Business and Finance
How One Entrepreneur Is Taking the Craft Beer Industry by Storm and Offering Excellence

Black-owned breweries are undoubtedly a rarity in the U.S. brewing industry — but that’s slowly changing due to craft brewers like Christina Thomas.
In 2024 Black Brewers Status ReportThe National Black Brewers Association (NB2A) has noted that of the 9,761 breweries in the country, lower than 1 percent (about 86) are black-owned, and only 12 of those operate their very own production facilities. Ironically, this dismal state of affairs also presents an enormous entrepreneurial opportunity for would-be black craft brewers and existing breweries fascinated with scaling their businesses. Craft breweries operate independently and create beers using traditional ingredients in small batches.
BLACK ENTREPRENEURSHIP I sat down with Christina Thomas, founder Brown Girl’s Brew Drinka growing, black-owned craft beer company that has carved out an unparalleled area of interest in the industry. With a solid business foundation as a financial analyst and a business degree from Rutgers University, she brings a novel mix of monetary acumen and entrepreneurial spirit to the craft beer industry.
Growing up the youngest of eight siblings in a family of ten on Chicago’s South Side, Thomas was immersed in a vibrant community that taught her resilience and the importance of staying true to her roots. Her mother’s home bakery was a major inspiration for her brand, instilling a passion for creating unique products that bring people together. Inspired by her mother’s dedication and love for her craft, she strives to create beers that embody the same warmth and authenticity that connect people as her mother’s baked goods did. By translating these cherished memories and recipes into the flavors of craft beer, she goals to create a novel drinking experience that not only tantalizes the taste buds but in addition honors the culinary traditions that shaped her passion for brewing.
Although Thomas hails from the Windy City, her time spent in New York City has had a profound impact on her approach to business and life, making her a real New Yorker.
BE: What inspired you to begin Brown Girl’s Brew?
CT: Brown Girl’s Brew was born out of my passion for craft beer and frustration with the lack of a cake-inspired beer that was free from excessive additives and sugar. Additionally, my desire for financial independence and control over my destiny played a major role. As a double minority, I knew I needed to create my very own space where I could construct my very own table in an industry that has historically been underrepresented and continues to be. I need to bridge that gap and be an advocate for inclusivity not only in brewing, but in the wine and spirits industry worldwide. Additionally, Brown Girl’s Brew is my way of taking control of my life, achieving financial freedom, providing an important resource to my community, and constructing a business that embodies my values and aspirations. Every sip of Brown Girl’s Brew reflects our family’s commitment to quality, creativity, and a sincere commitment to our heritage.
What was the biggest challenge you needed to face in growing what you are promoting??
Without a doubt, navigating the complex landscape of the brewing industry has been my biggest challenge. Creating my craft beer brand has been a real gift and a curse. On one hand, it has been deeply satisfying to see my vision come to life. On the other hand, it has been frustrating to read articles about the transformation of the spirits industry that completely ignore beer. Additionally, coping with royalty disputes with our initial brewing partners, who ultimately filed for bankruptcy, has been a significant challenge. Ensuring fair compensation for our mental property rights and regulations was key. This experience has taught me invaluable lessons about compliance and negotiation. I now know that determination and resilience are non-negotiable in my overall business approach. Despite these challenges, I actually have managed to search out workarounds and remain true to my vision for Brown Girl’s Brew.
How did you provide you with the idea for Brown Girl’s Brew flavor profiles?
Brown Girl’s Brew’s flavor profiles are deeply rooted in my family’s culinary heritage. Growing up, I worked with 4 of my eight siblings in my mother’s home bakery, where we learned the art of making delicious pastries that brought joy to our community. Drawing inspiration from these cherished experiences, each beer flavor has been fastidiously crafted to evoke nostalgic moments and the comforting aromas of those home-cooked treats.
For example, our German Chocolate Stout pays homage to our mother’s famous cake by infusing wealthy baker’s chocolate and toasted coconut flavors right into a solid stout base. The combination creates a decadent yet balanced beer that captures the essence of a beloved dessert shared at our family table. Similarly, our Lemon Pound Cake Lager captures the vibrant zest and sweet notes of her lemon pound cake. This lager harmoniously combines citrus notes with a clean, smooth finish, harking back to a pleasant dessert enjoyed with family members.
The wine and spirits industry might be seen as a crowded market. Who is your audience?
Initially, I believed my audience could be beer enthusiasts and connoisseurs who appreciate unique and flavorful beer experiences. However, I later discovered that my true audience also includes newcomers to craft beer who may not have a deep understanding of its history. This includes food pairing enthusiasts, local and community advocates, and a various and inclusive audience. Our latest national account from Total wine and morethe largest independent wine retailer in the country, expands our reach exponentially and brings recent stakeholders to the table. By targeting these diverse segments, I can more effectively share our unique flavors and cultural influences, and develop relevant engagement strategies that outline Brown Girl’s Brew at the highest level.
What is BGB’s next big goal??
To simply revolutionize the craft beer industry by launching the first nationwide beer subscription service that exclusively features beers created by women of color. Our goal is to spotlight the diversity and talent in the craft beer community while bringing unique and high-quality beverages to beer lovers across the country. This ambitious project is not going to only elevate our brand, but in addition create a platform where other female brewers can grow and innovate. And that’s not all—we’re diving into the digital frontier with a Web 3 project that can change the way our community connects and interacts with our brand. Stay tuned for more exciting details. We’re breaking barriers and setting recent standards—one unique beer at a time.
Do you might have any advice for aspiring craft brewing entrepreneurs?
Remember, brewing is about greater than just making liquid gold—it’s about understanding and leveraging the entire ecosystem that supports it. From your raw material suppliers, like hops and malt, to your distributors, retailers, and even your marketing and branding professionals, every aspect plays a key role in your success. Build strong relationships across your industry and recognize the importance of collaboration and mutual support. Embrace innovation, remain humble, and coachable. No matter how much you understand, there’s all the time more to learn. Mentoring and networking are key—it’s not only who you understand, it’s who knows you as you position your brand for sustainable growth on this dynamic industry.
Where will BGB be for the remainder of the yr so people can show up?
Our schedule changes day by day, so the best method to stay awake thus far is to follow our social media platforms like Instagram (@browngirlsbrew)TIK Tok (@browngirlsbrew)Spill and X (@browngirlsbrew). Stay connected on all of our social media to “save the dates” and stay awake thus far on upcoming events featuring Brown Girl’s Brew (#BrownGirlsBrew). We have some exciting recent partnerships and plans, including two highly anticipated events: Black Girls in Media on August twenty fourth in New York City and Black Owned Wine & Spirits (Bows) Fest in Washington, DC, October fifth. These aren’t to be missed events as we showcase our unique craft beers inspired by cultural traditions. Stay tuned to be a component of this vibrant celebration and discover the flavors of Brown Girl’s Brew!
Business and Finance
Tracee Ellis Ross: empowering actress and entrepreneur

