top of page
Blog
Great ideas and the people who fund them.


3 Black Friday Emails You’ll Want to Copy
Black Friday is coming, and inboxes are already overflowing. Every brand is fighting for attention, and it’s easy to feel like your emails will get lost in the noise . The pressure builds to match what everyone else is doing: more discounts, more urgency, more messages. But that only adds to the overwhelm. The truth is, the emails that stand out during Black Friday aren’t the loudest. They’re the most genuine. They connect with customers before the sale begins and continue t
Frantzces Lys
Nov 115 min read


5 Ways to Turn Holiday Shoppers Into Lifelong Fans
You felt it, the rush of December . Orders flying in, your brand buzzing, the kind of momentum that makes all those late nights feel worth it. And then January arrived. Quiet. Still. Almost uncomfortably so. The energy that once fueled your business disappeared, leaving you wondering , “How do I make them stay?” The instinct is to push harder. More ads. More posts. More discounts. But seasoned founders know that growth isn’t about reach; it’s about retention . You’re not Amaz
Frantzces Lys
Nov 54 min read


Your Holiday Window Closes Dec 15: Fix These 5 Leaks Now
It turns out most holiday losses come from a few small , repairable slips, not from your offer. While you're refining campaigns and refreshing your website, your business might be quietly losing up to 40% of potential holiday income through simple mistakes that have nothing to do with your product. By December 15, most customers have already made their buying decisions. After that, only last-minute shoppers remain. The good news: every one of these leaks is reversible. A
Frantzces Lys
Oct 194 min read


Why Rest Is Your Most Profitable Business Decision
Every founder knows the feeling: the 2 a.m. work session that was supposed to buy freedom but instead bought fatigue. The guilt that...
Frantzces Lys
Oct 95 min read


Philadelphia’s Visionaries: Meet the Winners of BGV’s 2025 Pitch Competition
Philadelphia has always been known for its grit and heart, and this event embodied both. These Black women founders didn’t just pitch...
Frantzces Lys
Oct 23 min read


Fashion Ignored Families Like Hers, So Sonia Created Mixed Up Clothing
Before launching Mixed Up Clothing , Sonia Smith-Kang was a critical care nurse. Her shift into entrepreneurship began with a personal...
Frantzces Lys
Sep 2515 min read


A Letter From the CEO, Omi Bell
Dear BGV Family, Nine years. When I say it out loud, it feels both like the blink of an eye and a lifetime of lessons, growth, and...
Frantzces Lys
Sep 102 min read


3 Latinx Values That Make Businesses Stronger (And Most Founders Miss)
What if the blueprint you’ve been handed for building a business left out the strategies that actually make it sustainable? You’re...
Frantzces Lys
Sep 24 min read


This Black Business Month: 5 Industries Black Women Are Quietly Redefining.
Beauty Independent Every August, Black Business Month sparks a wave of headlines about representation, diversity, and progress. The...
Frantzces Lys
Aug 175 min read


Chicago's Changemakers: Meet the Winners of BGV's 2025 Pitch Competition
Black Girl Ventures is building the future of entrepreneurship, and our 2025 Chicago Pitch Competition proved it. These Black women...
Frantzces Lys
Aug 142 min read


The BGV Alumni Insider's Guide: 30+ Books & Podcasts Behind Over $1M in Collective Revenue
The Secret Behind BGV's Success Stories When we sat down with 15+ Black Girl Ventures pitch competition winners (a sample group who've...
Frantzces Lys
Aug 1110 min read


Lisa Just Wanted Her Son to Be Safe. What She Built Is Changing the Industry.
When Lisa Bailey taught her teenage son how to drive, she expected nerves, not a business idea. But what began as a mother’s concern for...
Frantzces Lys
Aug 37 min read


Meet the 20 Women Chosen for BGV's Emerging Leaders Fellowship of 2025
When we talk about building tomorrow's economy, we're not waiting for permission. We're creating the blueprint ourselves. That blueprint...
Frantzces Lys
Jul 3016 min read


7 Tiny Habits That Keep Founders Feeling Grounded
You ever feel like you're running a marathon with no finish line? Just endless pressure , constant pitching, relentless proving? The...
Frantzces Lys
Jul 145 min read


19 High-Impact Conferences Every Founder Should Know About Before 2025 Ends
Whether you're pitching , learning, or simply showing up for your future, these are the gatherings that can shape how you close out the...
Frantzces Lys
Jul 99 min read


The Mid-Year Clarity Check-In: 3 Powerful Questions Every Founder Should Ask Right Now
By July, the expectation is clear.Founders are supposed to be in momentum mode . Scaling. Optimizing. Hitting the numbers. But for many...
Frantzces Lys
Jul 25 min read


Juneteenth Isn’t Just a Celebration, It’s a Reminder of What Was Withheld
Photo by Richard Levine/Alamy Juneteenth marked the announcement of freedom, but not its delivery. No reparations. No structural support....
Frantzces Lys
Jun 183 min read


Meet the Winners of the BGV 2025 Austin Pitch Competition
Diana Muturia – 1st Place Winner Founder of CLYN Diana Muturia turned a moment of exclusion into a movement . After being told she didn’t...
Frantzces Lys
Jun 112 min read


How Orleatha Is Redefining Wellness With Sip Herbals—Without Chasing Store Shelves
Orleatha Smith likes to call it the 25,000-foot view. Sip Herbals began at the height of the pandemic, but the seeds had been planted...
Frantzces Lys
Jun 1016 min read


How Queer Black Women Are Building Powerful Brands Without Shrinking Themselves
What do you do when the market was never built with you in mind, when every rulebook says, “Shrink to fit”? For queer Black and Brown...
Frantzces Lys
Jun 45 min read
bottom of page






