Tiffany Williams, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Diversity Fund Houston is one of the masterminds behind the recent "Entrepreneur - Houston Edition" video that has taken social media by storm. Tiffany and her colleagues Phillip J. Yates and Kiley Summers brought together some of Houston's most well-known Black Entrepreneurs - both long-time Black Business Owners and up and coming talent looking to make an impact in their respective industries. The video is inspired by and set to the song written and performed by Pharrell Williams and Jay-Z.
The five-minute visual does an amazing job of showcasing Black Entrepreneurs from every corner of Houston, across a variety of industries, from all different walks of life. Some of the well-known local figures include Marcus Davis of the breakfast klub, Warren Broadnax of She's Happy Hair to Cecil Ivey, Sr of Cindy's List Funeral Concierge (both BBFG FAM Sponsors), Day Edwards of Church Space, Khaliah O. Guillory of The Nap Bar and "The Sauce Boss" 16 year old Teen Sensation Tyla Crayton of Sienna Sauce! There was even a surprise appearance by Mayor Sylvester Turner, Houston's 2nd Black Mayor and advocate for small businesses.
The video sends a very powerful message that Black Entrepreneurship is boundless and very much within reach to those who want to pursue it. This is the third known edition to the original video which was introduced in August 2020 to wide fanfare. The second known edition was produced in St. Louis, Missouri. Not to be outdone, Houston joined the parade to help generate awareness about Black Entrepreneurship.
According to Williams, the Diversity Fund Houston has a focus on investing in Black and Brown technology companies. "We saw an opportunity to showcase Black businesses that are already in operation. We also wanted to foster collaboration, encourage Entrepreneurs to dream big while pursuing success. We very much want to contribute to the entrepreneurial ecosystem here in Houston, contribute to the overall economy and work together to build the community." Williams stated.
"One of the reasons we sought Mayor Turner is for his advocacy for small and minority owned businesses and that he is working to position Houston as a major technology hub. We want to align our efforts of developing talent in the technology space with his ongoing efforts to support local opportunities to further technology in an overall effort to help put Houston on the map." Williams added.
"There are so many incredible Black Owned Businesses in the Greater Houston area and it was impossible to include everyone but we were glad we could assemble a representative sample of Houston's up and coming entrepreneurs." Williams said.
Many have already said they felt inspired, motivated, proud and hopeful after watching the video. Take a few minutes and watch for yourself then let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Phillip W. Dunn, is the Founder of the Black Business Focus Group, an online group economics pl atform developing a stronger Black American economy.
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