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Winners of the 2024 Yelp for Business x Luminary Fellowship

Winners of the 2024 Yelp for Business x Luminary Fellowship

Many incredible entrepreneurs submitted applications for the 2024 Yelp for Business x Luminary Fellowship, and we’re excited to officially announce the 15 winners! From attorneys and accountants to doulas and calligraphers, these 15 women-led small businesses are making a true impact in their communities.

Check out the announcement post, read more below about each of the fellows below, and stay tuned for their progress over the next year. 

Ashley Cloud

Ashley Cloud

Founder & CEO of The Cloud Law Firm
 
Ashley provides startup services, brand and content protection, and transactional support to new and emerging brands at The Cloud Law Firm. She received her law degree and MBA from Howard University, where she served as the co-founder and inaugural president of the Fashion Law Society and co-chair of Fashion Law Week. Before starting her firm, Ashley served as the first Black and highest-ranking attorney in her office’s history at the U.S. Small Business Administration. 

Candis Johnson

Founder & CEO of Standing Ovation Cleaning Company
 
A Cleveland, Ohio native, Candis is a self-made entrepreneur who’s motivated by the desire to create generational wealth for her family and mentor other minority-owned businesses. Her cleaning company, Standing Ovation, provides cleaning services to businesses and residences in Northeast Ohio, including deep cleaning, waste removal, laundry services, and custom cleaning plans.

Jomina Joseph

Owner & Doula at Welcoming Hands Birthing Services
 
Jomina Joseph is a birth and postpartum doula based in Brooklyn, New York. She started her journey into birth work in 2021, after navigating the healthcare system and seeing the need for patient advocacy firsthand. This experience fueled Jomina’s passion to become a doula and make change through Welcoming Hands Birthing Services, which works to increase expectant parents’ chances of a vaginal birth.

Julienne Gutierrez

Owner of Project After Six
 
Julienne is an accomplished CPA with 16 years of financial reporting and accounting experience who resides in Long Island, New York. After graduating with a Bachelors and Masters in Accounting from University of Arkansas, she led talented teams at PricewaterhouseCoopers, MSG Networks, Warner Music Group, IPG, and WPP. At Project After Six, Julienne offers accounting services and strives to help individuals clearly understand their taxes and finances.

Keisha Hickson

Founder & CEO of Shining Star Kids Salon
 
Keisha is an entrepreneur, professional speaker, and community advocate with over 25 years of experience in the financial industry. In 2017, she launched her first brick-and-mortar venture, Shining Star Kids Salon, a natural hair braiding salon for kids in Brooklyn, New York. Building on this success, Keisha expanded her entrepreneurial endeavors to include Survivante Collections, an e-commerce business specializing in wellness products.

Keva Niver

Founder of Boheme Retreats
 
Keva is an outdoor lover on a mission to revolutionize nature-based lodging spaces and foster a more inclusive outdoors. At Boheme Retreats, she offers overnight stays in renovated vintage campers from the 1960’s and 1970’s for a more comfortable, nostalgic camping experience. With a deep-seated passion for effecting positive change, Keva is dedicated to crafting transformative spaces that bridge the belonging gap and amplify diversity.

Kristin Andrews

Owner and Lead Calligraphy Artist at Kreative Blends Calligraphy Studio
 
Kristin Andrews is a luxury calligrapher and engraver based in Chicago, Illinois. She creates elevated experiences for brands and special events through custom calligraphy and engraving at her studio, Kreative Blends. Kristin has been a self-taught calligraphy artist for over eight years and has worked with clients such as Nordstrom, Swarovski, and Tory Burch.

Michelle Munoz

Owner of Mind Body Esthetics
 
Michelle is a licensed esthetician and permanent make-up artist who specializes in lashes and facials. Michelle’s priority is providing a safe and relaxing environment for clients to pamper their mind, body, and skin at her studio in Pompton Plains, New Jersey. Founded as an esthetic studio, Mindbodyesthetics is now expanding to other self-care needs, including brow lamination and microblading.

Nia Thomas

CFO & Co-founder of Laverie
 
In 2020, Nia co-founded Laverie, a modern laundromat in the heart of New York City’s SoHo neighborhood. As CFO, Nia has enabled the company to invest in the latest technology, enhance the customer experience, and expand its reach. She has also helped build a cohesive and motivated workforce, ensuring that Laverie is not just a place to do laundry, but also a community hub where people come together to create meaningful connections.

Rosalie Ennes

CEO & Founder of Portecua Consulting
 
Rosalie is a business strategist, speaker, and founder of Portecua Consulting, a boutique consulting firm that specializes in a risk-first focus. With over 13 years of experience in managing risks and optimizing operations, she is on a mission to help women and BIPOC founders build beautiful businesses that are protected, optimized, and well-positioned for growth and community impact. Rosalie holds dual degrees in Business Administration and Latin American Studies from UC Berkeley, as well as a CPA and CIA.

