Small Business Profile
Celebrating Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Small Businesses
Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) businesses represent a robust sector of the small business community. According to the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development, there are nearly 2 million Asian-owned small businesses in the U.S., with almost half having fewer than 20 employees and 19% in the accommodations and food services industry.…
Member Highlight: CareAcademy
The U.S. has long suffered from a shortage of qualified direct care workers. Nigerian-immigrant Helen Adeosun, a former practicing caregiver, thought someone should do something about that. Her solution was to build CareAcademy, a digital-first business that empowers senior home care professionals to build businesses of their own in the home care industry, pairing online…
Member Highlight: NAME GLO
In 2014, actress Sas Simon and visual artist Lena Inamura teamed up to form NAME GLO: a company producing custom-made neon pieces. It didn’t take long for NAME GLO to evolve from passion project to profitable venture. Sas and Lena were feeling great about the business as 2020 dawned. Yet, right when things seemed to…
Small Business Resilience: The Tiny Tassel
Mimi Striplin always seems happy, no matter the circumstance. It’s a good thing she decided to start a company dedicated to bringing a similar sense of joy to others. Mimi’s business, The Tiny Tassel, started as an Etsy shop, and has since grown a lot bigger. Today, The Tiny Tassel offers handmade tassel jewelry, clothing, and a full line of party decor. It h
Member Highlight: Sunrise Coffee
Juanny Romeo opened her first coffee shop during the Great Recession and over the years added several Las Vegas-based Sunrise Coffee cafes to the flagship—along with a deepening passion for both the product she sold and the customers who came in to try it. “The community we have is so important to me,” Juanny says,…
Member Highlight: Okabashi Brands
Okabashi CEO Sara Irvani is a third-generation shoemaker. The company she leads has been manufacturing shoes in Georgia since it was founded by her grandfather, an Iranian expatriate, in 1984. Sara is proud of Okabashi’s tradition of not only making shoes in the U.S. but doing so in an environmentally and socially conscious way. Sara…
The Spice House: Supporting Small Businesses While Staying Tastefully Safe
The Spice House is as much a community as it is an expert spice business. The 60-year-old business has a steady customer base of restaurants, chefs, and foodies, as well as a close-knit network of suppliers (with some so secret, even CEO Charlie Mayer doesn’t know them). Mayer calls The Spice House stores “a sensory…
Name Glo: From Producing Neon to Protecting New York’s Health Care Workers
Name Glo co-owners Sas Simon and Lena Imamura are no strangers to finding innovative ways to fulfill a need – whether that need is custom neon signs or protective gear during a pandemic. The New York-based company’s story began in 2014 when Simon was scouring New York for someone to produce a neon sign of…
Member Highlight: Studley’s Flower Garden
Spring is the busiest season for companies like Studley’s Flower Garden in New Hampshire. For this second-generation family-owned company, the onset of COVID-19 seemed to happen at the worst possible time — especially given the short growing season in New England. But, while initially a scary time for Molly and her team, the pandemic affected…
Join 3C to get the latest news and resources for your small business
Featured
Online Marketplaces Help Small Businesses Reach Customers and Succeed this Holiday Season
A Q&A with Entrepreneur Melissa Horvath of Sweet Water Decor
Making Water Cleaner with Epic Water Filters
