50 Billion Dollar Boss ─ African American Women Sharing Stories of Success in Entrepreneurship and Leadership

For too long there have been few 'blueprints' for young women entrepreneurs - particularly African-American women entrepreneurs—to follow. While women are starting businesses in unprecedented numbers, many African-Americans are first-generation entrepreneurs, and there have been few role models for them to emulate and learn from.
The impact of African-American women in business is undeniable. According to the 2014 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report commissioned by American Express OPEN, while firms owned by women of color are smaller than non-minority women-owned businesses, their growth in numbers and economic clout is generally far outpacing that of other women-owned entities. Businesses owned by African-American women led that growth, up 296% from 1997 to 2014, generating nearly $50 billion in revenue. It is, in a sense, a second Black Renaissance, creating what we like to call the '50 Billion Dollar Boss.'

African-American women continue to excel and shape society across industries. This book recognizes them for their business acumen and examines how they creatively solved business challenges and identified opportunities to grow and sustain their businesses.

An expert on small business development, supplier diversity and entrepreneurship, Kathey Porter has been a Supplier Diversity Director and consultant for government, higher education and corporate entities. She has been an adjunct business instructor at several colleges and universities including Virginia Tech – Pamplin, College of Business, Savannah State, University, Savannah College of Art & Design, Strayer University, Columbia College and University of Phoenix.

Kathey was previously a marketing executive in the beauty industry, working on multicultural brands for companies including Carson Products, Revlon Professional and Colomer USA.

She has owned and operated several small businesses including a marketing consultancy, a children's bedding line, and a retail store with three stores in two markets. She recently founded BusinessFAB Enterprises, a multiplatform media initiative focused on the development of content, communications, customized networking events and continuing education programs that connects women entrepreneurs to opportunities.



Andrea Hoffman is founder and CEO of Culture Shift Labs (www.CultureShiftLabs.com) an advisory firm that tailors B2B and B2C engagement strategies and engineers connections and collaborations, between corporations and the 'diverse elite.'

A top-tier strategist, dealmaker and business development veteran for over 23 years, her client base has included BMW, Credit Suisse, Carnegie Hall, Hachette Fillapacchi, Hermes, Jaguar, Microsoft, Sony Electronics, and Time Life, Scholastic, JPMorgan Chase, Mercedes Benz USA. Since its inception in 2006, her consultancy has contributed groundbreaking content and paved the way for countless connections and growth opportunities among the "diverse elite," a $840 billion market.

To help companies identify and engage with highly sought after African-American C-suite executives, influencers and innovators in the new economy, Culture Shift Labs provides proprietary access, collaborative technology, seasoned intelligence and untapped business opportunities for companies seeking to increase a greater share of this market. Andrea is the co-author ofBlack is the New Green, the definitive source on marketing to affluent African Americans and one of the consumer demographic shifts driving economic growth, and the author of the upcomingRE-FRAGGLE: How & Why Diverse Teams Achieve Breakthrough Innovation, which will be released in the summer of 2016.