It’s become an annual tradition for Stephen Green to spend the month of February featuring one amazing Black business every day on Twitter in honor of Black History Month. A few years ago, Built Oregon joined the effort. And then my part of the annual tradition has become capturing all of the tweets in a single post. So let’s take a look at Black History Month 2021.
Counting them down from the 28th all the way to number 1… err the first of February:
Day 28 of #BHM and we are closing out #BlackHistoryMonth with Oregon's oldest Black business, Dean's Beauty Shop in NE #PDX. Check out this great video from @KOINNews about this amazing business. @kenboddie #SupportBlackBusinesshttps://t.co/YG3TyXdOWO
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 28, 2021
Day 28 #BlackHistoryMonth Jelani Memory founder/CEO of @akidsbookabout . Jelani created A Kids Book About to help his six kids address the topic of racism (book he authored) & has since grown the DTC publishing brand to 30+ titles about challenging and empowering topics. pic.twitter.com/bf796MYhYr
— Built Oregon (@BuiltOregon) February 28, 2021
Day 27 of #BHM is for @SelfEnhancement who've served tens of thousands of Black youth in its 40 year history. Countless "SEI Kids" will telling you about the pivotal role this org & its staff have played in shaping the people who they are today. #NEPhttps://t.co/MW0Oypqz7V pic.twitter.com/tmB7GZ5AP1
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 27, 2021
Day 27 – #BlackHistoryMonth Chaunci King, founder of Royalty Spirits. Chaunci was the first Black woman to own a liquor company in the PNW and has created a well known & respected brand that includes Miru Vodka, Rex Whiskey, & a line Royalty Spirits CBD Infused Premium Mixers. pic.twitter.com/S9SSQkXcnA
— Built Oregon (@BuiltOregon) February 27, 2021
Day 26 of #BHM takes to Salem, OR where Troy Campbell is taking the generations of experience his family has in BBQ in the state and serving it up with his own flavor at @uncletroysbbq. #SupportBlackBusiness #BlackFoodhttps://t.co/SL2p1sNbhk
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 27, 2021
Day 26 – #BlackHistoryMonth Shakira Mongul, founder of Ritual + Fancy. Realizing that her candles were giving her terrible headaches from synthetic fragrances, she set out to create her own line with natural fragrances inspired by her diverse ancestry and places she calls home. pic.twitter.com/Yu09cRmVUU
— Built Oregon (@BuiltOregon) February 26, 2021
Day 25 of #BHM is about great people, great food & the great outdoors. Rashad Frazier created @CampYoshi to give more Black people access to wilderness exploration so that they can experience natures wonders. #CampingBlack #SupportBlackBusinesshttps://t.co/IhKJIIvQTB pic.twitter.com/eTJlU38mW7
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 25, 2021
Day 25 – #BlackHistoryMonth Patrick Prince, founder of Waves Caribbean. Prince’s Trinidad and Jamaican heritage has allowed him to develop products (sauces and soon dry rubs and island soft drinks) that are truly authentic – with each flavor a blend of his cultural past. pic.twitter.com/xExODP2Wsc
— Built Oregon (@BuiltOregon) February 25, 2021
Day 24 of #BHM is for @cbi_life is Oregon's 1st Black owned barber college. Founders Jamaal & Christina Lane worked their tails off to make this a reality in the community. It was great to see @OregonGovBrown come by and see the fruits of their labor. #SupportBlackBusiness pic.twitter.com/yFIubkmxoh
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 24, 2021
Day 24- #BlackHistoryMonth Mathilde Aurélien Wilson founder of Mathilde’s Kitchen. Mathilde grew up cooking with her mom in Haiti’s mountains & in '16 launched the food cart Jouk Li Jou. Today, she has a catering menu, and sells several artisanal beverages in the Portland area. pic.twitter.com/ndj1DNYAEo
— Built Oregon (@BuiltOregon) February 24, 2021
Day 23 of #BHM is for the man that helps so many Black owned firms & nonprofits in Oregon come correct (including me) @PerkinsCoieLLP attorney @AaronMHolloway. He & his firm work to answer the questions you have (and even the ones you don't even know to ask) #SupportBlackBusiness pic.twitter.com/j3PoIo4YHr
