3 Black Business Leaders Paving The Way In Non-Traditional Industries

Black businesses have been booming in recent years. The coronavirus pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the focus on Black equity have pushed thousands of Black men and women across America to become bosses

According to Forbes, Black entrepreneurship continues to rise post-pandemic. The number of new Black business owners has risen 38%, and 17% of Black women are either in the process of launching or already running a new business. 

While many Black business owners are thriving in traditional occupations, including retail, food, fashion and entertainment, many Black entrepreneurs have found success in non-traditional roles. Here are three Black entrepreneurs who are choosing their path as business owners.

Jairus Morris, SUPLMNT

In 2018 Jairus Morris was selling items on Amazon when he saw a company on the site that was selling thousands of water bottles that he’d never heard of. When he asked his friends if they had ever heard of the brand, “pretty much every single person that was Black or Latino that I knew told me they never heard of this brand.”

Morris did some research and checked the background of several water bottle companies and realized none  of them specifically targeted the urban culture.

“There’s a huge demographic of people that are kind of left out when you bring up insulated water bottles so getting into another niche that no one else is in is refreshing,” Morris says. “I would see so many white people carrying their YETIs and their insulated bottles and all the Black people using plastic cups or plastic water bottles and it’s primarily because there isn’t a brand that targets us.”

Morris saw a business opportunity and in 2021 created SUPLMNT, an insulated water bottle geared toward urban communities. SUPLMNT features a litany of infused water bottles and tumblers with thick stainless steel and double-wall vacuum insulation to keep your drink cold for 24 hours and hot for 12 hours. Additionally, SUPLMNT offers accessories and clothing to support the brand.

For Morris, SUPLMNT isn’t all about making money. He’s also using the brand to teach Black and Latino people the importance of drinking water and staying hydrated.

“You know water is the body’s most important supplement so that’s why I created the name SUPLMNT,” Morris tells BLACK ENTERPRISE. “I wanted to make sure we create a super-dope aesthetic and an aesthetically pleasing bottle that matches your outfit but there’s that underlying messaging behind the entire brand, which is the importance of drinking water and staying hydrated in our urban communities.”

Monica Miraglilo, GirlBuild

Miraglilo, a Temple alum and former model, is on a mission to empower girls and women and give them the knowledge and tools to build their own homes through GirlBuild, an empowerment initiative for women interested in the renovation and construction industry.

Through workshops, private sessions, a masterclass, and a podcast, Miraglilo teaches the ins and outs of construction and home renovation, including hanging drywall, plumbing, and HVAC.

“I started GirlBuild so I can empower women and give them the tools to build whatever they want,” Miraglilo tells BLACK ENTERPRISE. “I thought it was necessary, I felt like we are a very small percentage of the construction industry, but if you give us the tools we can build anything. Because, like I say all the time, women are the backbone of building everything. We build family and relationships, so what better way than to build each other up?”

Less than 20% of women are in the construction industry, but the former model is changing that by teaching women and young girls the skills that will give them a lifetime of knowledge. GirlBuild has a huge fanbase, including fathers and grandfathers who love what Miraglilo is doing for their daughters and granddaughters.

GirlBuild is just getting started. Its plans include working with organizations and charities that give back to or help underprivileged women search for housing. Miraglilo is also considering a series of conferences and different cities GirlBuild can tap into to continue to teach young girls and women to build homes—and feel accomplished and confident in themselves.

“GirlBuild is going to help you, shape you, and build you from the inside out and we’re looking forward to holding conferences on our website,” Miraglilo says. “We’re  working on bringing in different partners that are going to teach literacy, banking, how to apply for a loan, and dive into shaping their minds so they’re prepared.”

Derrick Miles, CourMed

Former healthcare executive Derrick Miles took a severance package during the 2008 housing crisis and in 2015 started CourMed, a healthcare solutions company providing enterprise software and innovative concierge delivery (crowdsourced, route, drone, and autonomous vehicle) services from healthcare providers to patients’ homes/offices.

CourMed exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic, partnering with Microsoft and Google as telehealth became popular. Miles tells BLACK ENTERPRISE that being a Black man in the wellness space he’s had his fair share of strange looks when meeting other executives and industry heads.

“That’s what amazed me more than anything, because of my background as a former healthcare executive, but still, I’ve seen people look at me as if I don’t know what I’m talking about,” Miles admits. “When we started, most people looked at us like we had three heads,  but we found our niche with individuals who wanted a competitive advantage and who wanted to save time.”

During the pandemic, CourMed was a valued service for many, including immunocompromised people who didn’t want to go to a hospital or pharmacy to get tested for COVID-19.

With the worst days of pandemic in the past, neither CourMed nor Miles is ready to slow down.

“What we’re currently doing now is working with affluent individuals to help them get services in the comfort of their home,” Miles says. “What I’m excited about is a new vertical called aging well at home. My parents are getting older and I hated the experience when my grandparents went to nursing homes, so with CourMed, now individuals north of 70  can get their wellness and healthcare at home, they don’t have to go to a nursing home.”

RELATED CONTENT: Celebrating National Black Business Month 2023