Black Entrepreneurship

In August, Pharrell Williams and Jay-Z released their music video “Entrepreneur,” which features Black entrepreneurs from across the country. The video inspired St. Louis’ Jason Wilson, owner and CEO of Northwest Coffee Roasting Co., who collaborated with local director David Kirkman to create an edition of “Entrepreneur” that highlights Black-owned businesses in St. Louis.

When St. Louis nonprofit WePower launched a few years ago, it aimed to set up a business accelerator to uplift entrepreneurs in underinvested areas such as north St. Louis. And beginning in March, its six-month accelerator, Elevate/Elevar, did just that.

Freddie Lee James Jr. has long been a sauce man. His home-whisked Ghetto Sauce made him the king of cookouts. Family and coworkers would clamour for the…