Black History Month: Spotlight on American Entrepreneurs
Have you heard the brand of coffee called Blk & Bold?
Pernell Cezar and Rod Johnson started the first nationally distributed Black-owned coffee brand.
Cezar and Johnson launched their business in 2018 in Cezar’s garage after deciding they both desired more personally fulfilling careers. That meant building a company that revolved around a social impact model – to provide a positive impact on their community. “We wanted to make sure that we found a way to reinvest back into those who just need a boost, who just need a helping hand to overcome and rise above their respective circumstances,” Johnson has said.
While researching their idea, they learned that Black Americans are distinctly under-represented in the coffee industry, as both customers and business owners. In the U.S., African-Americans are the least likely ethnic group to drink coffee regularly, according to a 2019 study from the National Coffee Association.
They began by selling bags of home roasted beans to independent coffee shops in the Midwest. Relying on social media and trade shows for marketing, and just within two years Target became their first big break into major retailing. Once the pandemic hit, online sales took off when Blk & Bold was featured as part of Amazon’s Black Business Accelerator. They have since expanded Blk & Bold products to include specialty teas.
Cezar and Johnson’s commitment to giving back to the community along with caring about the products they make has led to partnerships with Ben & Jerry’s, Amazon, Target, and the NBA. They dedicate 5% of the company’s profits to initiatives that help youth in need and have already donated $42,000 to community organizations like No Kid Hungry, to fight childhood hunger, as well as educational programs in Des Moines and a coding initiative for Black youth in Miami.
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