Legacy 2016 Miami: 25 Most Powerful Women Issue | Page 10

10BB AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MIA MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS GROUP TO MIAMI HERALD By Richard McCulloch MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2016 Women Are Changing the Color of Entrepreneurship Richard McCulloch VP of Client Services & Business Development Tribeca Marketing Group. The first time that I met Chef Yolanda James, I could not help but be overwhelmed with her presence. An air of confidence exudes from this Culinary Arts graduate from the prestigious Johnson & Wales University. Her smile illuminates a room with a warmth only rivaled by the steaming pans of delicious dishes that she makes for clients as the founder, executive chef and owner of Sweet & Savory Catering based in Miami. She came through our office doors to By HCIII introduce her corporate lunch delivery service which featured great tasting selections prepared with healthy ingredients and in portions conducive to a responsible nutritional lifestyle. With the sedentary habits that an office environment can often facilitate, a healthy meal option that tasted good and could be delivered right to you at lunchtime was a value proposition that resonated with me. Not only was it a great idea, it was especially fulfilling to see a single mother of color take her dream and develop it into a reality. Fast forward one year after meeting Chef Yolanda and her catering service has not only grown, but has given birth to a take-out location; Tightwork Soul Food Seafood and Grill. Not only has the Chef earned City contracts to cater events, but the take-out version of her vision has become a place for her local community to stop in and enjoy soul food favorites prepared with the culinary talents of a professionally trained Chef, marinated and made with her most important ingredient; love. According to statistics, Chef Yolanda is not the only woman cooking up business as an entrepreneur. Earlier this year, the National Women's Business Council released their analysis of preliminary Census data which revealed that there were nearly 10 million women-owned small businesses in the U.S. in 2012, a 27.5% increase from 2007. Despite male dominance when it comes to the amount of overall entrepreneurial ventures, don’t sleep on these women who mean business. In the same time period, women-owned businesses grew at a rate four times that of male-owned businesses, and earned a total of $1.6 trillion between 2007 and 2012. Though entrepreneurial motivation for women varies, there is an interesting common denominator when it comes to the rise of women of color running their own businesses. According to Margot Dorfman, CEO of the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce, “We attribute the growth in women-owned firms to the lack of fair pay, fair promotion, and family-friendly policies found in corporate America,” she said. “Women of color, when you look at the statistics, are impacted more significantly by all of the negative factors that women face. It’s not surprising that they have chosen to invest in themselves.” Dorfman’s observations are certainly supported by the growth of African American women turning to entrepreneurship as a means to make a living and forge a legacy. From 1997 to 2015, the number of African American businesses owned by women grew a staggering 322%. Despite economic factors and workforce inequalities that could simply reduce Black women to collateral damage and statistical victims of an unfair labor market, they are taking charge of business and creating their own. The legacy of Black women and mothers “holding down” the household has evolved into a quiet movement to hold down their communities and the future of their children by creating their own businesses and subsequently, becoming key contributors to job creation. If you are a woman who has ever doubted yourself as a future entrepreneur, the data is very clear; you can do it, and as you start to develop the idea for your venture, the most important question that you need to answer is; “if not now, when.” Richard McCulloch is the VP of Client Services & Business Development for Tribeca Marketing Group. He can be contacted at [email protected] Erica Lee Protects Humanity's Greatest Asset: Children Erica Lee, Program Administrator, Florida Department of Children and Families’ Child Protective Services Erica Lee started as a Child Protective Investigator protecting those most vulnerable. Lee takes her commitment very seriously because she realized early on how her role affects change for the good of a child and their families. Lee recounts, “I can honestly say that every day, I learned something new, whether it was from the families I served or the people I worked with.” Lee explains the importance of child protective services in her words. “Children’s experiences in their formative years are crucial to their adjustment as adults. The role of the Florida Department of Children and Families’ Child Protective Services is to ensure that children are free from abuse and neglect and that their families are linked to resources that will help produce better outcomes. Parents who are empowered can empower their children. Ultimately, any investment made in children and families is an investment in a stronger person, a stronger village, and stronger communities.” Being born in Plymouth, Montserrat in the West Indies, Erica Lee felt the unfairness of life because of situations out of her control. “I remember having a feeling that I could not affect change in my life. Also, growing up with a deep dislike for the skin that I was in; at times feeling trapped being called too dark skinned or big lipped.” These feelings of inadequacy led to bad behavior, which led to her being held back in the 9th grade. But no woman in her family ever went to college or even had a driver's license making her perceived bad behavior seem acceptable for her. The turning point came as an opportunity to go to a JROTC summer camp. There she was separated from her environment and found her individuality. Lee was in charge of a platoon through an obstacle course and was terrified to take the role. However, an inspiring counselor’s encouraging words resonated with her. Instilling that a failure wouldn’t be that she could not lead her team to victory bu ]YHY