Spotlighting Black-Owned Brands & Services This Black Business Month- Megan Young Gamble

August is Black Business Month – a time to recognize, uplift, and celebrate the incredible contributions of Black entrepreneurs across industries. For me, this month is especially meaningful. Not only do we honor the creativity and resilience of Black-owned businesses nationwide, but I also get to celebrate my own milestones: my birthday on 8/14 (shoutout to my fellow Leos 🦁) and the second anniversary of the Product & Packaging Powerhouse Podcast both falling on the same day!

In the spirit of celebration, I’m spotlighting inspiring Black-owned businesses that are driving innovation, shaping industries, and building legacies. From beauty to logistics, marketing to manufacturing, these founders are proof that when creativity meets determination, extraordinary things happen.

• (ME) Get Level Consulting (Megan Young Gamble, Founder & CEO)
  A project management and operations consulting firm helping product-based brands launch with clarity, structure, and speed. Known for packaging execution, cross-functional coordination, and on-time delivery across the beauty and CPG space.

• (My Life Partner and Husband) Pallet Pros (Brandon Gamble, Founder & CEO)
  An Atlanta-based logistics and pallet supply company supporting packaging, shipping, and warehouse operations. Offers scalable pallet solutions for brands at every stage of growth.

• Huemanize (Tara Paton, Founder & CEO)
  a loyalty marketing consultancy that helps brands build meaningful customer relationships, not just points and rewards. They use tailored strategies driven by deep customer insights to reduce acquisition costs, improve customer retention, and grow lifetime value for businesses like L’Oréal, Whole Foods, CVS, and more. Listen to her podcast episode on holistic beauty marketing here

• Ryze Manufacturing (SoJohna Bell, Founder & CEO)
  A U.S.-based contract manufacturing facility serving beauty and lifestyle brands with reliable, scalable production. Ryze prioritizes quality, speed, and founder-friendly partnerships. Listen to her podcast episode on Manufacturing here

• Indigo Packaging & Consulting (Camille Corr Chism, Principal & Owner)
  A boutique packaging strategy firm that specializes in sustainable materials, regulatory compliance, and go-to-market packaging for beauty and wellness brands. 🎙️ Listen to her podcast episode on Automotive Packaging here

• Black Spirit Legacy (Lazar Favors, Founder & CEO)
  A convening that effectively and strategically generates equity for African American Spirit brands. 🎙️ Listen to his podcast episode on Marketing & Growth Strategies in the Spirits Industry here 

• RICE – Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (Jay Bailey, President & CEO)
  RICE is a business generator serving metro Atlanta, created to support Black entrepreneurs in overcoming the unique barriers they face in building thriving businesses. Offers mentorship, capital access, and a community built to grow legacy businesses.

• Cindy J Labs + The Cosmetic Concept (Cynthia Johnson, Founder & CEO)
  A product development and formulation studio that helps indie beauty brands bring ideas to market. Offers turnkey lab services, regulatory guidance, and cosmetic innovation support.

• EMERGE Beauty Innovation Studio (Melissa Hibbert, Founder @ CEO)  EMERGE Beauty Innovation Studio is the strategic beauty product development partner for ambitious entrepreneurs, visionary brands and forward-thinking retailers, ready to create effective products consumers will love.

• Social Butterfly Haven (Viola Ekene, CEO & Lead Strategist)
  Boutique Digital Marketing Agency For Beauty & Wellness Brands. 

• Women in Project Management® (Asya Watkins, Founder & CEO)
  Women Of Project Management is the only community created to support & amplify the voices of women & women of color in every specialty of the project management industry worldwide. Asya is also an author of The Little Black Book of Project Management Advice.

• Mindsparq® (Crystal Richards, Principal & Owner)
  It is a talent development consulting firm dedicated to providing training and professional development to organizations that want to improve their project management (waterfall & agile) capabilities.

• Thirteen Lune (Nyakio Grieco, Co-Founder)
  An inclusive beauty retailer and e-commerce platform elevating BIPOC-founded beauty brands. Their curated offerings highlight innovation, diversity, and cultural relevance in skincare, haircare, and wellness.

• BrainTrust FoundersStudio (Kendra Bracken-Ferguson,  Founder & CEO)
  The largest membership-based platform for inclusive beauty and wellness founders, offering advisory support, growth strategies, and founder education. She also hosts the Business of the Beat podcast. She is also the co-founder of LumiNicole Beauty, a retail concept offering a curated selection of premium beauty and personal care brands. 

• Blk + Grn (Dr. Kristian Edwards, Founder & CEO)
  A clean beauty and wellness marketplace curated by Black artisans. Offers non-toxic, eco-conscious products across skincare, haircare, menstrual health, and home essentials.

• Curate360 (Jessica Thomas, Founder & CEO)
  Curate360 helps women- and minority-owned brands get retail-ready and scale effectively. They offer tailored support in product development, retail strategy, and visibility.

• TMJ Consulting (Dr. Tara Jabbaar-Gyambrah, Founder & CEO)
  TMJ Consulting is a women and minority owned consulting firm that provides innovative solutions for education institutions, corporations, government, and non-profit organizations.

• EWP Coaching & Consulting (Shonna Amos, CEO & Principal Consultant)
  Executive coaching and wellness firm supporting women in leadership with emotional intelligence, presence-building, and sustainable growth tools.

• The Master Resource (Eboni Moss, CEO & Consultant)In the spirit of Black Business Month, I’m also shining a spotlight on incredible Black-owned businesses. Make sure to follow, connect and support their Black Owned Business 🖤 The Master Resource is a writing, research, and strategy firm that helps nonprofits and small businesses secure funding and strengthen operations. 

