Black Entrepreneurs
One of the more notable success stories of black entrepreneurs in New Orleans is the story of Gregoire Tillery. Tillery, a graduate of Tuskegee, entered the workforce ripe out of college. He worked for corporate America. One day, the company had company wide layoffs, but Tillery wasn’t affected because he was fresh out of college and wasn’t getting paid much anyway. But this is when Tillery noticed that he had to go out and make ends for himself.
“This situation didn’t affect me financially, but it affected me spiritually and mentally,” said Tillery.
Immediately after leaving corporate America, he invested in a food truck. The food truck industry has seen an annual growth of 8.4 percent since 2012, according to Food Truck Empire. These food trucks has created 1500 businesses, which created 15,500 jobs. “I knew it was something I can do, especially in my city man. I love people and I love to cook,” said Tillery.
Five years later, this proved to be the correct business decision for Mr. WeDat.
WeDat Chicken and Shrimp has quickly become one of the most popular restaurants in New Orleans. “People come from all over to eat here,” said Anthony Milton, a friend of Tillery. WeDat Chicken and Shrimp has approximately 123,000 followers on Instagram. WeDat has fed celebrities such as Anthony Davis, Wyclef Jean, and Ray J. “I give all the glory to God,” Tillery said. “Without Him, I don’t know how far I would’ve came.”
But with every successful black man, there is a black woman on the same grind.
Madam C.J Walker was America’s first self-made black millionaire. She pioneered what it means to be an independent black entrepreneur by “giving herself a start.” She persevered through a time where women weren’t accepted or respected equally to men.
Less than a century ago, black women weren’t allowed to vote, but less than a century later they are the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs in the U.S. The number of business owned by African American women grew 322% since 1997, and its steadily on the rise.
Black women are displaying the same attributes of perseverance and faith in themselves by becoming business owners and this mindset is motivating the black teen women of today to continue the cycle of being entrepreneurs in the future.
“I always tell people go out and follow their dreams,” said Blake Cressey, owner of Tasty Treat. “No matter where I’m at, I preach motivation. I want everyone to succeed and follow their passion.”
One of Blake’s most dedicated workers is 12 year old Paris Thompson. Thompson is the daughter of Blake and is a cashier at Tasty Treat. “I like making money. I go to school and sell stuff and make money, then I leave school and come to work and make money,” Thompson said.
The principle of working to make your own money is being instilled into Thompson. Her mindset to earn her personal money is inherited from her mother.
Before opening Tasty Treat, Cressey worked full time at a hospital. It was always in her DNA to help people out and nurture them. But she knew in her heart that it wasn’t through medicine but with food.
Tasty Treat first opened in 2014. Cressey sold plates out of her house and delivered the food in her car. “It was my form of trapping, I had to get it by any means,” Cressey said. The car eventually upgraded into a food truck, which was located on Claiborne Avenue which progressed into the restaurant that is now on 3717 Tulane Ave.
A huge asset for Tasty Treat has been social media. Social media has allowed black entrepreneurs to reach an expansive number of people to get their product noticed. On Instagram, Tasty Treat has 19,000 followers, which has allowed the restaurant to be recognized.
“The food is seasoned to perfection,” exclaimed Camry Hardy. “ Wings aren’t supposed to be that good but it was.” This reaction is expected from most first time customers, but Cressey is appreciative every time her foods get praised.
And what’s more significant about black women becoming successful entrepreneurs is the adversity they have to face and conquer. Even though their talent and tenacious efforts are noticed, they still aren’t as appreciated as they should be. There is a lack of government funding in that retrospect. The Wall Street Journal reported in 2014 that black-owned businesses, which once received 8.2 percent of all loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, had dropped to only 2.3 percent.
On the bright side, the rapid increase of black entrepreneurs has been an encouraging and positive force for black millennial entrepreneurs.
“My mindset to be an entrepreneur was cultivated. I worked at McDonald's in high school, I quickly realized that working on a fixed schedule was just not for me,” said Judayah Murray, a junior at Howard University, ”I’ve seen other black women making a good living off being an entrepreneur and I knew that my life could be the same.”
Murray is a YouTuber and has created the brand #BlackGirlsYouTubeToo. She’s a photographer, videographer, and has a clothing brand. She considers herself the all-around creative visionary. The desire to work under someone else was never present for Murray.
The mindset that Murray has in present in most entrepreneurs. Women are motivated to start their own businesses because they want to escape from labor and market disadvantages and discrimination, desire for career advancement beyond perceived glass ceilings, and the pursuit of financial stability.
Millennials are known to be the most entrepreneurial generation. A Bentley University survey of millennials found 66 percent of respondents have a desire to start their own business.
A college degree, for most people, gives entrepreneurship a sure level of success. But it isn’t needed to succeed. According to Business Insider, there the top 100 entrepreneurs have made millions without a college degree. But out of those 100, only two of them were people of color. In order for the 66 percent of millennials to become successful entrepreneurs that can make millions, a college degree is their best chance to this route.
“It is a goal of mine to start up a practice once I finish medical school and establish myself in the field,” said Cydney Evans, a senior at Xavier University of Louisiana. Evans is employed at Earth Potions, a handmade cosmetic brand that is owned by 23 year old Chloe Mena. “Chloe has been a good friend of mine for years and just helping her out with her dream makes me anxious to start my own business.”