Let’s not pretend: you’ve got heard about Tracee Ellis Ross, we heard about Tracee Ellis Ross, everyone has heard of Tracee Ellis Ross. She isn’t just the daughter of one of the crucial famous women of all time, but in addition a wonderful actress and entrepreneur alone with the many years of loans in her name.
How exactly Ross has gone from being a toddler of NPOi in a well -established skilled, Host of the Billboard Award 2024 And the star of hits reminiscent of Eddie Murphy? In this text, we are going to discuss the films and television programs of Tracee Ellis Ross and a journey from the shadow of her mother and to her well -deserved lighting.
Early life and education
Like every celebrity child, Tracee Ellis Ross was born with a mixed bag of benefits and disadvantages. Fortunately for her, the taste of attention will finally develop, which inevitably follows celebrities.
Family origin
Tracee was the second child of Diana Ross Super Gwiades, after Rhonda Ross Kendrick, whose biological father was the founding father of Motown Berry Gorda. Father Tracee, music manager Robert Ellis Silberstein, adopted Rhonda, and later he had one other daughter with Ross, Chudney Lane Silberstein. Ross’s future marriages would add much more natural siblings to the Mixed Family Tracee, with whom he stays close.
Initially, the younger Miss Ross underestimated the celebrity, who inevitably followed her. On red carpet and during photo sessions Tracee was shy and withdrew. But she was a unique person at home – worthy, silly and energetic features that may put the foundations for his or her future profession as a comedy actress.
Academic countries
When Tracee grew up, she became fascinated by modeling, undoubtedly under the influence of her mother. After attending the Dalton school in Manhattan and Riverdale Country School in Bronx as a toddler, Ross selected Brown University to check, aspiring to learn fashion.
During her stay in Brown, Ross raised her acting class and fell in love with craftsmanship, to her surprise. On the stage, she discovered that her shyness escaped, and her perceived flaws turn into strengths. Before she left Brown with a theater diploma, the interest in Ross’s fashion was transformed right into a pursuit of constant his profession.
Career in acting

