Black women entrepreneurs will have a new space to connect, learn and share ideas this October.
The first-ever She Did That. Founder Forum is set for October 5, 2026, in Brooklyn, New York. The event will bring together entrepreneurs, professionals and women considering their next career move.
The full-day event will focus on business growth, artificial intelligence, brand protection and career reinvention. It will also explore what happens when business owners sell, buy back or change ownership of their companies.
Hosted at Shell’s Loft, the forum is being created around honest conversations and practical lessons. It is designed for women at different stages of their professional journeys.
She Did That. Founder Forum Creates Space for Black Women in Business
The Founder Forum is being presented by She Did That., a platform focused on Black women entrepreneurs. Founder Renae Bluitt is curating the event and its conversations.
The October gathering will explore changing ideas about work, ownership and success. It will also address the challenges women face when their careers take unexpected turns.
Bluitt said many women are currently reconsidering what work and ownership mean to them. Some are choosing entrepreneurship, while others are entering new chapters because of changes around them.
“I created the Founder Forum because I wanted us to have a space to talk honestly about all of it.”
She also highlighted the importance of resources, relationships and shared knowledge. According to Bluitt, there is power in women building together.
October 5 Event Will Cover Business Growth and Career Reinvention
The forum will welcome women with different professional experiences. Some attendees may already own businesses, while others may be building side hustles.
The event will also speak to women working in corporate careers. Those starting over will also find conversations designed around their experiences.
Yunice Emir will host the event. She is the founder of The Conn3ct Group and Head of Corporate Communications at Moët Hennessy USA.
The program will feature several conversations with founders and industry leaders. These sessions will cover practical issues facing women in business today.
Black Women Entrepreneurs Will Discuss Life After the 9-to-5
The forum will open with a conversation titled “By Choice or By Change: What Comes After the 9–5?”
Bevy Smith, Jeneé Naylor and Brianna Arps will discuss career shifts and entrepreneurship. Each woman has taken a different route from traditional employment into business and media.
Smith is known for her work in media and entertainment. She previously worked in fashion advertising before pursuing a different professional path.
Naylor used her fashion background to build 12PM Studios and a lifestyle brand. Arps moved from corporate beauty into entrepreneurship with her fragrance company, MOODEAUX.
Together, their experiences will provide different perspectives on career reinvention.
Founder Forum Will Help Women Protect Their Brands and Ideas
Protecting creative work will be another major topic at the October 5 event.
Designer Felisha “Fe” Noel and attorney Casey Handy-Smith will lead a discussion about intellectual property. Their session will focus on protecting ideas, brands and creative work.
Noel is the founder and head designer of Fe Noel. She has experienced situations where her designs were imitated by retailers and other designers.
Handy-Smith is an intellectual property attorney and founder of C. Handy Law. She will bring her legal experience to the conversation.
The session is expected to give women practical information about protecting what they create. It will also explore how entrepreneurs can secure their creative legacies.
Black Women Business Owners Will Talk About Building Without Burnout
Growing a company can demand significant time and energy. The Founder Forum will therefore include a conversation about building businesses more sustainably.
The session is titled “Bossing Without the Burnout: A New Way to Build.” Allison McGevna of HelloBeautiful will moderate the discussion.
Kayalin Akens-Irby, Jenesis LaForcarde and Ria Graham will join the conversation. Their businesses span healthcare, wellness and hospitality.
Akens-Irby founded Sela Health, a women’s health and wellness clinic in Harlem. LaForcarde founded The Jenesis House, a wellness retreat in Sedona, Arizona.
Graham is connected to Kokomo, a Caribbean restaurant in Brooklyn. Together, they will discuss business growth while protecting personal peace.
AI Workshop Will Show Entrepreneurs How to Use Technology
Artificial intelligence will also have a major place at the Founder Forum.
Keisha Mabry Haymore will lead an interactive AI workshop for entrepreneurs. The session will focus on using artificial intelligence for real business growth.
Haymore is a certified AI educator and technology leader. Her session will look at ways AI can support growing brands.
Unlike a traditional discussion, the workshop is designed to be hands-on. Founders are expected to leave with practical ideas they can apply to their businesses.
The session comes as more entrepreneurs explore how technology can support everyday business work. At the forum, AI will be discussed through the specific needs of business owners.
Lisa Price and Necole Kane Will Discuss Business Ownership
The final major conversation will examine what happens after an entrepreneur sells a company.
Lisa Price and Necole Kane will discuss acquisitions, exits and changing ownership. Their experiences include building businesses, navigating deals and entering new chapters.
Price is the founder and president of Carol’s Daughter. She went through investment and acquisition before buying the company back from L’Oréal.
Kane built xoNecole and founded My Happy Flo. She has also moved through different stages of building, selling and reinventing businesses.
Their discussion will explore the less visible side of business deals. It will also look at what can happen after an entrepreneur decides to walk away.
Founder Forum Will Include a Marketplace for Black Women-Owned Businesses
The October 5 gathering will extend beyond panels and workshops.
Guests will also have an opportunity to discover and support Black women through the She Did That. Founder Forum Marketplace.
The marketplace will give attendees a chance to shop from Black women entrepreneurs. It will also create another space for business owners and customers to connect.
Organizers describe community as a central part of the event. The goal is to create connections that continue beyond the day itself.
She Did That. Founder Forum Brings Black Women Together in Brooklyn
The first She Did That. Founder Forum is scheduled for October 5, 2026, at Shell’s Loft in Brooklyn.
Its program covers several stages of professional life. Those topics include leaving a 9-to-5, protecting intellectual property and using AI.
The forum will also address sustainable business growth and major ownership decisions. These conversations give the event a broad focus on both starting and maintaining a business.
For Black women entrepreneurs, the day is designed around conversation, connection and practical knowledge. It also creates a space for women figuring out what comes next.
