Uncertainty. Ambiguity. Discomfort. Doing Business in the Liminal.

Small businesses employ nearly half of all private sector workers. There’s nothing “small” about that. Some companies are born from inspiration like a bold idea, an innovative product, or a service their founder knows the world needs. Others emerge from necessity, survival, or a refusal to accept corporate disrespect.

This brings us to the growing force of Black women-owned businesses in America. According to Wells Fargo, if Black women-owned businesses reached the revenue levels of male-owned firms, they would add $1.5 trillion to the U.S. economy. Today, Black women are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the country, creating jobs at a pace that exceeds the national average.

But this season of prosperity has been met with backlash. In 2025, corporate mentions of DEI fell by 72%. In a single quarter, 318,000 Black women were pushed out of the workforce.

That’s not neutrality. That's erasure.

And the cost is staggering. Economist Katica Roy estimates that this recent exodus alone drained $37 billion from the U.S. GDP. Behind these numbers lies a deeper, systemic issue.

So, if you are among the 318,000 women navigating this transition, know this...

• Uncertainty is not an ending.

• Ambiguity is not a void.

• Discomfort is not defeat.

This is the liminal space, the place between what was and what will be. And in this space, you are free to...

• Create

• Innovate

• Build Futures

The real story isn’t about erasure. The real story is about what you will build next.

#Leadership #Innovation #FutureOfWork #BlackWomenLead #DEI #ThePeoplePlaybook