Jemima Antwi's Black Founders Studio Launches 30 Businesses in Under 1 Year
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Aug 1
Jemima Antwi's Black Founders Studio Launches 30 Businesses in Under 1 Year
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Aug 1
Summary
Thirty of 50 founders in Jemima Antwi's Black Founders Studio incubator have reached launch stage in less than a year, with their businesses due to debut at Chester Racecourse.
Antwi, 27, created the not-for-profit after her own reusable-bottle business collapsed, saying isolation, weak networks, limited funding and poor representation had left her struggling as a black founder in Chester.
Black Founders Studio started in September without external funding and now offers early-stage founders practical training on company registration, trademarking and business structure, alongside a peer support network.
Most participants are black women, and the ventures include an inclusive makeup brand, a first-period wellness business, an African cuisine brand, a menopause support network and skincare for melanin-rich skin.
Antwi says the next step is expanding the model to help founders secure funding, aiming for broader change in UK access and representation for black entrepreneurs.