You don’t have to build this alone.
Just BE is a co-stewardship community for women and gender expansive micro-entrepreneurs of color and their families — where your business, your healing, and your future are built together.
THE PROBLEM
The isolation isn’t personal failure. It’s a structural Gap
97%
of Black women entrepreneurs and 95% of Latina entrepreneurs are building completely alone — no employees, no co-founders, no built-in support system.
50%
Entrepreneurs are approximately 50% more likely to report having depression, anxiety, and burnout compared to the general population.
Just BE is what we build instead: a healing-centered, BIWOC-led community where entrepreneurs connect, collaborate, and build collective wealth — on our own terms.
The system was never designed for us.
WHAT WE DO
We go beyond traditional business support.
Because building a sustainable business also means healing, organizing, and owning your future.
OUR MEMBERSHIP MODEL
This isn’t just a membership. It’s
co-ownership.
We’re inviting 30 founding co-stewards to help govern and grow Just BE — not just access it.
As a co-steward, you shape our programming, hold a voice in our 5-year vision, and invest in something you’ll eventually co-own. Every dollar you contribute moves us closer to a cooperatively owned maker and housing space in Oakland; co-created by BIWOC and gender expansive entrepreneurs.
- ✦ 24/7 Mighty Networks community hub
- ✦ Monthly Problem-Solving & Skill Sharing Circles
- ✦ Somatic healing resources + session replays
- ✦ Priority access + discounts to all Just BE programs
- ✦ Voting rights on annual program themes
- ✦ Early stake in our cooperative property vision
$75
/month
First 30 spots only | Work trade available
OUR IMPACT
10 years of building together
$250k+
In capital generated by and for BIWOC Entrepreneurs through Just BE since 2026
$832
BILLION added to the U.S. economy if women of color owned businesses matched the average revenue of white women owned businesses*
6.4
MILLION women of color owned businesses in the United States, accounting for about half of all women-owned businesses*
3,139+
BIWOC Entrepreneurs served by Just BE since 2016
1625
new women of color owned businesses open daily*
*Sources: Wells Fargo, American Express, Fast Company
WHERE WE’RE HEADED
Just BE's five-year vision is a cooperatively owned, mixed-use maker and housing space in the Bay Area — a physical home designed by and for BIWOC entrepreneurs. Below-market housing for artists, healers, and micro-entrepreneurs. A revenue-generating maker space owned by our community.
Not rented. Not borrowed. Ours.
We’re building toward something we’ll own.
JUST BE FEATURED IN
Community-rooted. Widely recognized
MEET THE CO-FOUNDER + EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Hope Henson-Lehman
Hey, community. I'm Hope.
I'm a healer, solidarity economist, and Black feminist creative with 15+ years of experience in economic justice — across workforce development, leadership, finance, and cooperative business models.
As a second-generation Black Women Entrepreneur, I've spent a decade building Just BE into what it is today: a community where BIWOC entrepreneurs don't just survive — they heal, connect, and build legacy. Now we're taking the next step, toward a model our community truly owns.
I'm grateful you're here.
Community
Blessings
My experience with Just BE has been really rewarding as a community member and former vendor of the 2019 For the Culture Holiday Market. Just BE creates magical experiences for Black Women entrepreneurs rooted in a strong sense of community care. I wish every business community could have this energy. I feel seen in Just BE spaces - that are powerful in their centering Black women liberation and healing.
OWNER, LATISHA BAKER ARTWORKSLatisha Baker
OUR PARTNER ECOSYSTEM
Our Current Partners
Partners and Sponsors Who Have Contributed to Our Success
Ready to be part of what comes next?
Whether you're joining as a co-steward or supporting our campaign as a donor — you're investing in something that belongs to all of us.