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 23, 2021
Day 23 – #BlackHistoryMonth Perez Westbrooks (@GaijinTheArtist ). His goal when creating art is to give the community a sense of hunger & inspiration while passing on positive emotions. His motto is “Forever Hungry” which means to have an endless desire. pic.twitter.com/BqUIkvobSS
— Built Oregon (@BuiltOregon) February 23, 2021
Day 22 of #BHM is #ForDaKids and @AuntLindsey "The Fab Lab", a show that uses history, science & even donuts to help the next generation fall in love with science. Her swag is one part @BillNye, mixed with two parts @Beyonce. #STEM #SupportBlackBusinesshttps://t.co/gqhRrNWuD6 pic.twitter.com/BuzZGaN55j
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 22, 2021
Day 22 – #BlackHistoryMonth George Johnson founder/head brewer/pizza chef at Assembly Brewing. George decided to combine his love of pizza and beer and in 2019 created Assembly Brewing “with a mission to bring people together”. Stop by and grab some takeout pizza or 16oz cans! pic.twitter.com/Gkl8mT5t11
— Built Oregon (@BuiltOregon) February 22, 2021
Day 21 of #BHM takes us to your driveway. "Back To New Detailing" owned by Brandon Dean, is a mobile detailing business. I know I am going to kick myself for sharing about him as it means he will probably be busy the next time I need him;) #SupportBlackBusiness #PDX pic.twitter.com/iGZHgE8OET
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 21, 2021
Day 21 – #BlackHistoryMonth Kamelah Adams of @tees_mimi . In 2018, while working as PTA Vice President for Racial Equality and Inclusion, She saw the need for more social justice based conversations and realized people can start these by wearing their beliefs on their shirts pic.twitter.com/4186A2tg2B
— Built Oregon (@BuiltOregon) February 21, 2021
Day 20 of #BHM is for one of the state of Oregon's largest general construction firms Raimore Construction. Look for their signs on some of the state's largest infrastructure projects happening over the next few years. #SupportBlackBusiness #BuiltBlack https://t.co/idPdN7rbSf
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 20, 2021
Day 20- #BlackHistoryMonth Bertony Faustin, winemaker at Abbey Creek Winery. Bertony, the first Black vineyard owner/winemaker in OR history, has created a true Earth to Glass Winery: he plants the vines, tends to them, harvests the fruit, makes the wine & sells every bottle. pic.twitter.com/m06z9BFUYq
— Built Oregon (@BuiltOregon) February 20, 2021
Day 19 of #BHM brings us to the "Mother Of Bosses" @themayoress. Her firm @pregamemag has been training founders and keeping them sharp for years. As the dust settles from COVID it'll become clear that her firm saved countless biz around #PDX @OregonGovBrown #SupportBlackBusiness pic.twitter.com/i6bzHAUYFx
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 19, 2021
Day 19 – #BlackHistoryMonth Eleni Woldeyes of Eleni’s Kitchen. Eleni set up her company to share the unique flavors & exotic aromas of Ethiopian foods with the world.She has a line of products, offers virtual cooking classes & caters food (you can order via her website). pic.twitter.com/i0nTcnUP2y
— Built Oregon (@BuiltOregon) February 19, 2021
Day 18 of #BHM takes us out to beautiful Joseph, OR (yes they have Black people) and the work of non profit org @LoggerDaughter
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 18, 2021
in collecting & preserving the experiences of Black loggers in the early 20 century in the logging town of Maxville. #Oregonhttps://t.co/3Vofcq0HdA
Day 18 (again) – #BlackHistoryMonth Chef Fatou Ouattara of Akadi restaurant. Fatou’s goal is to authentically represent West African culture through food, music & ambiance.She recently launched two bottled sauces that have been at the center of her restaurant since inception pic.twitter.com/znNUBnSZUz
— Built Oregon (@BuiltOregon) February 18, 2021
