The directory.

Food & Drink

DC institution since 1958. Half-smokes, chili, and a piece of Civil Rights-era history on U Street. Founded by Ben and Virginia Ali.

Beauty

Rihanna's beauty brand launched in 2017 with 40 foundation shades — credited with forcing the wider cosmetics industry to expand inclusivity. Wide global retail footprint.

Finance

Black- and Latino-founded digital banking platform created by Killer Mike, Andrew Young, and Ryan Glover — named for the Tulsa Greenwood district. Spending, savings, and financial education with a community-investment mission.

Retail

Telfar Clemens' unisex fashion label and the famous Telfar shopping bag — "It's not for you, it's for everyone."

Beauty

Founded by Shontay Lundy, broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreens designed not to leave a white cast on melanated skin. In Target and Ulta.

Arts & Media

Kiyanna Stewart and Jannah Handy's vintage curation and Black cultural archive in Brooklyn — books, ephemera, art, design objects.

Retail

Aurora James's accessories label preserving traditional African craft. James also founded the Fifteen Percent Pledge.

Health & Wellness

Founders Malaika Jones, Nia Jones, and Tai Beauchamp. Wellness and beauty brand centered on Black women's mental and physical health.

Beauty

Beyoncé's haircare brand launched in 2024, focused on scalp health and curly/coily hair restoration.

Food & Drink

Black-owned-restaurant discovery app and directory (iOS, Android, web) with verified listings across the U.S.

Arts & Media

Decades-running independent Black bookstore lineage. Multiple Hakim's and Eso Won-tradition Black-owned bookshops still operate nationwide; see directory at AALBC.

Retail

Stephanie Summerson Hall's hand-blown colored glassware — the first Black woman-owned glassware brand carried at Bloomingdale's.

Finance

Founded 1934 in DC; one of the oldest continuously operating Black-owned banks. Full-service community banking and commercial lending.

Retail

Derrick and Ramunda Young's Black-owned bookstore at the Anacostia Arts Center in DC. Books by, for, and about people of the African diaspora.

Food & Drink

Largest Black-owned wine company in the U.S. Sisters Robin and Andréa McBride — wines from California, New Zealand, and South Africa.

Other

Mandy Bowman's directory and app of Black-owned businesses worldwide — searchable by category and location.

Finance

The largest Black-owned bank in the United States. Personal and small-business banking, savings, and Black-themed banking products. FDIC-insured.

Beauty

Tracee Ellis Ross's haircare line for curly, coily, and tight-textured hair. Cleansers, conditioners, stylers, and tools.

Retail

Kerby Jean-Raymond's New York-based label. CFDA Award winner. Storytelling-driven runway shows about Black American history and design.

Food & Drink

Pinky Cole's plant-based burger chain that started as a one-woman delivery operation in Atlanta. Multiple locations across the country.

Retail

Amira Rasool's wholesale marketplace and B2B platform connecting global Black and BIPOC brands with retail buyers.

Health & Wellness

Founder Beatrice Dixon. Plant-based feminine wellness products — washes, wipes, and period care. Sold at Target, Walmart, and CVS.

Beauty

Founded by Melissa Butler in Detroit, vegan + cruelty-free cosmetics. Famously rejected on Shark Tank, now in Target nationwide.

Food & Drink

Ashley Rouse's small-batch jams in unexpected flavor combinations (strawberry rosé black pepper, blackberry mission fig). In Whole Foods.

Other

Largest online marketplace exclusively for Black-owned brands. Use as a discovery layer beyond this directory.