Today we are releasing a special bonus edition of the Lightning 50 in support of International Women’s Day, and we speak to none other than Dr Cameka Smith, founder of The BOSS Network.
Smith bootstrapped and founded digital platform The BOSS Network in 2009 to provide online and in-person resources, networking and community for Black women looking to build their own brands and start businesses. Since launching, the platform has reached more than 200,000 people nationally and maintains a non-profit arm that provides leadership development programs for young women of color. Smith recently announced that Sage is partnering with The BOSS Network to empower Black women entrepreneurs with the launch of the Sage Invest in Progress grant.
In this episode, Cameka and Caroline talk through how the BOSS Network came about, the prominence of female-led businesses in last year’s Lightning 50 league table, and they identify what these entrepreneurs are doing that is leading to such success, and what can others take from this.
The pair also discuss the issues that many women, and many Black women, have that prohibits them from scale, and, with it being International Women’s Day, Smith shares her advice and top tips for women who want to become entrepreneurs, or are in business, but looking to scale this year.