My #BHM coverage would be complete without including the OG inspiration for me of my mom. Check her out in this @TheSkannerNews article from 96'. She was a "Blatina" software engineer starting her #tech career in the 70's here in #PDX at @tektronix. @PDXWiIT #BlackHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/5hnnOVHVQW
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 17, 2021
Day 17 of #BHM brings us to @GreenBox_pdx founder Adrian Wyman. Read about him building the state's first delivery-only cannabis business & how it prepared him to succeed in the pandemic. #SupportBlackBusiness #BlackHistoryMonth @PDXBIZJournal https://t.co/4gdxZ3jxR3
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 17, 2021
Day 18 – #BlackHistoryMonth Affouet Price of Hibisbloom. She created Hibisbloom to share her traditional West African food culture with the rest of the world. The product is an interpretation of the traditional hibiscus flower tea Bissap & comes as a RTD beverage & mixer. pic.twitter.com/czng6mT6AR
— Built Oregon (@BuiltOregon) February 17, 2021
Day 16 of #BHM @ODuck21 founder of @MOTUSRecruiting. He's gone from dishing out assists to teammates on the basketball court to helping companies find their next teammates all over the country. Honestly, he is one of my favorite humans. #BlackHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/QN4buIvFjL
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 16, 2021
Day 16 – #BlackHistoryMonth Reeba Daniel (she/her), founder @rnarieshop . Reeba is collaboratively building a holistic self care system powered by manufacturing small-batch, minimal ingredient spa products ,small business collaborations and a network or like minded businesses. pic.twitter.com/Nuh8aIUwoP
— Built Oregon (@BuiltOregon) February 16, 2021
Day 15 of #BHM is all about our health. Damon King is former pro hooper (now pro dad), who's taking what he's learned about taking care of his body and sharing it with others. Go check him out on Instagram. #SupportBlackBusiness #Uplfthttps://t.co/AQAYRDIKPg pic.twitter.com/JFPGW7a9bw
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 15, 2021
Day 15 – #BlackHistoryMonth Ian Williams, founder @DeadstockPDX From kickstarter campaign in '14, to pop-up in Compound to the current retail location, Ian’s vision has never wavered from creating a center for the footwear community where conversations and connections happen. pic.twitter.com/rQtVrExMoW
— Built Oregon (@BuiltOregon) February 15, 2021
Day 14 of #BHM is for those of you struggling to get that last minute Valentines gift. Founders Len & Dre at @EcoVibeApparel got your back. From amazing apparel to home goods, they are my go to spot for gifts for loved ones. #SupportBlackBusiness #PDXhttps://t.co/1vucQWTpd1
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 14, 2021
Day 14 – #BlackHistoryMonth Elsy Dinvil, founder of Creole Me Up. Elsy specializes in producing organic, allergen-free, & overall healthy Haitian food products, catering services & teaching Haitian cuisine around the PDX Metro area. She also has two books available for purchase. pic.twitter.com/ylXL2exDsh
— Built Oregon (@BuiltOregon) February 14, 2021
Day 13 of #BHM is for @dopeinfluencer who's been shaping fades (and more importantly lives) for people around the country for almost two decades. Barbershops like his are hubs in community where laughs, commerce & healing happen in real time. #SupportBlackBusiness pic.twitter.com/1K7VnHKhoN
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 13, 2021
Day 13 – #BlackHistoryMonth Cydnie Smith-McCarthy, of Drink Mamey. Her mission focuses on spreading wellness via juices & smoothies and developing juice bars in low income areas to help bridge the health gap between Black and white Portlanders. First one opened last fall. pic.twitter.com/JiqTGajyrI
— Built Oregon (@BuiltOregon) February 13, 2021
Day 12 of #BHM brings us to small Junction City, OR where Bryan Harper & his sister Tiffany are the 5th generation of Harpers to run the over 1,200 acre hazelnut farm. They are just one of multiple Black owned farms around Oregon. #SupportBlackBusinesshttps://t.co/iJM3LQUOxt pic.twitter.com/93N7fTKAXW
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 12, 2021