Even with a variety of name recognition, in addition to for modeling and acting under her belt, the young Tracee Ellis Ross was intimidated by the prospect of attempting to make a profession in Hollywood. Ross knew first hand how capricious fame may very well be, and she was able to work hard to impress her mark within the industry.
Breakthrough
Fortunately for Ross, she didn’t must wait long for the chance to knock on her door. In 1996 she won her first role, playing Kiki in “Far Harbor”, which was directed by her class colleague John Huddles.
This appearance led to a number of more small roles in movies reminiscent of “Sue” (1997) “A Fare to Remember” (1999) “Hanging up” (2000) and “In the Weeds” (2000). But it was a small screen that may ultimately be a Ross pad needed his profession seriously.
After restoring a small role within the episode of the Lifetime series “Any Day Now” (1998-2002) Ross finally landed its groundbreaking role as Joan Clayton within the team comedy “Girlfriends”, which ended from 2000 to 2020, turning over 170 episodes and strengthened Ross’s repute as a comedy and acting.
Noteworthy achievements
In addition to “Girlfriends”, Ross might be best known for its appearance as a psychologist Carla Reed in the primary season of Sitcom Bet “Reed between lines” in 2011–2015, and also presents Rainbow Johnson within the comedies ABC “Czarne”, “Grown-Iish” and “mixed”.
In fact, Rainbow was written by the creator of “Black” Kenya Barris especially for Tracee Ellis Ross. As intended, this role perfectly suited her and led to a variety of nominations for the actress’s award. They included:
- Hollywood Critics Association Awards for the most effective actress within the transmission network or a series of cable comedy
- Black Reel Awards for television for an excellent actress within the comedy series
- Gold Derby Awards for a comedy actress
- NAACP Image Awards for an excellent actress within the comedy series
- Primetime Emmy Awards for the outstanding most important actress within the comedy series
Although Ross was donated for winning normally, she won the BET comedy award for the outstanding most important actress within the comedy series for “Girlfriends”, the Golden Globe for the most effective performance of the actress within the music or comedy series for “Black” and many NaACP Image Awards for “Reed between the poems”, “Czarna-Iish” and “Girls”.
Transition to entrepreneurship

Even when Tracee Ellis Ross proved to herself and worldwide that she could keep her blooming profession in acting, she had already watched her next enterprise – representation. While appearing on the “girl”, Ross got here up with an idea that may end his second profession for a beginner businesswoman.
Business projects
Inspired by the attractive and diverse hair of her colleagues from “Girls”, Ross first began to dream of a hair care brand that supported curly hair (as a substitute of straightening them) over 20 years ago. This dream is not going to develop into a reality until 2018, when Ross launched a beauty pattern together with co-Co-CEO Christiane Pendarvis after 10 years of development and five years of market research.
Now Pattern Beauty offers over 50 different products, is sold in 11 chains of stores and employs over 40 people. The net value of Tracee Ellis Ross is currently $ 16 million.
Key skills for entrepreneurs
As an actress and model, Ross entered her recent business enterprise, knowing more about being at the top of cosmetic products than she knew about their creation and marketing. That is why her first order was in search of partners reminiscent of Pendarvis with deep experience in working with retail sellers and expanding the range of firms over time.
Of course, being a pacesetter means knowledge when to interrupt with standard procedures. As for the marketing pattern, Ross felt that the old way of doing things – sabering the issue and presenting your product as an answer – wouldn’t work for her company. Instead of treating black women’s hair as an issue, Ross decided to border its brand as a celebration of natural beauty and number of curly, rolled up and textured hair.
Spokeswoman efforts and objectification

Recently, we had the chance to see Tracee Star with Yara Shahidi within the “Old Navy” commercial, promoting well -known fashionable clothes for the summer. But for years she borrowed her star power not just for television sitcoms and cosmetic brands. In fact, Ross became a steadfast supporter of girls’s rights, the top of mass imprisonment and more.
As a girl who stays deliberately lonely and without children, even on the age of fifty, Ross generated an unusual, but unlucky amount of rejecting those that consider that girls are higher raising children than chasing their very own dreams. Until 2017, she was finally able to fight, starting with a viral speech on the Women of the Year Glamor top, followed by her speech on the wisdom of the fury of girls at next yr’s TED conference.
Ross was also recognized as a co -founder of the Time’s Up movement against sexual harassment in Hollywood and was opened to its opposition to mass imprisonment attributable to many harmful influences on black women and families.
Do you must learn more concerning the stars and contemporary who defined 2000. Together with Ross? Check our archives to get all the data you might want Other black actors you need to know.
(Tagstranslat) black actresses
Business and Finance
This additional social insurance payment arrives for specific pensioners, disability recipients –

