You don’t have to build this alone.
Just BE is a co-stewardship community for women and gender expansive micro-entrepreneurs of color and their families — where your business, your healing, and your future are built together.
After ten years, we're closing this chapter at the end of December 2026. Our programs are still running. Our community is still here. Help us finish strong.
THE PROBLEM
The isolation isn’t personal failure. It’s a structural Gap
97%
of Black women entrepreneurs and 95% of Latina entrepreneurs are building completely alone — no employees, no co-founders, no built-in support system.
50%
Entrepreneurs are approximately 50% more likely to report having depression, anxiety, and burnout compared to the general population.
The system was never designed for us.
Just BE is what we build instead: a healing-centered, BIWOC-led community where entrepreneurs connect, collaborate, and build collective wealth — on our own terms.
WHAT WE DO
We go beyond traditional business support.
Every program is active through December 2026
Because building a sustainable business also means healing, organizing, and owning your future.
A Note from Just BE
In July 2026, Just BE made the decision to pause our project at the close of this year. This wasn't an easy decision. It came from an honest look at our capacity, our resources, and what it takes to sustain this work long-term.
Our programs continue through December 31, 2026. Every commitment we made to our community will be honored.
We need $40,000 to get there. Your gift goes directly to the women and gender-expansive entrepreneurs of color who show up to our programs every month.
We are closing this chapter with care.
OUR IMPACT
10 years of building together
$250k+
In capital generated by and for BIWOC Entrepreneurs through Just BE since 2016
$832
BILLION added to the U.S. economy if women of color owned businesses matched the average revenue of white women owned businesses*
6.4
MILLION women of color owned businesses in the United States, accounting for about half of all women-owned businesses*
3,600+
BIWOC Entrepreneurs served by Just BE since 2016
1625
new women of color owned businesses open daily*
*Sources: Wells Fargo, American Express, Fast Company
JUST BE FEATURED IN
Community-rooted. Widely recognized.
MEET THE CO-FOUNDER + EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Hope Henson-Lehman
Hey, community. I'm Hope.
I'm a healer, solidarity economist, and Black feminist creative with 15+ years of experience in economic justice — across workforce development, leadership, finance, and cooperative business models.
As a second-generation Black Women Entrepreneur, I've spent a decade building Just BE into what it is today: a community where BIWOC entrepreneurs don't just survive — they heal, connect, and build legacy.
After ten years, I'm proud of what we built together. Closing this chapter is hard. It's also the most honest thing I can do » for myself, for our team, and for the community that trusted us. We're going out the way we came in: with care, with intention, and with each other.
Community
Blessings
My experience with Just BE has been really rewarding as a community member and former vendor of the 2019 For the Culture Holiday Market. Just BE creates magical experiences for Black Women entrepreneurs rooted in a strong sense of community care. I wish every business community could have this energy. I feel seen in Just BE spaces - that are powerful in their centering Black women liberation and healing.
OWNER, LATISHA BAKER ARTWORKSLatisha Baker
OUR PARTNER ECOSYSTEM
Our Current Partners
Partners and Sponsors Who Have Contributed to Our Success
Ten Years. Hundreds of Women.
One Final Chapter.
If Just BE has ever meant something to you — or to someone you love — this is the moment to show up. Help us close with the same spirit we started with.