When Shelly Bell decided to launch her T-shirt line and screen-printing shop in Virginia, her journey as an entrepreneur was a lonely one.
“I spent a lot of time learning lessons,” said Bell, who had to figure out the business world on her own as a Black woman whose initial seed money came from her mother’s retirement account.
Struck by how difficult it is for women of color to find venture capital and a network of support for their new businesses, Bell founded Black Girl Ventures. The nonprofit holds competitions across the country where entrepreneurs make a business pitch and online supporters vote with their donations to choose the winner.