Celebrating Black-owned Clover businesses for Black Business Month

Revolution Bakery

Dionne Christian, owner of Revolution Bakery in Sante Fe, NM, has created a buzz and a dedicated fan base of followers who love her gluten-free baked goods. The self-taught, gluten-free baker regrouped during the pandemic to accommodate her customers and is now preparing to open her second location in Albuquerque.

Terri Does Desserts

Terri Rhodes Littleton of Terri Does Desserts in Sacramento, CA, successfully transformed her brick-and-mortar bakery into a pop-up shop that sells up to 600 slices of cake at each event. Her pop-up business has helped her cope through personal challenges such as the loss of her daughter.

Holy Rolly Charleston

LaToya Gardner, owner of Holy Rolly Charleston in Charleston, SC, and her husband both quit their corporate jobs to operate their made-from-scratch rolled ice cream food truck. Amid the pandemic, the couple travelled through the neighborhoods of Charleston dishing out their rolled ice cream creations.

The Cupcake Collection

Mignon Francois of The Cupcake Collection in Nashville, TN, went from not knowing how to bake a boxed-recipe cake to becoming the most popular cupcake vendor in the city. The cupcake maven dishes out her cupcake confections in Nashville and New Orleans and makes it a point to give back to the community.

French Press Bakery & Cafe

Jay Spencer, owner of French Press Bakery & Café, helped introduce French pastries to the Needham community in Massachusetts. Spencer uses his cultural background to influence traditional French delicacies that have a creative flair and found a way to grow his digital presence during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Crystal Marie’s Divine Designs

Crystal Marie Render of Crystal Marie’s Divine Designs in Cincinnati, OH, has created what she calls a “United Nations of salons”, catering to a diverse clientele with her beauty services. Render learned how to work strategically amid the pandemic and aspires to assist others in the beauty industry to develop and grow their businesses.

Fannie’s African & Tropical Cuisine

Fannie Gibson of Fannie’s African & Tropical Cuisine in Kansas City, MO brought her grandmother’s traditional West African recipes all the way to Kansas City. She transitioned her mail-order business to a full-service restaurant that serves the African cuisines she grew up on.

Big Mama’s Kitchen & Catering

Gladys Harrison, owner of Big Mama’s Kitchen and Catering in Omaha, NE, honors her mother’s legacy and passion for food and community with her family-owned soul food restaurant. Big Mama’s has garnered international recognition through its appearance on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and several other major tv programs.

Kwame A. Michel, Inc.

Kwame A. Michel, owner of the full-service accounting firm Kwame A. Michel, Inc., utilizes the knowledge that he learned from his father to service his client bases in Connecticut and Georgia. Michel continues to grow his accounting business, all through word-of-mouth advertising, and has learned how to pivot business strategies in the pandemic.

Drummer Imports Service & Sales Center

Anthony D. Drummer of Drummer Imports Service & Sales Center in Decatur, GA uses his love of cars and how they operate to provide the ultimate customer service experience at his auto maintenance and repair shop for luxury vehicles. Drummer has found a way to continue to prioritize his customers’ needs despite the world-halting pandemic.

Harlem Doggy Day Spa

Brian Taylor, owner of Harlem Doggie Day Spa in New York City, is taking his love of dogs to the next level with his full-service pup spa. Despite his business being affected by the obstacles brought on by the pandemic, Taylor found a way to provide free services to pet parents in need with his Pandemic Pup Relief Fund.

Hair Studio 18

Kat Jones, owner of Hair Studio 18 in Denton, TX, is beautifying the residents of her city, one hairstyle at a time. Inspired by her mother and grandmother, the beautician has hair styling in her blood and takes her customer service skills to the next level by helping her clients to walk out of her salon feeling more confident than when they walked in.

Posh Hair District

Posh, owner of Posh Hair District in Atlanta, GA, worked her way up from renting a chair at a neighboring salon to operating her own salon that offers hair care, microlinks, healthy styles, and a variety of products for purchase. In response to the pandemic, the salon owner is doing all she can to make sure that her clients are video-chat ready with her beauty services.

Unspoken Smiles Foundation (non-profit)

Jean Paul, founder of the non-profit organization Unspoken Smiles Foundation, has helped more than 7,000 children spanning eight countries to be more knowledgeable about their oral hygiene. Paul utilizes his formal dentistry know-how to bring oral health care “to everyone, every day, everywhere.”

ABC Fitness Connection

Tammy L.S. Wright of ABC Fitness Connection in Waldorf, Maryland, along with her husband, employed their physical military training to create a lucrative fitness studio. With their business, Wright offers free services, such as the Power Women Initiative, to empower women in the wellness space as well as encouraging healthy lifestyles in all aspects.

Read more of our Meet the Merchant stories for real-life stories of small businesses in action all over the country. Want to be featured in this series? Fill out our questionnaire, and if we can include you in a future interview cycle, we’ll send you an invitation!