UrbanGeekz 50 List: Business-to-Consumer

Denise Woodard – Partake Foods

Denise Woodard is a groundbreaking entrepreneur who stands on the frontline of the food equity and equality movement. When her daughter was diagnosed with multiple food allergies, Woodard concocted some special recipes in her Manhattan kitchen, and these birthed Partake Foods as a business.

Founded in 2016, Partake exists to offer a selection of delicious, allergy-friendly foods that those with and without food restrictions can enjoy and share with confidence. Although she started by selling three flavors of cookies out of the back of her car, products are now sold in about 10,000 stores, including Target, Kroger, Walmart and Whole Foods as well as Amazon.

Woodard, whose parents are Korean and African-American, is the first Black woman to raise more than $1 million publicly for a CPG food startup. To date, the company has raised over $20 million from investors including HER, Rihanna, CircleUp Growth Partners, FF2032, and Jay-Z co-funded Marcy Venture Partners.

Partake was named #45 on the 2022 Inc 5000 and #151 on the 2023 Inc 5000. Before launching Partake, Woodard spent a decade in consumer packaged goods at various Fortune 100 companies.

Aisha “Pinky” Cole – Slutty Vegan

Aisha “Pinky” Cole is an American restaurateur who has revolutionized the Black vegan food world. Known by her nickname, “Pinky”, Cole’s Slutty Vegan, a plant-based burger restaurant chain, has gained an almost cult-like following first in Georgia and then Alabama and New York. Since launching in 2018 the company’s revenues grew to $4 million within the first 6 months of its grand opening.

Her irreverent burger chain raised $25 million in May 2022 through a Series A funding round that valued Slutty Vegan at $100 million. In 2023, she was added to the Time magazine 100 Next list, recognizing individuals with an outsized influence on American culture.

Beatrice Dixon – The Honey Pot

When Beatrice Dixon was younger, she suffered from bacterial vaginosis for eight months. One night, an ancestor gave her the ingredients to heal herself in a dream. From that insightful dream, she created the formula for a healthy, clean feminine wash.

In 2014, Dixon launched The Honey Pot Company, a plant-based feminine hygiene line created to provide women with healthy alternatives to feminine care. Currently, The Honey Pot Company sells feminine care products nationwide at Target, Walmart, Urban Outfitters, Walgreens, Bed Bath and Beyond, Wegmans, and Whole Foods, among other retailers.

As a remarkable lady, Dixon has been recognized as a Forbes Top 100 Female Founders, one of Inc. Magazine’s Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs, and one of Goldman Sachs 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs of 2021. She has been a recipient of the Sundial and Unilever’s multimillion-dollar New Voices fund; and was 1 of the first 40 women of color to raise one million in venture capital.

Rihanna – Savage X Fenty

Aside from being a global musical superstar with sales of over 250 million records worldwide, Rihanna is a successful businesswoman. Her lingerie brand, Savage X Fenty has garnered a cult following because it embodies Rihanna’s playful approach to fashion.

The company was launched in 2018 as an online-only brand. The product line features bras, underwear, sleepwear, and loungewear. It also has an optional membership program called Xtra VIP.

Savage X Fenty was named one of Fast Company’s “10 most innovative style companies of 2020” and as of 2021, the brand is valued at $1 billion and has over 4.5 million followers across social media platforms.

In January 2022, Forbes reported that Rihanna’s lingerie company, Savage X Fenty, raised $125 million in Series C funding. One of the investors was Multiply Group PJSC, an Abu Dhabi-based technology investment holding company, which invested $25 million.

Rihanna’s personal net worth is estimated at more than $1.4 billion, held the title of CEO since she founded the lingerie brand in 2018 till June 2023. She was the first black woman to head a luxury brand for LVMH.

Melissa Butler – The Lip Bar

Melissa Butler is an American entrepreneur who founded the successful cosmetic brand The Lip Bar. She is known for her 2015 appearance on Shark Tank, where her pitch for the vegan lipstick brand was rejected by every judge.

Butler started the business in 2012 after mixing lipstick formulations in her kitchen. She bootstrapped the beauty company for six years before initially raising $2 million and then $6.7 million in seed funding.

Now, the company is available in 750 Target Stores, 500 Walmart Stores, and our Flagship Store in Downtown Detroit. Melissa and The Lip Bar have been featured in Forbes, Essence, People, Elle, and Cosmopolitan Magazines as well as LinkedIn, Fast Company, and The Huffington Post. Melissa Butler was on Inc.’s 2020 Female Founders 100 list.

Diishan Imira—CEO and Co-Founder of Mayvenn, Inc

Diishan Imira is a global entrepreneur and CEO and Co-Founder of Mayvenn, Inc. Mayvenn, Inc. is a technology company that is re-shaping salon retail distribution. Mayvenn, Inc. is an offline-to-online retail solution for the salon industry. They provide web and mobile point-of-sale applications that allow salons and stylists to retail products without having to buy or hold inventory.

Imira received his MBA in 2012 In International Studies from Georgia State University- J. Mack Robinson College of Business with a background in supply chain management, logistics, and international trade.

The idea for Mayvenn came from Imira’s sister who requested to use his connections in China to get quality hair extensions at a cheaper price.

The company started with $48,000 from family and friends, including $30,000 that came from three African-American business women. As of July 2022 Mayvenn, Inc has received $76M in funding. Mayvenn has re-shaped salon retail distribution allowing the hair business to be more equitable and profitable for stylists. Fun fact: Imira speaks Mandarin conversationally and taught  English to elementary school students in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.