March is Women’s History Month, and as an organization whose mission is to help every small business owner realize their potential, we usually use this month to highlight women-owned businesses we’ve worked with and share facts about the positive impact women entrepreneurs have on our economy. This year, we’re leaning into our “Small Business First” value, through which we are committed to supporting our team members’ passions, side hustles, and intrapreneurship. Read on to meet five of the women entrepreneurs of Next Street, learn about their businesses, and hear about the women entrepreneurs they most admire.
Sumaila Palla is a Senior Manager in Next Street’s Delivery practice, but she also runs rōz, a female-founded jewelry brand that aspires to be a part of your every day. The brand syncs the global north and south styles, bringing you affordable, quality crafted jewelry for daily wear.
“A female entrepreneur I admire is Shiza Shahid. She’s the cofounder of the Malala Fund as well as a brand called Our Place. The brand brings quality cookware with a South Asian twist. Their most recent campaign is the Crescent Always Pan which has a moon and star creatively placed on the lid to represent Ramzan and Eid. I love their versatility and unique branding and something I aspire for roz to be.”
Melanie Guzman is an Account Manager at the NYC Business Solutions Lower Manhattan Center, and also the host of the Redeemed & Renewed Podcast, which explores Christian topics in unconventional ways. The business is currently in its pre-launch phase, but if you are interested in being featured you can reach out to contact@redeemedrenewedpod.com.
“A female entrepreneur I deeply admire is Emy Moore, the CEO of the SavedNotSoft podcast. Through her platform, she shares her profound experiences in Christianity. I hold great admiration for her steadfast commitment to her faith, as she navigates the complexities of the social media industry while maintaining the integrity of her business’s core values.”
Joanne Eriaku is a Director at Next Street, and also Founder of The Venture OS, where “we change how you lead change.” Traditional entrepreneurship management as we know it is inadequate and ineffective to take entrepreneurs from a place of survival to the zone of thriving. The Venture OS is that shift; the concatenation of the toolset, the mindset, the skillset required for entrepreneurs to not just survive but to thrive.
“A female entrepreneur I admire is Amy Webb. She connects the dots for the masses. She makes the complexity and criticality of foresight doable and practical. Then she turns around and gives free access to all her methodologies, tools, frameworks, insights – every single year.”
Charisse Conanan Johnson, one of Next Street’s Co-CEOs, also runs Charisse Says, a platform about creating wealth. Charisse is hired to write and speak on holistic wealth creation. Her bestselling book A Wealthy Girl: 7 Steps to Prosperity, Peace, and Personal Power provides readers with the tools to create their best lives.
“I admire Kathryn Finney – she’s defined entrepreneur success for herself, built and sold amazing companies, and pushes forward other entrepreneurs who like me with knowledge and capital.”
Sam Berg is one of Next Street’s Co-CEOs but is also an entrepreneur multiple times over. She’s in the process of shuttering her Go-To-Market consulting firm, FITMARK, but also runs 2351 Christian Street, LLC, a rental property side hustle. She has a small portfolio mostly in Philadelphia, and a new property being built in Lisbon.
“A female entrepreneur I admire is my mom, who became an entrepreneur in her late 60s. It’s never too late.”