Economic freedom was never a gift. It was built — business by business, generation by generation — long before the law caught up.
On June 19, 1865, the last enslaved people in America received word that they were free. That date — Juneteenth — marks the official end of legal slavery. But Black Americans didn’t wait for that announcement to start building. They built churches, banks, and businesses under some of the most hostile conditions in American history. They built again after every setback. They are still building today.
Black-owned businesses are now one of the fastest-growing entrepreneurial segments in the U.S. And yet, the barriers are real: Black business owners are denied small business loans at significantly higher rates than their white counterparts. They receive a fraction of venture capital. They navigate systems that were never designed with them in mind.
That gap isn’t a reflection of vision, work ethic, or talent. It’s structural. And it’s one Hello Alice was built to help close — not just in February, not just on Juneteenth, but every day an owner logs in, applies for a grant, or asks for help figuring out what’s next.
This Juneteenth, we’re celebrating three Black-owned businesses in the Hello Alice community doing what Black entrepreneurs have always done: building something that lasts.
Abi Olukeye — Dear Smart Girl (North Carolina)
Abi Olukeye didn’t set out to build a curriculum company. She set out to make sure her daughters could see themselves in science.
When she looked at the STEM resources available for young girls — especially young Black girls — she kept finding the same thing: they were missing. So she built what didn’t exist. Dear Smart Girl creates hands-on science kits for girls ages 8–12, turning what could feel like a foreign subject into something personal, exciting, and possible.
Today, Dear Smart Girl is NSF-funded and PBS-featured. But at its core, it’s still a mother’s answer to a gap she spotted — and refused to accept.
Lori Jones — Black•ology Coffee Company (North Carolina)
“This is coffee with intention. This is coffee with depth. This is coffee with purpose.”
That’s how Lori Jones describes Black•ology Coffee Company — and she means every word. Chef-founded and community-first, Black•ology isn’t just in the business of coffee. It’s in the business of connection. A portion of every sale goes directly to nonprofits fighting domestic violence and hardship in the communities Lori serves.
Black•ology is what it looks like when a founder builds a brand inseparable from her values.
April Hemphill — AnuCrown Luxury Brims (Texas)
Every crown April Hemphill sells takes eight hours to make.
Her artisans handcraft each piece from 100% Andes wool or authentic Panama straw — sustainably sourced, water repellent, built to last. AnuCrown isn’t a hat brand. It’s a luxury heirloom brand, built one piece at a time by people who care about the craft.
April didn’t build something disposable. She built something worth passing down.
The gap — and what Hello Alice is doing about it
These three founders are exceptional. They’re also not the exception.
The Hello Alice community is full of Black-owned businesses with ideas this sharp, products this well-crafted, and missions this clear. What many of them lack — and what the funding system has consistently failed to provide — is capital.
Hello Alice can’t solve that alone. But right now, there are three programs open for applications that can put real money behind businesses like these:
Alibaba CoCreate Pitch — For small business owners ready to scale. If you’re building something that’s ready for the next level, this is worth a look.
eBay Up & Running 2026 — Designed for small business owners selling or growing online. If e-commerce is part of your plan, applications are open now.
Allstate Main Street Boost Camp & Grant 2026 — Business education paired with grant funding. Built for Main Street businesses that want both the skills and the capital to grow.
All three are available through your Hello Alice account — or create one now if you haven’t yet.
This is your moment, too
Juneteenth is a day of celebration. It’s also a reminder that economic liberation isn’t a single event — it’s ongoing work. Black entrepreneurs have been building through every era, every obstacle, every moment the system made it harder than it had to be.
You belong in this community. And if you’re ready to build, Hello Alice is ready to help.