Our Village United, Inc.

This #HispanicHeritageMonth, we're all about celebrating the intersection between Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs who are putting on for the culture. 🙌🏾⁠ ⁠ Swipe to see how our communities are building businesses and pushing boundaries. Don’t forget to tag your favorite Hispanic-owned brand in the comments.⁠ ⁠

Major shoutout to Victoria Lamar, an alumna of ELEVATED Atlanta and the founder of Securing Degrees LLC! She recently took home the grand prize at the Taco Bell Ambition Accelerator, standing out among over 400 entries and securing a $25,000 award! 🏆🎓️⁠ ⁠ Let’s celebrate her incredible achievement and the impact she's making. Drop a 👏🏾 in the comments to show her some love! 🌍✨⁠ #avillageontherise #TacoBellAmbitionAccelerator

If you're in the ATL, join us on September 11th at Pittsburgh Yards® for Branding to the Bank! Jennet & Derrick Jackson, the creative minds behind Weathered Not Worn, will be sharing their strategies on building a standout brand. Learn how to define your brand identity, connect with your audience, and develop a consistent brand voice that sets you apart. 🧠⁠ ⁠ Register here: https://lnkd.in/ghzWE2jH #avillageontherise #branding #brandstrategy

We had the chance to catch up with Jennifer McDonald, founder of Mississippi Natural Hair Expo, and an ELEVATE MS alumna who's been holding it down for nine years with the MS Natural Hair Expo. What started as a vision to uplift Black women in Mississippi through natural hair has grown into a space where business, culture and community meet.⁠ ⁠ This year’s expo was nothing short of magic, featuring brands like Abeille Creations by Melissa A. Mitchell, Kim Roxie’s LAMIK Beauty and Ameka Coleman's Strands of Faith celebrating all things Black beauty. And let’s not forget Basie, the youngest entrepreneur in expo history, bringing her creativity to life with custom beaded bracelets!⁠ ⁠ If you missed it this year, trust, this is one event you’ll want to pull up to next time. ⁠ #avillageontherise ⁠

Major shoutout to Brittany Washington! 🎉 Brittany, an alumna of Her Pro Bono, member of the OVU Alumni Program, and founder of My Beautiful Fluff was recently featured in The Curvy Fashionista. Her latest creation? A coloring book that’s all about empowering women to feel confident in their bodies and express their creativity through fashion. With affirmations and illustrations celebrating all body types, Brittany is helping women everywhere embrace their beauty. ⁠ ⁠ Let’s show Brittany some love! Drop a 👏🏾 in the comments to celebrate her amazing work.⁠ ⁠ #avillageontherise⁠

Big wins, village! 🎉 @iamjustjai, founder of Just Jai Enterprise LLC, secured her first order with a construction company, marking a major step forward in her journey! ✨⁠ ⁠ And that’s not all – Jai-Letta has also been named a finalist in the National Black Business Supplier Development Program! Out of 150 applicants, only 12 made the cut, and Jai-Letta is honored to be one of them.⁠ ⁠ This opportunity is a huge step towards securing tier 1 and tier 2 contracts with Fortune 500 companies.⁠ ⁠ Let’s give Jai-Letta the recognition she deserves! Drop a 👏🏾 in the comments to show her some love. #avillageontherise

Meet Terrence Jones, founder of Louisiana Creole Candy and proud alum of our ELEVATED Houston/NOLA program. Through our grant funding, Terrence was able to elevate his business—expanding his team, upgrading his branding and taking his operations to the next level. This is what happens when we pour resources back into Black-owned businesses: growth, success and community impact. 💪🏾⁠ ⁠ At OVU, we believe in the power of investing in our people. By supporting founders like Terrence, we’re not just building businesses—we’re building legacies. When one of us elevates, we all do. Special thanks to Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth for helping us fund our founders.⁠ #avillageontherise #ELEVATEDNOLA

Exciting news, village! 🎉 Nicole Anderson, an alumna of Her Pro Bono and the founder of Her Wine, has leveled up her business by getting her wine into all Total Wine stores in Georgia! ⁠ But that’s just the beginning – with the support of OVU and a grant, Nicole is now in talks with major retailers like BP, HEB, Whole Foods, Kroger and Publix! Drop a 👏🏾 in the comments to show her some love.⁠ #avillageontherise

There's no OVU without YOU. 💪🏾🌍 This #BlackBusinessMonth, we're celebrating the heart and soul of Our Village United – our villagers.⁠ ⁠ Across our national, regional and statewide programs, one thing remains the same: the bonds built. Each of our villager's journey is personal to us, and every step we take, we take together. ⁠ ⁠ How has being part of OVU impacted you? Drop a comment and let us know. ⁠ ⁠ #avillageontherise

Exciting news, village! 🎉 Lila Brown has won the Southern California Minority Supplier Development Council’s (SCMSDC) Pitch Competition! ⁠ ⁠ SCMSDC is the largest nonprofit minority business advocacy organization in Southern California, and their pitch competition is a prestigious event that showcases innovative ideas from minority business enterprises. ⁠ ⁠ Let's show Lila some love and celebrate her amazing achievement! Drop a 👏🏾 in the comments to cheer her on. ⁠