The social security administration (SSA) confirmed that thousands and thousands of social security beneficiaries within the United States will receive the following monthly payment on April 16. This upcoming payment is a component of the agreed monthly schedule and can provide key financial support for eligible pensioners, people receiving advantages for disability and survival.
For many Americans, these regular social insurance payments are a vital cornerstone of their monthly income, helping in basic maintenance costs, comparable to flats, healthcare and foodstuffs. Seeding receipt of those advantages can significantly affect their each day financial stability, especially for those that rely largely or exclusively on social insurance. Beneficiaries who selected a direct deposit normally see their funds faster, often on the identical day of payment.
Who receives the payment on April 16?
Social insurance payment scheduled for April 16 will likely be directed to a specific segment of the beneficiary’s population. To qualify for this particular control, recipients must meet two key criteria:
- Their social insurance advantages had to start out in May 1997 or later.
- Their date of birth must fall between 11 and 20 months.
This group of eligibility includes:
- Retired employees receiving social security retirement advantages.
- Persons receiving advantages from social insurance insurance (SSDI).
- The widows and widowers receive the advantages of the survivors.
In addition to meeting the necessities of starting the date of birth and advantages, beneficiaries who decided to receive payments via direct payment can predict faster access to their funds. Those who still receive paper checks or haven’t yet enrolled in electronic payments could also be a slight delay attributable to the time of providing services and procedures for processing banks.
Other payments in the sector of social insurance in April
After the distribution of April 16, SSA has one final payment planned for April:
- April 23: This payment is decided for beneficiaries whose birth dates fall between 21 and 31 months, provided that their social insurance advantages also began after May 1997.
Thanks to this final distribution of the SSA, it should end its 4 -seater cycle in April. The system of stunning payments by the Agency throughout the month, based on the date of birth of the recipient and the date of originally demanding advantages, goals to make sure a more improved and managing distribution process.
SSA still encourages all beneficiaries to enroll for a direct deposit, emphasizing that it stays essentially the most efficient and protected approach to receiving social insurance funds, providing timely access to key income.
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Business and Finance
Delaware State Hosts Pitch Contest for Agrictech throughout HBCUS

Delaware State University and Capital One Financial organized a contest for HBCU entrepreneurs developing agricultural technological solutions.
“Venture Innovation Venture” took place on the Delaware State campus on April 14. He was hosting not only HBCU students from all around the country, but additionally successful of black entrepreneurs and agricultural experts who joined critical discussions in regards to the industry.
DSU partnership from Capital One for this national conference tries to encourage Next generation of agrobiznesa leaders.
“Delaware State University proudly continues our cooperation with Capital One and provides the platform to raise the next generation of Agribusiness leaders,” said Tony Allen, president of Delaware State University, said in a press release. “Entrepreneurship is a key basis for building generational wealth. In addition to financing startup seeds, this partnership means that university students will receive mentoring and guidance from private sector leaders on business structures and intellectual properties, equipping them with knowledge and experience to effectively enter the labor market.”
HBCU students, in addition to participants from local high and high schools, learned more about agricultural activities and methods to further develop their products for greater use. Heman Bekele, a scientist and 2024 Kid of the Year, also joined as a speaker to encourage his generation to begin an entrepreneurship travel with tools learned from the speakers series.
Additional speakers were chosen officials, equivalent to the Governor Delaware Matt Meyer, US senator Lisa Blunt Rochester and entrepreneurs of pioneers, equivalent to Daysond John and James Lindsay, general director of rap.
“Agribusiness is the basis of how we develop and produce food, but innovations in the industry remain underfunded,” said Dr. Cherese Winstead, dean of College of Agriculture Science & Technology Delaware State University. “When Americans are confronted with rising food prices and challenges related to delivery, HBCU is incredibly capable of keep a fee for strengthening supply chains and increasing economic growth.
The revolutionary undertaking is the results of an extended -term partnership between Capital One and Delaware State. Because HBCU further determines its impact on the emerging agricultural technological solutions, the undertaking hopes to expand this range throughout HBC, with greater attention to young visionaries shaping these latest ideas.
“Innovation venture means an exciting new chapter of our partnership with Delaware State University, introducing students’ ideas and providing them with the opportunity to solve problems with the real world in front of which the agricultural industry faces,” said Joe Westcott, president of the Delaware market at Capital One. “Capital One and Delaware State University divide a mission to enable this subsequent generation of leaders towards innovation thanks to technology.”
The partnership led to a broadly mentor program, connecting professionals with second yr students. Capital One also awarded over USD 250,000 for the Experimental University learning program, which offers larger profession paths for HBCU students to seek out opportunities within the developing business sector.
“Innovation is actually the cornerstone of agriculture in today’s world. Some innovations are quickly accepted. However, others take more time before they are widely received,” said the Secretary of Agriculture in Delaware Don Clifton. “People who accept the challenge and conduct these innovations are leaders of the upcoming generation in agriculture.”
Summary of the event is out there on YouTube DSU.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lokils33Cri
(Tagstranslate) Innovation Venture (T) Agritech (T) Capital One (T) HBCU (T) Delaware State University
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