Celebrating Black-owned businesses at AppSumo

Black-owned businesses today come from a rich tradition of entrepreneurship in our country, from Madam C.J. Walker and William Alexandar Leidesdorff to Rihanna and Daymond John.

This February, we highlighted Black businesses within our Sumo-ling community that are breaking boundaries and working to change the game for current and future generations.

Here’s to the history they’re sure to make.

Rico Glover

Can you tell us about your business?

As the co-founder of Soulcial Media Marketing, I specialize in helping small businesses grow through online branding, content marketing, and social media platforms. Additionally, I’m the host of StartupGrind Charlotte, a local monthly event aimed at connecting entrepreneurs and professionals to share ideas and successes.

What does being an entrepreneur mean to you?

Entrepreneurship is a powerful thing. It brings with it the freedom to pursue passions and ideas, opening up opportunities for both success and failure. The chance to take risks in order to make something from nothing is liberating in its own right. Being an entrepreneur can come with many obstacles, but it also provides the thrill of being able to see your ideas come alive, as well as potentially change lives. And there’s no greater feeling than watching a concept turn into reality through hard work and dedication.

How has AppSumo helped you in your business?

AppSumo is the backbone of my tech stack and saves me thousands a year through LTDs. I’ve used over 30 AppSumo deals to run my business and for clients. Some tools I’m currently using: SendFox, Wave.video, Switchy, and Sociamonials.

Dr. Michele Josey

Can you tell us about your business?

Mogul Beginnings offers a unique approach to helping businesses increase their customer lifetime value and quantifying the impact they have on their community. I’ve found that business owners often overlook their most valuable resource—data. With their data, I help business owners strategize, optimize, and scale, so they can attract more customers and increase their revenue.

What does being an entrepreneur mean to you?

Of course, entrepreneurship means that I can better dictate my time, travel, spend more time with my family, and secure my financial future. More importantly, entrepreneurship means creating freedom and opportunities for other families, too.

A business coach once told me, ‘People usually hire people that look like them. If there are fewer Black business owners, we will continue to see higher unemployment rates in our community.’ So not only do I want to provide jobs, but I also want to train the next generation of data scientists and analysts to compete in this fast-growing and high-paying field. I have always cared about generational wealth. To me, this is how I get to blend my business and desire to help other families build wealth.

Want to dive deeper into the metrics that move the needle? Check out these data-focused tools.

Johnnie Ray Kornegay III

Can you tell us about your business?

Queue Points is a podcast that drops the needle on Black music history. We came up with the idea because we saw a void in the podcasting landscape. People weren’t having meaningful, in-depth, conversations about the Black music we loved from our childhood, and we wanted to provide that outlet.

What does being an entrepreneur mean to you?

To me, being an entrepreneur means having the freedom to create the future we see for ourselves and inspire others. Entrepreneurship has reminded us that we are the people we’ve been waiting for. AppSumo products have provided us an opportunity to build robust and meaningful connections with our audience by selling tools invaluable to every budding entrepreneur.

How has AppSumo helped you in your business?

AppSumo products are key to powering the Queue Points brand. Our website is built with Subhub, our video archive is housed in VadooTV and our community is powered by UUKI—all of which were AppSumo products.

Feeling inspired to start your own podcast? Rumble Studio is a customer fave.

Anna McCoy

Can you tell us about your business?

Billionaire Brilliance is a coaching and consultant business that teaches entrepreneurs how to win in business, money, and life. Billionaire Brilliance is a way to give back to the next generation of entrepreneurs, to tap into their creative genius and intuitive knowledge, as well as to excel in business acumen and global commerce.

What does being an entrepreneur mean to you?

Entrepreneurship activates an individual’s innate need to make, co-create, or be something that matters… As an entrepreneur, I have been able to live a prosperous life, serve my clients, and care for my community and family by having more than enough time, talent, and treasures to make a difference for others.

Dejon Brooks

Can you tell us about your business?

My software, Trend Watchers, helps creators go viral with trends. I was a full-time YouTuber when I was in high school. The way to become ‘viral’ is to hop on the latest trends, but it took me forever to research what was currently trending or what would trend next. So, I decided to create software that helps creators find trending topics across 30+ different categories.

What does being an entrepreneur mean to you?

At first, I thought being an entrepreneur was all about making money until I had a job in real estate wholesaling my senior year of high school. The money was terrific, but I didn’t like taking advantage of vulnerable homeowners who needed to sell their homes (below market value). I eventually dropped this side hustle, and I made a promise to myself that every future product/service that I sold must be something I believe in and have a positive impact on everyone involved. Making a profit is nice, but helping and uplifting others is where happiness is found.

How has AppSumo helped you in your business?

AppSumo has helped me financially by listing my products. I’m working on a few new projects now that have been a direct result of getting my product Trend Watchers picked up by AppSumo two years ago.

Ramonica Gamble

Can you tell us about your business?

I am a Video and Marketing Consultant who has helped over 350 women get on camera and share their stories. I encourage my clients to believe in their gift by helping them offer digital products, launch videos, and dominate their market space… My community needs to believe, and then they will soar. This is one of my missions. To me, being an entrepreneur is the freedom to express new ideas and create solutions in real time without the red tape.

How has AppSumo helped you in your business?

I have several favorite apps that I’ve used to help me connect with my audience: One Stream has given me tons of video options to connect with my audience. Group Collector is a game changer for collecting data for my FB groups, and Loudoc has been one of the best for creative download options.

Steven Christian

What does being an entrepreneur mean to you?

As an entrepreneur, I have created opportunities for myself and others to do what we love in the art and tech industry. I go to medical school throughout the week and create books, apps, and animations on the side. Having the flexibility to make my own schedule, but also the responsibility to create work that has an impact on my community, is a great honor. I have been able to take ideas I’ve dreamed of and create products from them—whether they’re stuffed animals, stickers, cartoons, or even interactive augmented reality characters. The sky is the limit, and I have full agency to share and inspire my community to follow my lead.

How has AppSumo helped you in your business?

AppSumo has helped me scale and balance the demands of medical school with the responsibilities of running a business by giving me access to tools that save me time and make tasks easier to complete. I am a solo entrepreneur that often subsidizes my operating budget with student loans. It can be difficult to get things done when you are often not generating the revenue needed to “keep the lights on” and pay for assistance. These are tools I regularly use to help me work around those issues:

WordHero and Ocoya: copywriting and social media content

Upbase: project management

SQR QR Code Generator: links and QR codes

YouPost: Blog content generation

SUPERMACHINE: Image generation