Meet Mandy Bowman, creator of Official Black Wall Street

Mandy Bowman is the founder and CEO of Official Black Wall Street (OBWS), an app and digital platform helping consumers find, review, and patronize Black-owned businesses. A fierce advocate for economic empowerment within the Black community, Bowman has been at the forefront of the #BuyBlack movement. We spoke with the entrepreneur about the early days and future of OBWS, her go-to apps, and more.

Bowman: I started Official Black Wall Street (OBWS) to support a community in need. I watched as a number of the Black-owned businesses in my own neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, shut down due to gentrification and lack of resources. I found countless stats that showed how challenging it is for Black entrepreneurs to get the funds needed to excel in business.

When I read about the “Black Wall Street” of 20th-century Tulsa, Oklahoma, I was inspired by the blueprint the neighborhood left for building a thriving Black community. I launched OBWS to advocate for Black business owners and to help them gain the exposure, support, and resources they deserve.

The greatest challenge has been navigating the funding gap. Having big dreams and limited funds or outside investment, I had to be resourceful. I launched a Kickstarter in 2016 to help get through our first phase of development. As we scale, our tech needs to advance. Right now, we’re working on our next big app iteration, thanks to the grants we’ve acquired over the past year, and gearing up to raise our seed round to keep up with demand and growth.

I’ve become more intentional about patronizing Black-owned businesses in my neighborhood and meeting the owners of small businesses. My experience is a lot more vibrant now that I can connect a face or family to so many businesses in my neighborhood. Being an entrepreneur who has faced many of the same obstacles myself, I can empathize and connect on a new level. It truly feels like I’m supporting family.

Our goal is to create a global ecosystem and marketplace that makes it easier for consumers to discover new products and services from Black-owned brands while helping corporations provide funding and resources to Black businesses in need. I want to change the narrative and show the world (including ourselves) that we can come together and excel in spite of the challenges we may face.

We have a number of projects in the works that I’m excited to introduce to the world. You can expect a brand new look and design, plus more features to make it easier to discover Black-owned products and services at the top of the year. We’re also looking forward to hosting in-person events in 2023, and kicking off partnerships that will help close the funding gap and introduce more Black-owned businesses to the world.

Here are a few Black-owned apps I love that readers might find useful too.

I love meditating and mindfulness, so this was a no-brainer when I found it. Shine is owned by women of color and is a great tool for self-care and wellness, and it's now part of the Headspace app.

This is another app I use frequently. It helps me simplify scheduling, especially when I’m on the go.

If you’re looking for a barber, this app was created to help people discover and book the best of the best in your city.