Celebrating Black-Owned Alumni Businesses for Black History Month
This Black History Month, we’re celebrating Black-owned alumni businesses. Our alumni community is diverse in talent and expertise, which is represented by the wide variety of businesses you will find below.
We encourage you to share the love and support these businesses in any way you can—whether that’s following and engaging with them on social media, or becoming a regular customer. We know firsthand how COVID-19 has challenged and continues to challenge small businesses, and how much they need our support—now more than ever.
All of our alumni—those who have launched small businesses, joined the workforce, pursued education, and/or focused on their health and wellbeing—are finding important ways to live life on their own terms outside of the military. We celebrate them today and every day, and appreciate the value they bring to our organization and communities across the nation.
Sedrick Banks
The Genuine Life Institute
For a span of over twenty-two years, The Genuine Life Institute has designed intensely interactive coaching and motivational programs, which focus on an inside-out vs. outside-in coaching mindset. This approach has helped many individuals, students, teachers, athletes, executives, and corporate groups “fulfill their true life purpose.”
“Life is too short not to live fully,” Sedrick notes, “[it] hits us with a lot of unexpected curveballs, but I am living proof that we all have the strength to get up and move forward. Yet, you don’t have to do it alone, which is why I created the Genuine Life™ Institute to demonstrate how I am here to help.”
Monifa Caines
Queen of Spades Style
“Changing the narrative of what is beautiful.”
Queen of Spades Style features a creative and fun collection of handcrafted hair accessories for women with different hair textures. They help women protect their hair by creating vibrant accessories that accentuate a woman's individual style and beauty.
Queen of Spades Style has recently expanded their collection to include additional items for men and women, including hats, belts, scarves, and more. Most products are sourced and made by local artisans in Senegal.
Mika Hunter
Female Defender
“Changing the narrative of what is beautiful.”
After retiring from the Air Force after 20+ years of service, Mika took her operational and academic experience from the military to launch a new career as a leadership coach. While serving as a military instructor Mika experienced first-hand the challenges women face during their military career. for calling attention to these issues and working to help women overcome them. She started her own business, Female Defender, to assist women in uniform navigate and overcome challenges, and is also a contributing writer and expert panelist for the Forbes Council.
Shay Mason
Thriving on the Homefront
“Changing the narrative of what is beautiful.”
Shay Mason, an Army veteran, spouse, and caregiver hosts a YouTube channel, Thriving on the Homefront, sharing encouraging messages based on her over 20 years in and married to the military.
She recently partnered with Dog Tag Learning Lab partner Wendy Moomaw to create this video to help introduce a Reimagining Racial Equity workshop.
Jackie Melton
LMJ & Associates, LLC
LMJ & Associates, LLC is a boutique consulting firm specializing in project and construction management. Jackie Melton and her husband, Larry, provide project management solutions to help organizations and agencies plan, implement, and execute projects in communities throughout the United States and beyond.
The desire to "give back" was the catalyst for starting LMJ & Associates, LLC. They come highly qualified with over 35 years of experience leading multi-billion dollar projects in light rail, airport runway and highway constructions.
Fallon Mitchell
The Soldiers Harvest
Following her time at Dog Tag, Fallon completed the Arcadia Farms Veteran Farmer program and now works with them part time to provide local fresh produce to food deserts. She runs a microgreens company called The Soldiers Harvest, also teaching classes about sustainable farming & the importance of a balanced diet. She’s currently restructuring her business to fit in with the rest of her remarkably busy life. For Fallon, agriculture, along with Army service, goes back generations.
Tikidanki Ntundi
The Euphoric Palace
Having suffered from chronic pain for over 20 years, Tiki understands well the challenge that it presents to everyday life. She developed a line of anti-inflammatory bath bombs to help people manage their chronic pain and stress, leading to better sleep, a calmer mind, and a better quality of life.
Jalissa Pryor
SkinCHAD
Skin care has been a passion converted into a lifelong profession for Jalissa. She became an esthetician, at first, to deal with her own body image issues. Her journey with skin care quickly transitioned to a passion operating from a more authentic and genuine place.
Jalissa collaborated her skin care passions with the family heritage of her partner, Chris, who was born in Chad. Through his connections, SkinCHAD has partnered with a family farm called Lovie's to eventually source their ingredients as well as uplift the local community out of poverty.
Erinn Roth
Ms. Jo's Petite Sweets
Chef Erinn Roth founded Ms. Jo’s Petite Sweets and named it after her beloved late mother, Jo Bradford Hardaway, as an eternal tribute. Mrs. Hardaway always encouraged her family and loved ones to cherish each day and enjoy life’s sweetest moments.
Ms. Jo’s Petite Sweets specializes in made-from-scratch, small batch, Southern-inspired desserts with a French influence. They also create heavy and light hors d’oeuvres tables for corporate and private catering. Ms. Jo’s Petite Sweets has catered at national conventions, trade shows, wine and food festivals as well as private and corporate functions. There are a variety of baked goods for sale on their website.
Anthony Stone
Minnesota Lucy's
As a disabled army veteran who suffers from mental health issues due to military service, Anthony created Minnesota Lucy's - a food truck business with a mission to help other disabled veterans to start, own and operate their own food truck businesses.
Minnesota Lucy’s menu features burgers and smoked wings - and of course, is named after the famous “Juicy Lucy” burger, which is a hot ticket item in his home state of Minnesota.
Sharod Wade
Semper Sanitize, LLC
Sharod runs Semper Sanitize - a company that provides building maintenance, janitorial & housekeeping services to government agencies, private firms & residential clients in the DC metro area.
Semper Sanitize was also hired by Dog Tag Bakery to take precautionary measures against COVID-19 when the outbreak started, and continues to regularly provide deep cleaning services to help keep our employees and customers safe.
Linda Williams
Groove & Move
A versatile dancer and equally talented athlete, Linda is a certified by AAAI/ISMA as a group fitness instructor, a licensed Zumba instructor and trained in over ten dance disciplines to include African, modern, and house dance. Linda has performed with renowned dance organizations such as Vivian Smith Dance Studio, Dixons Dance Academy, Student Organization for Caribbean Awareness (S.O.C.A.) Dance Crew, Beyond Any Means Necessary (B.A.M.N.), Beyond Limits Dance Ensemble, Gallaudet University dance company and D.C. Casineros.
Linda is launching a nonprofit this summer called Groove and Move, that connects veterans of color in her community to the healing benefits of movement and dance.
Website coming soon!