WFS, Urban League of Louisiana and Kindred Futures host Black women entrepreneurship panel in New Orleans

Women’s Foundation of the South and its partners will convene regional leaders July 1 in New Orleans to examine how Black women entrepreneurship can drive economic security, wealth building and independence amid labor market losses. The event comes as new analysis shows Black women faced one of the sharpest employment declines in 2025.

Why it matters: - Black women are facing job losses and rising unemployment at a moment when entrepreneurship is becoming a more important route to income, ownership and long-term stability. - The panel is designed to surface the capital, networks, technical assistance and policy support needed for Black women-owned businesses to survive and grow. - The discussion could shape how Southern ecosystem builders respond to shifting labor markets and business formation trends.

What happened: - Women’s Foundation of the South, the Urban League of Louisiana and Kindred Futures will host The State of Black Women in Entrepreneurship: From Resilience to Economic Independence on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. - The event takes place at Common House in New Orleans from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. CST. - The panel will be held in the Remy Room at 420 Julia Street. - Doors open at 8:30 a.m., and complimentary breakfast will be provided. - Limited seating is available. - Registration is available through the event page.

The details: - The conversation will bring together entrepreneurs, ecosystem builders, economic development leaders and advocates focused on Black women-owned businesses across the South. - Recent labor market data showed Black women experienced some of the sharpest employment losses of any demographic group in 2025. - An analysis by the Economic Policy Institute found Black women’s employment rate declined by 1.4 percentage points in 2025. - The same analysis said the drop was one of the largest annual declines in the last 25 years. - The analysis also found unemployment rose and labor force participation fell. - Public-sector job losses, especially in federal employment, disproportionately affected Black women. - Carmen Randolph said the conversation cannot stop at workforce participation and must also examine access to capital, networks, technical assistance and policy support. - Featured host representatives include Randolph, Judy Reese Morse of the Urban League of Louisiana and Janelle Williams of Kindred Futures, who will moderate. - Panelists include Joni Alexander of Pine Bluff Black Chamber of Commerce, Patricia Cade of Tuscaloosa Area Chamber of Commerce and Klassi Duncan of the Urban League of Louisiana. - Additional information is available from Laneceya Russ-Martin at laneceya@womensfoundationsouth.org.

Between the lines: - The event reflects a broader shift from viewing entrepreneurship as a side option to treating it as an economic resilience strategy. - The focus on policy priorities suggests organizers want to move beyond inspiration and toward practical changes that affect financing, support systems and business survival. - The regional lineup points to an effort to connect local chambers, nonprofits and economic development groups across the South.

What's next: - Organizers will use the panel to identify challenges and opportunities facing Black women entrepreneurs across the South. - The discussion is expected to inform future policy and ecosystem support priorities. - WFS says it will continue building cross-sector infrastructure and capital flows that support women, girls and gender-expansive people of color in the region.

The bottom line: - The July 1 forum positions Black women entrepreneurship as both a response to labor market pain and a potential path to economic independence in the South. - More information is available at Women's Foundation of the South, Urban League of Louisiana and Kindred Futures.