Our Story - Why Black Founders Studio Exists
Black entrepreneurs in the UK are talented, visionary, and full of potential — but we continue to face unique barriers that make starting and growing a business far more difficult than it should be.
Black Founders Studio CIC was created in response to this reality.
But our story began long before the CIC existed.
It started with the Million Dollar TikTok Seller program, a 16-week brand-building course where Black founders learned how to create their own product-based brands, source products, and launch confidently. What began as a teaching program quickly evolved into something much deeper.
As we watched 30–50 founders build meaningful, beautiful brands with real potential, one truth became impossible to ignore:
If we didn’t build an engine to support them beyond launch…many of them would get stuck in the same systemic challenges that stop so many Black entrepreneurs.
And that’s why Black Founders Studio CIC was born, to ensure that our founders don’t only start, but continue, grow, and sustain their businesses long-term.
What began as a simple invitation to build a brand has become a national movement for economic empowerment, community, and legacy.
We don’t simply teach entrepreneurship. We build founders
Lack of funding
Lack of guidance
Lack of support
Lack of access
What Makes BFS Different
There are many business programs, but none designed specifically around the lived realities of Black founders in the UK.
At BFS, we offer:
Our Vision for the Future
Our vision is bold, clear, and rooted in creating real, measurable change:
A national network of Black-led product-based businesses
A recognised, trusted pathway into entrepreneurship for Black founders
A thriving ecosystem where founders support founders
Partnerships with councils, organisations, and industry bodies
Access to funding, marketing support, and practical growth resources
An environment where Black founders feel guided, supported, and seen
We’re not just building a program.
We’re building an economic engine for Black entrepreneurship.
Impact So Far
In a short time, BFS has already created meaningful change:
Meet the Founder: Jemima Antwi
“I built what I needed when I first started.”
Jemima has always been entrepreneurial.
Her first business, Mimes Reusables, was a reusable water bottle brand she launched while in university. It had real potential, but like many Black founders, she faced the same barriers that stop so many: limited access to funding, support, and essential business knowledge.
Eventually, the business had to close.
After coaching dozens of founders through the Million Dollar TikTok Seller program, she realised something profound:
If she didn’t build something bigger, her students would face the same barriers she faced.
BFS was born from both experience and purpose, and from a deeply personal turning point.
After losing her sister on Boxing Day 2024, Jemima stepped fully into her calling: To empower as many Black entrepreneurs as possible to build businesses that can stand, grow, and transform lives. Her work is grounded in compassion, clarity, and an unshakeable belief in Black excellence.
BFS is her dedication to legacy, community, and purpose
