Built in Black America

We talked with Tia Lyles-Williams about her road to creating a history making company, LucasPye Bio. It's biomanufacturing firm based in Philadelphia. Tia has a string of "firsts" and "fews" to her name already. But she's just getting started. Listen to find out what she's doing to bring other people up with her.

We talked with Tiffany Wesley, founder of Pure Vibes Skincare. It's an organic skincare company, that's partially owned by the people who work there. This whole thing started when she got diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) and she decided to take more control over what went in and on her body. Business has taken off in the past few years. Aside from creating a fantastic product, Tiffany says her story is what really sells her soaps, lotions, and body washes. It's a great story to listen to.

One of the other key parts of this conversation is her decision to turn this into a co-op. Tiffany says when most people ask her about this, it sounds kind of like a loaded question. We can see why. It sounds like she's taking money out of her own pockets and giving it up to other people. And you know... who does that? However, Tiffany says this still works out better in the long run for the performance of her company and the product line they've put together.

We talked with the woman behind Harlem Cycle. She told us how visiting a bunch of other studios left her feeling like she didn't fit in and recognized a gap in the fitness landscape. So she started Harlem Cycle while still working her corporate job, creating the first and only boutique fitness studio in Harlem.

We talk with Mike Potter, founder of Black Brew Culture and one of the first festivals aimed at promoting Black owned craft beer -- Blacktoberfest. Mike tells us what it was like when he first got into craft beer. Plus, the knowledge base that Black brewers have through BBC. And we talk about the upcoming Blacktoberfest that's expanding from one city to three.

We talked with Quincy Henry, who launched Campfire Coffee Company with his wife. They took a rough patch in life and turned it into a booming business out in Tacoma, Washington. Quincy talked about getting it started plus, how they're looking at taking their business to a level where there are very few people of color. And we look at the company's push to get more Black people into the Great Outdoors.

We talked with Kemi Tignor, who created Little Likes Kids. It's a company that's elevating playtime by adding diverse faces to the puzzles and games it offers. Kemi talks about how she got the idea and how she expanded over time. Plus, there's a couple of tips on how any mother can make their child's playroom more diverse.

We talked with owner and CEO Ymani Efunyale about the health scare with her child led to creating a cleaner with loyal users and a growing fanbase. Ymani also drops some valuable tips on how you can support more Black owned businesses.

We talk with Ashley Rouse about how she started Trade Street Jam Co. from her apartment! Plus, we discuss the importance of the Black community supporting Black owned businesses.

We talked with D'Shawn Russell about how she created Southern Elegance Candle Co, and how she plans to transform it into an entire lifestyle brand.

We talk with author and food historian Adrian Millier about his latest book, Black Smoke. Miller also talks about why it's important for people of color to curate and share their own stories about food and culture.