Entrepreneurship November 1, 2026 0 Comments

How The BLK Plug Is Disrupting Markets Behind Closed Doors — And Why Investors Are Scrambling To Get In Now

Ever wonder what it takes to build a buzzing community from scratch while juggling the chaos of everyday life? Ashanti Reese did—and she didn’t just wonder; she launched The BLK Plug, a powerhouse online directory spotlighting Black-owned businesses across the nation. Less than a year in, and this isn’t your typical directory; it’s a thriving hub packed with resources like grants, workshops, networking, and a Creator Network connecting businesses with influencers. Why start this platform? Because Ashanti, who’s had her fair share of entrepreneurial trials and triumphs, realized if she’s spending hours hunting for Black-owned businesses and funding opportunities, others probably are, too. And if you think that sounds like a recipe for burnout, think again—her biggest win so far? Getting total strangers on board purely because the concept resonates. It’s about more than business; it’s about owning your time and empowering a community. Ready to hear the real story behind the hustle and learn how you might just change your own game?

LEARN MORE

Ashanti Reese is the founder of The BLK Plug, a nationwide online directory and entrepreneur resource platform she launched less than a year ago to help people discover and support Black-owned businesses. In this Small Business Spotlight, she shares what inspired her to start The BLK Plug, what she has learned along the way, and her advice for future entrepreneurs.

What does your company do?

The BLK Plug is a nationwide online directory that helps people discover and support Black-owned businesses. But it’s also growing into a resource hub for the entrepreneurs behind those businesses.

Members have access to curated grants and funding opportunities, business events and workshops, networking and educational resources, and our Creator Network, which connects businesses with Black content creators and influencers. We also offer promotional and website services.

My goal is to make it easier for consumers to find Black-owned businesses while making it easier for those businesses to find the resources and opportunities they need to grow.

What made you want to be an entrepreneur?

I’ve always dreamed of owning my time.

In traditional work settings, I’ve often felt restricted and confined by someone else’s schedule. I wanted the freedom to make decisions about my day, be present for my family, and put my energy into something I was building for myself.

For me, entrepreneurship has always been about more than money. It’s about having more control over how I spend my life.

Why did you choose your business?

I’ve always been looking for Black-owned businesses myself.

Whenever I needed a product or service, I would search for a Black-owned option. Eventually, I thought, if I’m already doing all this searching, why not make it my business to help other people find these businesses, too?

As I began building The BLK Plug, that same thought process kept coming up.

I was searching for grants and funding for my own business, so I started collecting those opportunities for other business owners. I was looking for workshops, networking events, and mentors, so I added those resources too.

Then I needed influencers and content creators to help promote The BLK Plug, and I realized other business owners might need them just as much. That’s how the Creator Network came about.

Almost every new feature has come from a real need I’ve had while trying to grow my own business.

I’m doing the research and bringing what I find together in one place so other entrepreneurs can have those resources right at their fingertips.

What prepared you for entrepreneurship?

My entrepreneurial journey really began in 2014 when I was pregnant with my first child.

I wanted to be home with my son, and I didn’t want to struggle to find child care just to return to a job where I already felt underpaid. So I started looking into side hustles and ways to earn income on my own terms.

Since then, I’ve dabbled in all kinds of business ideas. I’ve started businesses, watched some fail, tried new things, and learned a lot along the way.

At the time, I didn’t always see those experiences as preparation, but now I do. Every attempt taught me something about marketing, consistency, problem-solving, or simply having the courage to try again.

I believe all of those experiences prepared me for where I am today.

What has been your greatest achievement so far?

I would say launching The BLK Plug completely under the radar of people I know and getting more than 40 people I had never met to sign up.

I wanted to know whether people could connect with the idea without signing up just because they knew me personally.

Seeing complete strangers discover the platform and decide to join showed me that there really is interest in what I’m building.

That means a lot to me, especially at this early stage. It has given me the confidence to keep going.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of being an entrepreneur?

My time, without question.

I love being able to take my children to school and pick them up, be there for their activities, and be available when someone in my family needs me.

Even something as simple as helping my little cousin get to and from her first job after high school means a lot to me.

Those moments are important. I value being able to choose what deserves my time rather than always arranging my life around a work schedule.

Time is something we can never get back, and having more control over mine is one of the greatest rewards of entrepreneurship.

What challenges have you faced as an entrepreneur?

One of my biggest challenges has been finding leads and getting people to join the platform at the pace I’d like.

The BLK Plug is a nationwide directory, so it needs a large number and variety of business listings to function as effectively as I envision.

That means I’m constantly figuring out how to reach business owners, communicate the value of joining, and bring consumers to the site as well.

It’s a challenge to build both sides of the community at once, especially while I’m still learning what marketing approaches work best.

I’m learning that building something valuable and getting people to discover it are two very different things.

Is there anything you wish you’d done differently?

No, I don’t think so.

I truly believe that the businesses that didn’t work out, the mistakes I’ve made, and the challenges I’ve encountered were all stepping stones that helped prepare me for where I am now.

I’m sure there will be plenty more lessons ahead of me, and I don’t expect the journey to be perfect.

I just want to keep learning, improving, and moving forward.

How can others get started in this business?

Just start.

Research the problem you want to solve, put together a simple version of your idea, and be willing to learn as you go.

I actually think starting is the easiest part. For me, the bigger challenge has been staying consistent, getting people to discover what I’ve built, and continuing when progress is slower than I’d like.

You don’t need to have every detail figured out before you begin, but you do have to commit to showing up after the initial excitement of starting wears off.