Black Entrepreneur Wants To Raise $1.5 Billion For Black Businesses

Crowdfunding has become a popular practice in funding new business ventures.

Sharifah Hardie, founder of Support My Black Business, has created this crowdfunding platform to assist Black businesses with generating funding to keep their doors open.

According to a press release, Hardie wants $1.5 billion across the platform.

“During a global pandemic 41% of Black businesses closed across the county. That’s nearly half a million businesses that are gone. They are no longer operating, and we didn’t have that many Black businesses to begin with,“ Hardie said.

The business consultant recognized how the pandemic globally affected Black businesses in a way that has caused many to still rebuild due to random COVID outbreaks and more competition..

“I knew I had to do something. I had no idea what I needed to do,” Hardie said. “Then I watched a video online about these three Black sisters who owned an ice cream shop. Their business was struggling. They were getting ready to go under. They went to their father and asked him what to do. Their father encouraged them to create a GoFundMe page.

“They listened to their father, raised nearly $30,000.00 and are still in business to this day. I knew then that if it could work for those sisters, it could work for more sisters and brothers across America and Support My Black Business was born,” she said.

Hardie’s crowdfunding platform is an effort to encourage people to advance the Black community. Business owners can launch a campaign, tell their own unique story, and start the fundraising process through the Support My Black Business platform. Donations are directly dispersed to the business owner.

Hardie is no stranger to creating platforms in support of building the Black community.

As previously mentioned in BLACK ENTERPRISE, Hardie launched her Black Guest List platform in January to provide media outlets immediate access to Black influencers, thought leaders, politicians, business professionals, authors, entertainers, and artists interested in media opportunities.