Amazing Black-Owned Businesses
Afro Flow Yoga lead by Leslie Salmon
Supporting Black-owned businesses & organizations is a great way to foster economic empowerment and community development while also acknowledging and celebrating the historical and current contributions of the Black community. Black stories are rich with lessons and inspiration for all of us, particularly at a time when taking responsibility in learning and sharing these stories is more crucial than ever.
In light of this, I am SO EXCITED to share the businesses of friends of mine. Beyond being immense personal inspirations, these three women are POWERHOUSES. They have built businesses with a significant impact, and I've had the privilege of witnessing firsthand influence each of their passions has brought to their communities.
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Leslie Salmon and Jeff Jones, Founders of Afro Flow Yoga
Recently, I had the pleasure of being guided by Leslie and Jeff, the husband and wife founders of Afro Flow Yoga, at the 'Wisdom and Wellbeing Retreat' at Blue Spirit Resort, Costa Rica.
Throughout each class, Leslie and Jeff facilitated a dynamic and spiritually enriching experience that's hard to put into words. I felt such a strong sense of connection and shared love among everyone practicing, and it’s not often I experience something like that.
Afro Flow Yoga classes blend elements of dance, yoga, storytelling and live music to deliver a deeply transformative experience - there’s nothing quite like it. They've been recognized by the New York Times, Essence Magazine, and POPSUGAR for good reason.
Head to their website to sign up for their courses and get your first class FREE! Trust me, you do not want to miss this.
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Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Tia Crawford, Executive Director & Founder of NextGen Collar
The NextGen Collar Foundation is a professional organization that supports diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) in Technology.
As the demand for tech professionals continues to expand to new industries, change-makers like Tia are forward-thinking in their development of critical pathways for under-represented communities.
Through sponsorships and partnerships from industry leaders, Next Gen Collar provides coaching, professional development, and mentorship to support diverse professionals as they enter the tech industry. They also hold events and provide a safe space for collaboration.
Tia and I went to high school together and even worked together for part of our high school years! She is such an inspiration to me as she encourages me by example to strive to use my unique gifts, resources, and abilities to design and create new opportunities for communities I care about.
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Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Leslie Frelow, Founder of The Wine Concierge
At our 25th high school reunion back in the fall of 2012, I remember listening to Leslie and being inspired as she shared her dream of The Wine Concierge. Now, 12 years later, she has made her dream a reality, and it keeps getting better!
The Wine Concierge is a community of wine lovers celebrating the achievements of dynamic wine professionals. The goal is to be a platform to display craft wines produced by individuals who have been historically disenfranchised in the wine industry.
Approximately 1% of BIPOC communities are represented in wine. It is a stereotype that only sweet or inferior wines are produced by these communities. Further, these communities lack access to financial resources to produce sizable productions for large distribution. As a result, their wines are not widely distributed or known. Our mission, in a small way, is to shine the proverbial light on these producers.
Leslie Frelow
I've also been a member of the Shades of Vino Wine Club for quite some time now, and let me tell you, it never disappoints! I've tried wines that I would have never discovered on my own and now have SO many new favorites. It’s also been a no-brainer at this point to have Leslie cater some of my events with handpicked and paired wines because she’s a true expert. I cannot recommend her Shades of Vino Wine Club or Leslie’s other services enough.
I hope this heightens your awareness and inclines you to support Black-owned businesses. I can definitively say that these women have established remarkable enterprises and organizations, and continue to inspire me each day.
