The kinds of people who step up to run communities are the same kinds of people who participate in communities. They know what's out there. They've been to the meetings. They've spotted the gaps. At some point, they realize the space they wanted doesn't exist yet so they start a community of their own.
I went on an internet mission to dig up interesting Black-led communities for entrepreneurs, creatives and creators. I was looking for more advanced collectives for experienced entrepreneurs and also just fun creative groups that seemed like they'd be worth joining. I found some surprising finds in my search.
Take Michelle Jackson of Creators Getting Paid. Michelle's been writing, podcasting and livestreaming about how content creators make money for years now, but in the last few months, she realized she wanted more face time with her audience. She wrote in a recent post, "I’m tired of feeling so alone in this moment." So she's turning her media brand into a community too, building The Creator Income Collective around the kinds of opportunities she wished were available to her when she was starting out. The Creator Income Collective is launching soon in Denver and online. Michelle's priorities for it are to help you find collaborations, grow your list, and access key resources (like grants)—all while bringing joy back into the process.
Communities reflect the values and priorities of their leaders. They also reflect the life experiences those leaders have. For Jasmine Douglas, the founder of Babes on Waves, it was discrimination at work that both led her to start her own company and also to pair her venture with a community "dedicated to supporting and spotlighting women of colour." Babes on Waves is one of the most fun, fresh and modern groups I found when researching networking and entrepreneurship communities. They're worldwide—throwing business matchmaking parties in London, Bangkok and New York City—and they are tossing out the playbook of boring old business card trading. Fancy an ice bath with your networking? Babes on Waves has something for your every mood!
One of my other favorite new finds was Stack World. The founder of Stack World, Sharmadean Reid wrote about how race and gender inequality came into sharp focus when she started her first business. Wanting more support and more professional development tools, Sharmadean launched a platform to close the economic gap for women in business. Stack World now hosts all kinds of business-related clubs and events online and in London.
So, what other communities should you know about? I chose 18 that looked like they were worth joining. Some of these groups mainly serve Black entrepreneurs and others are Black-led but have a wider focus. I looked for groups globally, but found it easiest to locate them in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. I made sure that all of these were active in the last six months before including them.
Check out my list below and add your suggestions in the comments of this post.
For entrepreneurs
Babes on Waves: Founded by creative entrepreneur Jasmine Douglas, Babes on Waves is about forming genuine connections. Describing themselves as "diverse, next-gen, non-gatekeeping, anti-girlboss." Jasmine's based in London, but they also host events in NYC and Bangkok. Find the latest on their Instagram.
From Corporate to Entrepreneurship: This is a group coaching program for professionals leaving a full time job for self-employment led by Vivianne Castillo. Vivianne has a background in UX research and writing, but is also a serial founder going on 9 years.
Black Entrepreneurship Alliance: Producing programming, accelerators, and hosting a learning community for Black entrepreneurs mainly in tech, food and beverage. Based in Toronto and serving businesses in Southern Ontario.
Noir Preneurship: Hosting guest experts, running accountability groups, offering healing circles and speed networking for entrepreneurs in the Seattle-Tacoma area.
Stack World: A network of clubs and events happening around the UK and online focused on women in business. Stack World was founded by Sharmadean Reid who wanted to create a platform to boost the financial impact of the economy driven by women.
Black Pounds Project: Affordable business support, education, and exclusive discounts for businesses with a focus on helping businesses develop sustainable monetization strategies. Founded by CJ Lloyd Webley, who wanted to empower entrepreneurs and creatives from disadvantaged backgrounds.
KC Black Owned: Offering visibility, sales and networking opportunities for Kansas City-based businesses (mostly e-commerce or brick and mortar). Dr. Chelsey founded KC Black Owned in 2020 because she noticed there wasn't an easy way to find Black-owned businesses in her area.
U.S. Black Chambers: A network of 145+ chambers that represent Black businesses across the United States.
Black Business Association: Part of the London Chamber of Commerce that supports Black business owners in the London area.
For creatives
Black Writers Collective: Calls for submission, publishing tips and community support for fiction and nonfiction writers. Founded by Tia Ross, BWC hosts regular accountability groups and writers' meetups. Operates online on US timezones.
Community Writers Group: Founded by the late Elise Woodson, former film curator for the California African American Museum, CWG's focus is documenting personal narratives on Black history and Black experiences. They host monthly storytelling events in Los Angeles.
Black Artists + Designers Guild: Providing space and support for artists and designers, including workshops, grants and awards. Founded by artist and textile designer Malene Barnett in 2018 and based in the United States.
The Black TV and Film Collective: Workshops, resources and professional development for Black TV and film professionals. This organization also does production support, advocacy and research. Based in New York City with additional hubs in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Raleigh and Toronto.
Black in Events Network: Serving event professionals worldwide but based in Toronto, the Black in Events Network platforms its members, hosts a community and offers resources to event pros.
For creators
Bootstrap Creators: A content marketing membership hosted by professional YouTuber and tech educator LaShonda Brown. Featuring guest speakers and sessions on YouTube, podcasting, social media, speaking and more. Operates online on a US timezone.
God and Gigs: Serving Christian creatives in arts and entertainment, God and Gigs runs monthly Q&As, hosts guest speakers and operates a community. Led by musician, podcaster and community builder Allen Paul. Operates online on US timezones.
Creators Getting Paid: A community for creators who want to increase their revenue potential. Right now, this group is cross-channel on Substack lives, a podcast and a newsletter but founder Michelle Jackson is launching a dedicated community space soon called The Creator Income Collective. Operates online on US timezones.
Your first $5k: Arlan Hamilton started this Skool community to help people make money from their YouTube, digital products and social media. Arlan's a venture capitalist who also works with tech founders, but this community is more focused on content creators and online businesses. Operates online on US timezones.
Want to add your group or share an experience? Comment below! Sign up then log in to comment (if you're on the newsletter, you can just log in.) You do not need to be a paid subscriber to comment.
