While still a senior in high school, Rachel Holmes set out to establish Black females Mean Business, a platform for networking and career development for Black high school females. The program aims to provide Black young girls between the ages of 14 and 18 the skills and self-assurance they will need to succeed in their future occupations as well as establish their status in the commercial world.
According to Metro Silicon Valley, Holmes received recognition for her initiative as a Prudential Emerging Visionary in February 2022.
“They told us we had won an additional $10,000 for our program, which was insane. I wasn’t expecting to win, but I have already been able to expand my program so much since winning that money. My program was operating without any money before that point.” Holmes said.
Holmes will lead six Zoom meetings for the Black Girls Mean Business program, which will feature at least two speakers from the business sector. During the meetings, participants have the chance to communicate with their mentors in separate virtual rooms.
The famed meetings are usually held in the summer, with participants signing up nationwide. “As an aspiring businesswoman myself, I understood the barriers Black women face going into business and wanted to ensure Black girls in my community had the support and resources necessary to reach their full potential,” Holmes explained.
The young businesswoman claims that becoming a Black entrepreneur at such a young age is opening doors for people besides herself. Some participants, according to Cision, confessed to truly liking the session and felt more equipped to use Vim to realize their entrepreneurial aspirations.
The program accepts females who wish to gain some experience and knowledge about the career they want to pursue in addition to those who are aware of their entrepreneurship aspirations.
The session teaches participants how to effectively market themselves on LinkedIn, feel at ease during interviews, recognize their strengths and weaknesses, and use that information to advance their careers.
The only cisgender girls accepted within the program. Holmes claims that Black females are the target audience for her marketing, though she would accept boys if they chose to attend the course.
In order to expand the program and even make it an annual event, she wants to include new services like college tours and internships.