Meet The Inaugural We Rise Business Cohort
In August of 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr., before a crowd of more than 250,000 people, gave his famous “I Have A Dream” speech. It was a pivotal moment during the Civil Rights Movement, but what many don’t know, is that the original intent of the speech was a call for an end to economic inequality and the right to gainful employment for all.
On MLK Day today, we are proud to announce the inaugural cohort of the We Rise Business Accelerator program. We Rise will equip small businesses with skills and resources to thrive and become part of a larger network of like-minded, Black entrepreneurs. These 14 Black business owners are part of the dream that Martin Luther King spoke of. And we are so excited to help them grow and see them become part of the fabric that builds a stronger, more diverse Arizona economy.
Daisy Family Health
Daisy Family Health is a Phoenix clinic operated by a husband and wife team. Their clinic provides primary care services through a direct primary care model and membership program; the patient pays an affordable monthly cost and has access to an unlimited clinic and virtual visits. Their commitment to serving the Black community when it comes to providing affordable healthcare was one of the few things the We Rise committee loved about their story.
Slay Blessed LLC
Slay Blessed is an upcoming beauty supply business dedicated to increasing Black ownership in the beauty supply industry. Slay Blessed is operated by Adriona London; a young woman who is passionate about growing the beauty supply business in the black community and showing others to start their own businesses. The committee was incredibly impressed with her grit, tenacity, and her ability to rise above the challenges associated with starting a business.
Virtual Medical Administration
This small, black-owned business is dedicated to providing medical administration services to physicians in the valley. Their belief is that if Virtual Medical Administration can take care of revenue as well as front to back end processes, then the physician groups can focus on patient care. Owner Andrea is passionate about the medical field and she’s a hardworking business owner who is disciplined and very committed to her work.
Supreme Painting and Remodeling Services
Supreme Painting and Remodeling Services initially started as lending a hand to a friend who needed help painting his apartment; now it has become a full-time business that owner Ken Kong loves and is looking to expand in the valley. Ken provides great service and fair prices and is dedicated to the customer's experience.
Hoyo’s Kitchen
Hoyo’s Kitchen is owned by Fathia, a young Somali woman who is a mother to three. Fathia is passionate about sharing traditional Somali food with others in the valley and hopes to bring people together to learn about Somalia and Africa. Hoyo means mother; an appropriate name since many of the recipes used by Fathia have been passed down through her family's maternal line. Fathia gets up at the crack of dawn to cook and prepare meals for her growing customer base and she is excited to give back to the community that welcomed her.
Jiji Visha Holistic
Owner Jameela Hill wants to make holistic care the norm for the Black community. Located in Tucson, Jiji Visha Holistic offers yoga, meditation, mindfulness training, THRIVE fitness coaching, and fertility and birth doula services. Jameela is particularly passionate about bringing healthy babies into calm and joyful environments as they enter the world. Jameela believes that increasing access to wellness will help make the world a better place.
Conscious Gear
Conscious Gear was started by Charlotte Bowens after she lost 300lbs. Charlotte was inspired by her weight loss journey; she was often frustrated by the lack of options for clothes and gear that fit her body. Her goal is to create outdoor apparel and gear that is more inclusive and encourages individuals to work towards a healthier life. Charlotte’s hopes and dreams are to become the next Patagonia.
Arlette’s Foods
Arlette Gomez-Kponton loves to cook, especially meals from West Africa. However, she often had a hard time finding the familiar foods and ingredients commonly used in the various recipes. Arlette decided to start a business as a wholesale provider of African goods. She works directly with various farmers and cooperatives in Togo West Africa to package and ship these foods to Phoenix, AZ where she is a vendor for various African grocery stores in the valley.
Simply Celeste’s, LLC
Inspired by her late father who was a chef and owner of a restaurant called Hearts of Lettuce, Celeste decided to start her own catering business and hopes to continue with her father’s legacy of being a wonderful chef. Simply Celeste’s is built on legacy, excellence and quality. Celeste is dedicated to innovation in her cooking and to keeping her customers at the heart of what she does. Get ready to taste her Famous Chocolate Chip Cheesecake!
The Counter Life Movement
Founded by Chelsea Love, a motivational speaker with the goal of creating a platform to connect people together from all walks of life through multimedia, literature, and events. For Love, the Counter Life Movement’s most important role is as a bridge in the post-pandemic world to inspire healthy relationships through multimedia, literature and events. Love wants to help expand others' thinking so we can come together as a community.
Deafinitely Communicating
Deafinitely Communicating is a speech and language practice dedicated to meeting the communication needs of the deaf and hard of hearing children and adults in the Phoenix metro area. Founder Germaine Graham is passionate about this work and is ready to connect with various professionals and learn the nuts and bolts needed to take her business to the next level. Germaine is a certified ASL interpreter and an experienced speech-language pathologist; this combination uniquely qualifies her to help the D/HH community build their communication skills.
Derek Sips
A favorite coffee spot in the making, Derek Sips has the goal of opening a brick and mortar location to be operated as a family business. Derek hopes to give back to the community through his business by teaching others about different cultures and countries through food and coffee. They want to educate coffee lovers about the bean, the farmers and the origin culture of each cup they serve. They keep their coffee pure and high quality.
All Mix’d Up Beauty Lounge
Briana Brown owns this beauty salon, located in Chandler. Her goal is to teach black women about afro-textured hair; she’s developed a curriculum teaching black women about their hair and is constantly iterating this aspect of her business. All Mix’d Up is all-inclusive and dedicated to helping women have a positive experience in the salon and feel confident walking out.
LePremier Beauty Collective
LePremier Beauty Collective is a Beauty Salon business in the Phoenix area that serves both men and women. Owner Constance Bolton wants LePremier to be a one-stop-shop and has the goal of opening other locations in the valley to cater to beauty needs.