Tiffany Johnson’s journey is impressive. Since moving to the United States at age 14, Tiffany Johnson has been determined to find her way.
Despite a difficult start t in the country that reportedly included living undocumented for five years and raising two younger siblings, Johnson’s drive and ambition became a passion for business.
It led her to become the CEO and founder of feminine care and wellness brand Moozii and secure a job at Amazon. In 2018, she worked with Amazon’s sales team to help US sellers expand their businesses to Canada and Mexico.
The now mother-and-wife saw customers as young as 21 years old make millions of dollars by selling products on Amazon. But she soon realized that the majority of successful sellers were white men. So Johnson began imagining the impact this kind of success could have on minority-owned businesses.
It was in 2019 Johnson, along with Richard Lewis and Jeremy Erdman, created the Black Business Accelerator (BBA), Amazon’s $150 million pledge to help Black entrepreneurs with capital, mentorship, and marketing support.
Black entrepreneurs have less access to capital, mentorship, and growth opportunities. They are also significantly underrepresented in retail. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 6% of U.S. retail businesses have a Black owner—even though Black Americans represent 14% of the U.S. adult population.
The BBA aims to drive economic equity for Black entrepreneurs, providing them with resources to thrive as entrepreneurs and business leaders.
According to the U.S. House Small Business Committee, black-owned businesses have also been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Because of this, Amazon’s BBA will also provide access to financial assistance, strategic business guidance, mentorship, and marketing and promotional support to help both current and aspiring Black small business owners grow their businesses and maximize the opportunities of selling on Amazon.
Johnson grew up in Guyana, South America, and is the daughter of small business owners and has previously credited her parents’ drive and ambition for inspiring her to find her way to pay it forward.
She said her parents sold movies, belts, sandals, typical items that tourists would look for when they come to the islands that she grew up in.
Credit: Abbianca Makoni, POCIT