Sabina Park

Founder & Marketing and Business Development Specialist at Beau Creator
 
Sabina helps fellow Korean business owners establish a presence in the United States through branding and marketing. Drawing on her background in management from Parsons School of Design, Sabina has supported over 30 beauty and fashion businesses at her consulting agency, Beau Creator. She also manages Beauty Artist, a beauty studio in Manhattan.

Shawnasia Black

Owner & Principal Designer at Asia B. Designs
 
Shawnasia is a proud, first-generation Jamaican American from the Bronx. At Asia B. Designs, she specializes in residential and small commercial interior design, armed with a BFA in Interior Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) as well as degrees in Psychology & Professional Communications from Clark University. Additionally, she serves as Equity Council Co-Chair for the International Interior Design Association’s New York Chapter (IIDA NY) and as a board member for FIT’s Interior Design Advisory Board, working to promote inclusion within the architecture and design industry.

Tammeca Rochester

CEO & Founder of Harlem Cycle
 
Tammeca Rochester is an experienced leader in wellness and community engagement with over a decade of dedicated work promoting healthy communities. She established Harlem Cycle, Harlem’s first and only indoor cycling studio, which has conducted over 12,000 wellness classes and embodies the neighborhood’s vibrant spirit. An alumna of Spelman College, The Georgia Institute of Technology, and New York University (MBA), she’s also been recognized as a leading figure in wellness by Women’s Health and Outside magazine.

Tannia Ospina

Founder & Managing Attorney at Ospina Law Firm
 
Tannia is a Latina intellectual property attorney and founder of the Ospina Law Firm. She empowers entrepreneurs to build strong businesses by increasing their legal protections through trademarks and contracts. At Ospina Law Firm, she represents clients ranging from family small businesses to large media companies, offers personalized services, and welcomes Spanish-speaking clients to her practice.

Vonmarie Thomas

Bookkeeper & Accountant at Breakaway Bookkeeping and Advising
 
Vonmarie is an experienced accountant working in New York City’s financial services industry. As the owner of a Breakaway accounting firm, she specializes in trusts and estates, and provides accounting services for small businesses. She is skilled in financial reporting, budgeting, cloud technology business solutions, and auditing—and is also a devoted bodybuilder who also enjoys painting, dancing, and concerts.

Learn from past fellows


Benefits

  • One full year of Luminary Membership
  • Access to 2 floors (plus a rooftop) of co-working space in NYC as well as partner spaces across the U.S.
  • Quarterly 1:1 meetings with Yelp experts to help you create a custom Yelp strategy
  • Quarterly webinars exclusively for fellows on topics like making the most of your Yelp Page, online reputation management, and how to respond to customer reviews
  • Monthly, virtual “office hours” to network with the other fellows and Yelp’s Small Business Expert Emily Washcovick—pop in to ask questions, get advice, connect with your peers, or just catch up
  • Collaboration on social media content with Yelp, Yelp for Business, and Luminary
  • Opportunity to be featured on Behind the Review, a podcast from Yelp and Entrepreneur Media

Testimonials

“As a Black female entrepreneur, it’s discouraging at times because we know that barriers of receiving capital to build my business are real barriers. It doesn’t matter if your projections look good, it doesn’t matter what your history looks like—it’s just a barrier. So I think opportunities like this fellowship strengthen you. You don’t feel alone. You don’t feel scared as much as you would when you’re by yourself.” 
—Dianna Rose, CEO of Essential Kitchen

“The goal I created for the fellowship is a framework for long-term growth for my business. I’m [no longer] in the dark about what needs to be done or what’s working and not working. It’s a relief to be working consistently on the business, rather than in it. By the end of Q1, I will finally accomplish the biggest goal we set, and I don’t think it would not be possible without this fellowship.” 
—Nikia Londy, CEO & co-founder of Intriguing Hair

“I’ve known about Yelp forever, but I always thought that it was more of a review platform—which it is—but I didn’t know it could showcase a business how it does. [After starting Yelp Ads for free with the fellowship,] my business page went from a flat line for the past three years to people messaging and people checking out our website simply because of the ads.” 
—Vene Pryor, owner of Saturday Soirée by Vene

“I know my value now. I know my worth, what I want, and what type of client I want. I am more confident in myself and my business. The business goals I set up with Emily almost every two weeks always get executed, and I feel much less stressed than I did when I started this program.”
—Whitney Bennett, owner of Whitney Green NY

Get to know the 2023 winners here.

Apply for the 2024 Yelp for Business x Luminary Fellowship Program

Published: February 9, 2024

Are you a trailblazing woman in business looking to expand your network? Do you want to build, grow, or manage your woman-founded or woman-owned business? The 2024 Yelp for Business x Luminary Fellowship may be the opportunity for you.

Now in its second year, this year-long program will provide 15 fellows with customized, one-on-one support from both Yelp for Business and Luminary, a global platform and professional networking hub.

Fellows will join Luminary’s growing community and gain direct access to the Yelp for Business team—along with exclusive training webinars, mentorship opportunities, and much more. Plus, at least 50% of fellowships will be awarded to women of color-owned or -founded businesses.