Meet Michela Williams: Black too Earth Co-founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michela Williams and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michela, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My parents are entrepreneurs. My mother is a doctor who owns her own clinic and my father has a windshield business he started when I was a kid. Seeing my parents start their own business and really be successful with it fueled me! Also, Tony and I aren’t interested in working for corporations. We are also tired of non profit, for profits, and organizations using the social capital of the 400 year black American struggle as a means of pushing their own agenda. We wanted to create an organization that really represents our community and how we support each other!

What should our readers know about your business?
Black Too Earth is a non-profit dedicated to connecting the black community with black environmental organizations through site visits and volunteer opportunities. We want to inspire and celebrate our community while investing in underrepresented organizations. Our activities aim to foster stewardship, community, and intentional consumption amongst our participants. We have four goals exposure, education, consistency, and community. We continue to expose the black community to local food resources and reintroduce an element of our culture that’s been forgotten. We will continue to partner with black farmers to educate our community about the best farming practices. We will be consistent in supporting our farmers and volunteers in the best ways possible. We will continue to provide a community for those who feel left out and unheard of in the environmental world. Black Too Earth also works to change the perception around volunteering in the Black community. We take into account the long history of our community forced to work for free for white oppressors, and we want to give you the option to come volunteer for someone who looks like you and cares about you! The road to starting Black Too Earth wasn’t easy. I was trapped in the thought process of “the only way I’m going to make it in this world is to earn white capital.” This thought was ingrained in me from elementary school to my college years. Landing an internship with Greening Youth Foundation and the Forest Service helped me face my fear of the outdoors and networking, but I still wasn’t sure if I could be successful as an entrepreneur. One day I found myself breaking down because I knew I had found my passion for outdoor work, but I wasn’t sure how to create my lane. I started by hosting a small hike and inviting a few friends along with my parents. During this gathering, I asked folks if they would show up for volunteer days at Black-Owned Farms. They all enthusiastically said yes and started to give me ideas for naming a volunteer group/ business that I wanted to build! Shortly after the hike, I was introduced to Chris Lemons, Co-founder and Farmer of Gratitude Botanical Farms, and he agreed to let Tony and I host our first volunteer day with him. Our first volunteer days consisted of folks we knew personally and a few people who found us online. Having that initial support from friends and family helped us believe in ourselves and empowered us to keep pushing! As I kept scheduling volunteer days, I found myself having to make the first initial contact and doing more to build trust. This ability to build trust and stay consistent is what sets Black Too Earth apart. We aren’t afraid to say this is for our community and by our community! I want folks to know that our brand is authentic in every sense and that we will continue to be bold as we grow nationally! For those thinking of starting a business, I would tell you to be fearless and ask for help if you need it! Overcoming my pride and self-sabotaging thought of failure helped me stay encouraged on this journey. Starting a business isn’t something everyone learns, so be patient with yourself and ask for help if needed!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would definitely have to start at Tassili’s Raw Reality! Those kale wraps are amazing and worth the 2 hour wait! I would stop by 4 corners community garden and check in with the garden club? I’d also head to Westend Brewing if it’s a Sunday because they usually have a market filled with black business owners and some fresh veggies from local farms. For lunch we hitting the Ton Ton Ramen in Ponce City Market and shopping for clothes and plants in Citizens Supply. We would sit at the bar in Citizen’s for a few hours then head right on over to Vegan Bar ATL. I know they just opened up, but that is my spot now! I’m a vegan and I deserve to get tipsy and have healthy food with it!lol To close out the night we heading to Moreland to watch a drive-inn movie at Starlight! Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We want to dedicate this series to Chris Lemons Co-Founder and Farmer at Gratitude Botanical Farm! I was introduced to Chris at an environmental conference. He let me know he and his friend Desmond, Co-founder and Farmer, had a farm and that they needed some dedicated folks to volunteer on the farm. Tony and I met with Chris shortly after that and asked him what type of support black farmers need. His response was, continued support on volunteer days and when we sell our products! He planted a seed in our thoughts and helped foster the idea of Black Too Earth. Chris is an advocate, educator, and inspiration in the community! He is dedicated to seeing the progression of the black community, and we are lucky enough to have him on our board!

Website: www.blacktooearth.com

Instagram: @blacktooearth

Linkedin: michela williams

Facebook: Facebook.com/blacktooearth

Youtube: blacktooearth

Other: Meetup: Black Too Earth

Image Credits
@Outdoorhomie : Adriana Garcia @switchbackshawty: Cherisa Hawkins @victoriathephotographer: Victoria Bonhomme @xfreedomx: Dante Broadnax