• Marc Winston Enterprises (Marc Winston, Founder & Chief Inclusion Officer Marc Winston).  Marc Winston Enterprises helps businesses and student-athletes grow through targeted services in business development, corporate partnerships, supplier diversity, supply chain optimization, and NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) management. 🎙️ Podcast episode DROPPING SOON! Subscribe to the PPP Podcast so you don’t miss Marc’s insights!

• Cost of Doing Business (Olamide Olowe, Founder)   Cost of Doing Business is a holding company founded by Olamide Olowe, creator of Topicals, dedicated to scaling and acquiring high-impact brands. CODB recently made headlines with acquisition of Bread Beauty Supply, furthering its mission to expand market reach while championing Black-owned beauty. Read more about it here 

• ECGO, (Nicole Toole, Founder and CEO) ECGO is a mobile app that uses AI to detect the recyclability and compostability of materials. Snap a picture of anything and receive the most sustainable guidelines.

• Cécred  by Beyoncé Knowles-Carter (2024, Haircare)  We all know Queen B’s sacred (Cécred!) take on haircare blends ancestral rituals with patent-pending science. From honey-infused masks to strengthening oils, it’s haircare that honors heritage and innovation. Find more about it here Fun Fact: I had the privilege and honor to work with the team with the Foundation Collection and other product launches. 

• Fenty Hair by Rihanna (2024, Haircare)  Four years in the making, Rihanna’s Fenty Hair caters to every hair journey, textured, colored, heat-styled, or natural. Repair, regrow, and slay your edges, all while having fun with your crown. Try out its products here

• Brunel by Jasmine Tookes & Sabrina Castenfelt (2025, Body Care) – Luxury body oils inspired by wellness and powered by AI. Brunel’s ritualistic blends (debuted at the Met Gala!) turn your bodycare into spa time. Elegance meets effectiveness. Buy products here

• Reframe Beauty by Savannah James (2025, Skincare) – This clinically backed skincare line focuses on hyperpigmentation and collagen repair across all skin tones. Partnered with Howard University, Reframe is all about science, joy, and inclusive glow. Check out the products here

• MAED Beauty by Denise Vasi (2024, Makeup / Lip Care) – Moisturizing lipsticks and tints created for bold, melanin-rich lips. MAED is clean beauty that nourishes, empowers, and makes a statement, especially in deep reds. Check out the products here

• Soft Rows by  Dr. Quani Burnett (2025, Haircare) – Science meets salon culture. This texture-first brand modernizes Black hair traditions with clean, high-performance formulas that simplify your routine and celebrate cornrow culture. Check out the products here

• Dr. Few Skincare by Dr. Julius Few (2024, Skincare)  – Dermatologist-developed, melanin-aware skincare that delivers plastic-surgery-level results at home. Award-winning SPF, clinical serums, and luxury in every drop. Check out their products here

• The Steam Bar by Judy Koloko (2025, Scalp Care) – Scalp steaming for the modern home. This haircare innovation blends self-care and steam tech, reviving salon traditions in a sleek, science-backed format. Check out their products here

• THE POTION STUDIO by Aziza El Wanni (2024, Haircare) – Weather-proof your curls! This brand creates climate-adaptive potions for textured hair, simplifying routines while embracing ancestral ingredients and modern science. Check out their products here

• Chéribé by Salwa Petersen (2024, Haircare)  – Luxury haircare based on the powerful Chébé seed of Chad. With farm-to-bottle sourcing and heritage-rich formulas, this brand fuses tradition with prestige. Check out the products here

• Ourside by Keta Burke-Williams (2022/24, Fragrance) – Indie perfumery that speaks in scent, not status. Crafted from memory and culture, Ourside’s fine fragrances aim to diversify the world of luxury scents. Check out the products here

• LAID Hair Care by Kaylah Joseph, Founder – A clean hair care brand designed specifically for edge care and scalp health. LAID stands out for its ingredient transparency, community engagement, and bold brand identity. Check out the products here

• Selfie Skin Co. by Janell Norris, Founder & CEO
  SelfiēSkín Co. is clean and non-toxic acne and hyperpigmentation targeted skincare for melanated skin. They are setting a new standard of inclusivity in the beauty industry, one that celebrates all skin types, even the ones with hormonal breakouts and stubborn dark marks. Check out their products here

• Just for Teens Skincare by Brian Reynolds, CEO
  Just for Teens is an all natural personal care brand dedicated to crafting clean personal care products exclusively for preteens and teenagers. Check out their products here

• Levels 2 Skin by Drs. Tunisia Cornelius and Kenyatta Mireku – Levels 2 Skin (L2S) is an integrative skincare line created by two board-certified dermatologists, combining innovation, education, and efficacy in one solution. Its simplified approach is redefining how people achieve healthy, radiant skin.  They have launched a new luminous defense Spf moisturiser in 2025. Check it out here

• Dr. Rose Ingleton by Dr. Rosemarie Ingleton – Born and raised in Jamaica and rooted in over 25 years of clinical practice in NYC, Dr. Rosemarie Ingleton creates inclusive, effective skincare that blends gold-standard actives with her signature Jamaican SuperFruit blend, delivering science-backed results with island ease. Learn more about their products here

• Worthy Oui Cosmetics by Beverly Bigelow-Nagy – Worthy Oui Cosmetics is focusing on inclusive beauty with quality vegan and cruelty-free products. Also they are focusing on sustainable packaging with their biodegradable compacts. Learn more about their mission here . PS:  she is one of my fellow Goldman Sachs BIB cohort’ 24 members 

Black Business Month is more than a celebration, it’s a call to action. Every purchase, every share, every introduction can help strengthen these businesses and the communities they serve. By supporting Black-owned brands, we’re not only investing in products and services, but also in representation, equity, and generational wealth.

Here’s to celebrating Black excellence not just in August, but all year long. 🖤

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