Black entrepreneurs in Sonoma County see growth in aftermath of pandemic

Sonoma County has built a reputation for those striking out on their own business venture. It’s most commonly found in the food and wine industries from our rich and longstanding agriculture heritage.

That’s been true within the local African-American community with such examples as Corner 103 winery on the Sonoma Plaza founded by Lloyd Davis to Wodeyelesh Merso and her Ethiopian cuisine at Abyssinia restaurant in Santa Rosa. Both have made a name for themselves in their respective fields.

Others have, too. As the pandemic wanes, the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well throughout the local Black community and in professions that may not garner as big a buzz as food and wine.

It is increasingly so with younger people who are venturing out on their own much more than previous generations, said Nancy Rogers, president of the North Bay Black Chamber of Commerce. These efforts are in wide-ranging fields though some have focused on retailing, especially with apparel products in niche segments not served by large chains.

“Especially with these younger people, they are not dedicated to a long-term job with one company,” said Rogers, chef and owner of the Red Rose, a catering company that specializes in soul food. Rogers noted her own experience was different as she started out working at Hewlett-Packard for 28 years before making the switch to food service.

“They are not going to be in a job for 20 or 30 years unless it’s on their own,” she added of younger entrepreneurs.

An example of that is Chris Perez, who since 2018 has owned and operated Core Electrical Services, a Santa Rosa firm which provides electrician work for commercial and industrial clients.

On Thursday, he was on a job at a winery in Kenwood.

“When I was 22, I didn’t think I would be doing this on my own,” said Perez, who started working on construction jobs at the age of 17.

The 39-year-old father of four now has 13 employees and expects to grow more given the need for such services, especially within the growth of industrial plants in the North Bay.

“I had an inkling that I could probably do this, but there is a lot more that has to happen than just going to work and just going home. It’s not for everybody. It’s for the people who really want to do it,” he said.

Such news is welcome after Black-owned businesses initially suffered at the onset of the pandemic. Black business ownership rates dropped 41% between February and April 2020, the largest rate of any racial group, according to the U.S. House Small Business Committee.

The panel’s report said that these businesses “were less equipped to handle mandated closures, more likely to be located in areas with high volumes of COVID cases and had less access to relief.”

But there has been a rebound. The Washington Post in March published an analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data that showed in 2021 that Black-owned small businesses were created at the fastest rate in at least 26 years.

Some local businesspeople who navigated the rocky waters of the pandemic ― such as dealing with shelter-in-place rules ― said they have found success in the aftermath. That includes Michael Walker, who is co-owner of the Slick Bridge store at the Santa Rosa Plaza, specializing in hip-hop apparel inspired from the Thizz Entertainment record label that was started by rapper Mac Dre, who was killed in 2004 but whose legacy still reverberates years later.

Walker opened his first location just north of downtown in March 2020.

“Surviving was definitely from the support of the community,” said Walker, 35. “When we got hit with COVID, it was like let’s kind of slow things down and actually take time on building and coming up with a solid plan.”

The store went into the downtown mall in April 2021 and has benefited from the additional foot traffic. Slick Bridge has diversified by selling additional items, such as bath salts and fragrance, and has a music studio, which local residents will be able to use as part of a music program.

Walker noted about 90% of its products come from local creators in the region and he hopes that they can benefit from his platform and grow their own business.

“We're really trying to uplift entrepreneurs. We're not trying to get anybody in a box or limit them,” he said.

Likewise, Abrea Tillman came to own her store through an atypical means as the previous owner of LA Beauty and Hair on the 900 block of West College Avenue essentially handed off the store to the 33-year-old almost 2 years ago.

Tillman, who had been a customer, said she suffers from the hair-loss condition alopecia and has specialized in solutions, such as learning about wig-making. She also performs beauty consultations as she previously attended cosmetology school.

Many of her customers are cancer patients, but Tillman also has found that many Black women come to her store for hair care products because mass-market items didn’t work for them. She found her store was a needed resource to fill that space that wasn’t being served by traditional outlets ― the same thing that Walker found.

“The main thing in the area of hair and beauty, Black women didn’t have access to the products and resources that they need to maintain healthy hair … that they need to look and feel their best,” Tillman said. “When they come in and see me, they are very happy for the representation because there’s not many Black female business owners here.”

She also is a student at Santa Rosa Junior College and was involved in the Black Lives Matter movement in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd. Tillman said she was proud of accomplishments with that effort, such as obtaining more curriculum centered on Black studies, as well as securing Black therapists for students.

Still, the effects of systemic racism linger in a county where Blacks represent 2% of the residents. Just last year, Sonoma County Economic Development Board Executive Director Sheba Person-Whitley left her job after 2½ years, citing a pattern of racial bias and microaggressions that made the position untenable for her.

Tillman said she has had only one such moment while running her business and that was based on “complete ignorance” by the person.

Perez said he learned to strike a balance while working his way up as an electrician as part of a unit represented under the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. He later served as a supervisor with a mostly white male crew that was older than him.

“I had to figure out how to get these people to respect me enough to listen and do what I ask efficiently,” he said. “It taught me how to communicate with people better and how to treat them in way where you get respect.”

How has he adapted? He has learned to lighten a mood in certain cases as he is conscious of coming across as the “the angry Black man,” especially at his size at 6 foot, 5 inches tall and at 280 pounds.

“It’s not ideal, of course, but it’s the nature what we have in our society,” Perez said. “I think a lot of the issues in society is a misunderstanding of different cultures.”

Perez is placing more focus on his participation within the North Bay Black Chamber of Commerce and the 100 Black men of Sonoma County to help younger workers as they build their own career. He also wants to help spread the word about the tremendous opportunities in the building trades, where workers can earn $40 an hour plus overtime, that can serve as a pathway for a middle-class lifestyle in an expensive area.

“They can’t fill the positions as it’s not a sexy job,” he said. “It’s important because they are the next (generation).”

You can reach Staff Writer Bill Swindell at 707-521-5223 or bill.swindell@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @BillSwindell.