Day 12 – #BlackHistoryMonth Crystal Ball, founder of Crystal Ball Botanicals – a line of all-natural & organic, botanical skincare, tinctures & elixirs. All products are handmade in small batches. Contents for each product are sourced locally and ethically whenever possible. pic.twitter.com/KwEH3hJmMs
— Built Oregon (@BuiltOregon) February 12, 2021
Day 11 of #BHM brings us to master of words & NYC native, @LowerEastScribe. He's added his cultural prose to bylines for @SLAMonline & produced content for folks like @kendricklamar. He saves his best work for community here in #PDX with @thecolorways. https://t.co/zSXK0xmAlH pic.twitter.com/J5qGNHcm5U
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 11, 2021
Day 11- #BlackHistoryMonth Mike White, founder @BbqDamn Started in 2018, the family owned & operated business has created a line of unique sauces-from Sweet Lady Love to West Coast Tang & on to Hot Damn That’s Hot -that are sure to bring your grill game up quite a few notches. pic.twitter.com/0HQjTRszf7
— Built Oregon (@BuiltOregon) February 11, 2021
Day 10 of #BHM takes us to #tech savant @DamolaOmotosho. Not only is he a top-tier flag football player but he builds apps with his firm @SwyftStudios for the culture like "Trivia Black" & "CutUp".#SupportBlackBusiness #BlackInTech https://t.co/hPHWfyBH5E
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 10, 2021
Day 10- #BlackHistoryMonth Alisia Ford (@AlisiaMichelle ), founder/CEO of Glory, a new kind of skincare brand powered by women of color & on a mission to help women of every hue make better choices about their skin health. Glory recently joined @Sephora 's accelerator program pic.twitter.com/cnGyX5VJWa
— Built Oregon (@BuiltOregon) February 10, 2021
Day 9 of #BHM is for @TWM_Wealth who helps folks "keep their mind on their money and their money on their mind." For over 20 years, this NE #PDX native has assisted numerous people in building towards their dreams. #SupportBlackBusiness #BlackWealthMattershttps://t.co/RJEoFrix0i pic.twitter.com/wmBpIKElCk
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 9, 2021
Day 9 – #BlackHistoryMonth Aleesha Nedd , founder of The Naked Lemon in Astoria. Out of her location on Commercial Street, she bakes beautiful hand made pastry creations such as french macarons, cupcakes, cakes, cookies and now fresh pressed juices. When in Astoria, stop in! pic.twitter.com/cOtimEBblk
— Built Oregon (@BuiltOregon) February 9, 2021
Day 8 of #BHM is for the kids (and kids in all of us) at the NE #PDX original, Joe Brown's Carmel Corn. To this day, I have never been on a trip to Lloyd Center Mall without getting some of their cheese corn. They have a new retail location coming soon. #SupportBlackBusiness pic.twitter.com/xJpRXmegrf
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 8, 2021
Day 8 – #BlackHistoryMonth André Hueston Mack, winemaker at @MaisonNoirWines From Citicorp to being awarded the prestigious title of Best Young Sommelier in America, André’s vision has led to Maison Noir – a two-fold lifestyle project producing both a T-Shirt line & Oregon wines. pic.twitter.com/3bSDunKBjW
— Built Oregon (@BuiltOregon) February 8, 2021
Day 7 of #BHM is for @greenHAUSpdx. Got a chance previously to bring @OregonGovBrown by this #PDX home goods store. #SupportBlackBusiness #BlackHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/TRGtfdj1Qa
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 7, 2021
Day 7 – #BlackHistoryMonth Jovani Prince, founder of @TheCrackerKing . All of their amazing crackers are Certified Gluten Free, have no Cholesterol or Trans-fat, and are made with the highest quality of whole grains and wholesome ingredients. Grab some for Super Bowl snacking! pic.twitter.com/c8GNu28pwI
— Built Oregon (@BuiltOregon) February 7, 2021
Day 6 of #BHM is for the world's only footwear design school @Pensole_Academy. Over 400 of their alumni are working in the industry around the world. Check out the release of their shoe with @footlocker & @coteandciel. #SupportBlackBusiness https://t.co/eHhDww8K9M
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 6, 2021
