Entrepreneurgirl
(for Cinnamongirls ages 12 - 18)
The number of businesses owned by African American women has grown 322% since 1997, making black females the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs in the U.S., according to Fortune Magazine.
Entrepreneurgirl transforms Black and Brown girls into the job creators and changemakers of the future. We cultivate the entrepreneurial mindset: creativity, resilience, and the confidence to take calculated risks. Through mentorship from successful female leaders, girls develop business plans, gain financial literacy, and learn the power of building their own path.
On May 13, five Entrepreneurgirls from the 2023 cohort pitched the businesses they’ve been developing since January to the Cinnamongirl community and a panel of judges that included Cinnamongirl CEO Renée Richard, Sobha Pisharody, Chief Strategy and Product Officer at InformedDNA, and other successful entrepreneurs. The judges awarded first, second, and third place based on the girls’ attendance and engagement in the program, merit of their business ideas, and quality of their business pitch; winners received $600, $400, and $200 respectively to reinvest in their businesses.
This year’s winners were Taylor Sky (Never Caught Slippin’), Stella (Stella’s Sweet Shoppe), and Denver (Den-Z Marketplace). The girls will report back later this year to let their investor (Cinnamongirl) know how they used the funds to grow their businesses.
There’s nothing like being your own boss, making your own money, and working for something that is yours that you can pass down to future generations.
Cinnamongirl believes in educating our girls to be financially free and job creators. Honing the development of female entrepreneurs of color will extend well beyond building one's own community and ultimately contribute to the economic prosperity of other Black and Brown communities.
Photo by Ronald Davis, Davis Digital Design
OUR ENTREPRENEURGIRLS CREATE…
An original product or service
A research-based business proposal
A pitch deck that tells the story of herself and her business
Relationships with peers and successful women of color entrepreneurs
Photo by Ronald Davis, Davis Digital Design
WE PROVIDE…
Five workshops and four master classes led by successful female entrepreneurs of color
A workday for the Entrepreneurgirls to perfect their pitch decks
A final demo day where the Entrepreneurgirls pitch their business ideas to a live audience
A program developed for and by Cinnamongirl in collaboration with Mindset + Milestones, an innovative entrepreneurship learning curriculum developed by Diondraya Taylor
Photo by Jayla Loren Richard Smith
17% of Black women are starting or running their own businesses (compared to 15% of white men and 10% of white women)*
Black women are the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs!
But they receive less than .4% of the US Venture Capital**
*Forbes
**Center for Women’s Policy
WE AIM TO…
Raise the next generation of entrepreneurs, business leaders, and influencers
Develop the girls’ entrepreneurial skills from idea generating to finances to marketing
Identify and support each girl’s passions and give her the tools to act on them
Inspire girls to be innovative problem solvers
Introduce girls to a plethora of entrepreneurs of color who are not just thriving, but transforming their industries
AS A PARENT OR EDUCATOR, YOU CAN SUPPORT YOUR ENTREPRENEURGIRL’S DEVELOPMENT BY…
Responding to her ideas with interest and enthusiasm
Encouraging her to learn more about female entrepreneurs of color
Supporting her creative capacity for problem solving
Sharing Entrepreneurgirl with your network of schools, educators, parents, and nonprofits, etc.
Joining our mailing list. We want to get to know you!
Did you know?
Less than 10% of venture-backed companies have a female founder*
And only 1% of venture-backed companies have an African American founder**
*Pitchbook **CB Insights