry organizations. This year Ross introduced his non profit organization LOMARI (Leaders of the Music and Recording Industry) to help teach young minority students how to market and manage their music and products.