Day 6 – #BlackHistoryMonth Randi Stewart (@rthediva ) of 526 Beauty Products. 526 specializes in full coverage lip products, all organic men’s skincare products, face cleansers & washes, and Magic Butter – a skin moisturizer that works great for eczema and dry skin. pic.twitter.com/HL5MGRU8Mc
— Built Oregon (@BuiltOregon) February 6, 2021
Day 5 of #BHM is for the award winning Nicole Early and her #PDX based firm Early PR. In 2018 she decided to leverage her political & policy experience to help firms stay focused and keep on track. #SupportBlackBusinesshttps://t.co/Ms52BHkoAs pic.twitter.com/qsQzGRRib4
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 5, 2021
Day 5 – #BlackHistoryMonth Darius Northern, founder @POCClothing . People of Colour Clothing aims to educate, generate conversation, and create opportunities for people to examine their conscious behavior on topics primarily related to racial identity, racism, & discrimination pic.twitter.com/AjUqcaTw6J
— Built Oregon (@BuiltOregon) February 5, 2021
Day 4 of #BHM takes us to the East Coast where @PartakeFoods (but can be bought all over Oregon) is based. Their gluten free cookies and baking mixes are amazing. Run to your local @Target to get some or just order from their website. #SupportBlackBusiness https://t.co/Z8ZxNsnLlC pic.twitter.com/PEkdEfiCJc
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 4, 2021
Day 4 – #BlackHistoryMonth Steven Christian, founder of @iltopia Studios. Steven’s goal is to create quirky adventure stories about the Black experience in America that entertains, empowers, and educates – and hopefully opens doors to more understanding. pic.twitter.com/GB656PsMIH
— Built Oregon (@BuiltOregon) February 4, 2021
Day 3 of #BHM to the creativity powerhouse of @HeartandHustle_ and the team at Heart & Hustle Productions. Their new series "Expressions In Black" with @KGWNews is giving me all the right energy for 2021 & beyond. #BlackStoriesMatter #SupportBlackBusinesshttps://t.co/Y68ar6WpuJ
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 3, 2021
Day 3 – #BlackHistoryMonth Anne Johnson, founder @MamancyTeaCo , grew up drinking tea in Kenya where it was a family ritual and communal ceremony. That has led to an unending pursuit to deliver the best quality tasting tea & the most tempting chocolatey treats. pic.twitter.com/HFCxMT6n0g
— Built Oregon (@BuiltOregon) February 3, 2021
Day 2 of #BHM brings us to @KarvelDigital founded by @kronda. They have been helping business close the digital divide for years while also helping firms up their marketing game. Here she talks about some of the realities of being a Black founder. https://t.co/FRxjM11S5a
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 2, 2021
Day 2 – #BlackHistoryMonth Uju Uzuegbunam, founder of Ozznek Shoes (@Uju83377022 ). Uju has created a unique children’s shoe that utilizes one sole with different interchangeable tops in order to provide different looks without having to purchase multiple shoes. pic.twitter.com/zm0Cz5btJJ
— Built Oregon (@BuiltOregon) February 2, 2021
Kicking off day 1 of #BHM coverage with @claimastories founded by @storiesbimma. He & his team are helping diverse folks claim seats at tables in the sneaker industry by showing firms the talent that is already out in these streets. #SupportBlackBusinesshttps://t.co/fmxpff0zkH pic.twitter.com/ZZRe5tcLHe
— Stephen Green (@PDXStephenG) February 1, 2021
Day 1 #BlackHistoryMonth Francis Kungu, of Exilior coffee, a Direct Trade, Single-Origin, Locally Roasted Kenyan Coffee company. Their vision is to create equitable economic & longevity for Kenyans working in coffee communities through the purchase of their coffee. pic.twitter.com/ilNjeZss8X
— Built Oregon (@BuiltOregon) February 1, 2021
[Full disclosure: Stephen Green is the chair of Built Oregon. I am the cofounder of Built.]
- Category: Oregon, Twitter
- Tag: bhm, black history month, built oregon, stephen green
Published by Rick Turoczy
More than mildly obsessed with the Portland startup community. Founder and editor at Silicon Florist. Cofounder and general manager at PIE. Follow me on Twitter: @turoczy View all posts by Rick Turoczy