Black Women Making Millions Academy: The MBA-Style Program from Mahisha Dellinger You Don’t Want to Miss

The CEO of Curls, Mahisha Dellinger, has teamed up with Beauty by Imagination (BBI) through a strategic partnership garnered since March 2021 to bring an MBA-Style program through an investment of $450 million to 25,000 Black women business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs from July 2021 to July 2022.

“This program focuses on black women who are the fastest growing segment of entrepreneurs leading at a growth rate of 300%. Black women don’t have the same resources of support and access to funding that other demographic populations do. Women are always looking for ways to get out of the rut they are in. Whether it is in a regular job or corporate entity, there are things that hinder them like discrimination, ostracizing, and no vertical mobility. We can change that through education and resources with this program.”

Mahisha started Curls in 2002 to break the mold of women with curly hair. However, with this new initiative, there is more than meets the eye. She started Black Women Making Millions Academy (BWMMA) in July this year which is a FREE online program that was a graduation of Black Girls Making Millions Academy that was an in-person program. The program has had classes every weekend since July from 8am EST – 12pm EST on Saturdays and Sundays. As a minority investor in Curls, BBI has made a great decision to make many dreams of black women entrepreneurs come true.

Why is this so important for our community?

BWMMA is industry agnostic. The $450 million investment means that this program is worth about $18,000 per student if tuition was a factor. So, why is this initiative important for our community? Pairing women to be ready and PREPARED for launching businesses and entrepreneurship was very important to Mahisha and her team. There are working lab session times and even a chat where participants are sharing tips and resources. There are rolling admissions and sessions are recorded. As long as you are registered, the content is accessible and evergreen so you can login anytime with any device and grab the lessons which means – NO BARRIERS. People from Trinidad and Tobago have taken part. The program is NOT meant to be a mentorship program or to help scale your company. It is a bare bones training program focused on mindset.

Recent Launch at Walmart and Dollar General

Alongside the program introduction, Mahisha has also launched a line at Walmart and Dollar General that is the ultimate styling collection. Be Defined for twists and braids, Be in Control for curl control, Be Smooth for Up Dos that need conditioning and protection, and Be Enviable for roll sets and rods. These are all 8 oz gels for $5.99 and they are doing REAL well.

What will you get out of the program?

BWMMA discusses what it takes to be truly successful, how to execute effectively, and how to prepare for this journey. You will learn about balance sheets, financial planning, loans, credit, investment ready options, marketing, and have world-class speakers. Mahisha dealt with 8 women on her show “Mind Your Business with Mahisha” and 7 of them were not prepared. One of her favorite phrases, “If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.”, is a common theme she preaches. Having great ideas is great, but the work behind the scenes is important before you launch. The sexiness of IG pics and video is cool, but if you can’t run a business, it’s all for not. This program is about empowerment. According to Ms. Dellinger, we don’t get a lot of venture capital and funding due to trust. People don’t think we have it together or that we know what we are doing. We don’t know how to get to profitability. We have to prove ourselves to the moon and stars to get “access”. Well that all stops here with the program.

Here is a list of some classes:

• What Your Banker Isn’t Telling You
• How to Use Your Brand Story to Create Content Online
• Building Your Email Content and Marketing Campaign
• How to Map Out Your Millionaire Maintenance Plan
• Financial Literacy and Empowerment
• Social Media Marketing: Turning Lurkers into Customers

4 Tips to Lean on In Your Journey from Mahisha

• Do your due diligence and know your competition through and through. Don’t copy them, but find a better way to do things and fill the gaps more efficiently
• Make sure you are prepared for what’s to come. We often overlook things and go to execution with no roadmap.
• Make sure you start SMALL. Don’t go into debt when starting a business. Test the waters while you are small. Tap into savings. Remember, 90% of businesses fail within the first 5 years. Don’t be one of them.
• Have a business plan and revisit it monthly.

Next Steps

Mahisha and the Curls brand have an aggressive goal for the program and enrollment. When they get half way through getting participation, they will evaluate on the next steps. Curls is agile and will pivot where needed. If you want to participate in BWMMA, go to the IG page @blackwomenmakingmillions and register at the link in the bio. Let’s take black women entrepreneurship to the moon!