5 Latina and Black mothers running a startup (and their advice to you) — digitalundivided

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Motherhood is an excellent pre-cursor for the skills to start and build a successful company. As a mother, multitasking, project management, and team building are part of everyday life. Time management is a critically mastered component throughout the day. Most of all, moms go with their gut, arguably one of the most critical skill sets to have as an entrepreneur.

Both motherhood and being a founder are challenging roles. This Mother’s Day, we contacted our digitalundivided founder community to ask our mompreneurs to share some inspiration, advice, insight, or love with moms making big business moves in the startup space. Please read below to hear what they have to say!

Image via F&W Style Instagram

Alexandria Alli, F&W Style

Alexandria Alli founded F&W Style, women’s designer handbags and accessories featuring luxe materials and fashion-forward styling.

“Ask for help when you need it. Give yourself grace, and take time to network and meet people.”

Image via Catherine Garcia

Catherine Garcia, Philanthropy Con Café

Catherine Garcia founded Philanthropy Con Café, a space amplifying BIPOC grantmakers and co-conspirators upending philanthropy.

“Mothers, especially in communities of color, are often taught to self-sacrifice and give up on their aspirations. I believe nurturing our dreams and ideas as we do (for) our children allow us to be more present and loving. Even if all you have is 15 minutes a day, keep working on your dream, business, and idea. You’ll be glad you did.”

Image via Jasmine Mahee Instagram

Jasmine Mahee, Chief Impact Officer at Melanin-Is

Jasmine Mahee is the Chief Impact Officer at Melanin-Is, a skincare company creating clean and effective products improving melanated skin concerns common in multicultural communities. Read more about Jasmine here.

“As an entrepreneur of any kind — and especially for those of us who are parents — it’s paramount to have boundaries to maintain a healthy work/life balance. This is to the benefit of not only yourself but also your child(ren), family, and business partners if you have them. Establish boundaries that work for you and communicate them with anyone they affect, including your children, and everyone will be much happier!”

Image via Anamarie Torres

Anamarie Torres, LoVi

Anamarie Torres founded LoVi, a loyalty reward system for local businesses.

“Motherhood and entrepreneurship are two remarkable journeys that inspire and challenge simultaneously. Having my daughter see me work hard to reach my goals fuels my inspiration to create a better future for her. Seeking guidance from fellow mom entrepreneurs, something hard to find, becomes crucial in balancing these roles, and their support becomes a lifeline. Gratitude for the small moments and working on maintaining a positive mindset drive my motivation to build a brighter future for my family and daughter. She is my biggest cheerleader.”

Image via Marie Burns Ortiz

Maria Burns Ortiz, 7 Generation Games

Maria Burns Ortiz is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of 7 Generation Games.

“Cut yourself slack. I can still recall the tears I shed over missing my son’s preschool Christmas concert due to a delayed flight and the pangs of guilt over not being there when my daughter won the second-grade Halloween costume contest because I was pitching a group of angel investors. Years later, it turns out my children have zero recollections of me not being there and have still turned out to be well-adjusted human beings.”