Nia Long Shares Her Grandmother’s Grit And Growth To Encourage Black Entrepreneurs

Owning a small business comes with more than its fair share of challenges. And for Black entrepreneurs, that road can be even more difficult. But sometimes inspiration and encouragement come...

Aug 18, 2026 - 16:16 Updated: Aug 18, 2026 - 16:26

Nia Long Shares Her Grandmother’s Grit And Growth To Encourage Black Entrepreneurs

Owning a small business comes with more than its fair share of challenges. And for Black entrepreneurs, that road can be even more difficult. But sometimes inspiration and encouragement come from surprising places—like actress Nia Long, who recently spoke about the importance of Black business.

Long is partnering with Intuit QuickBooks and Mailchimp to celebrate the latest winners of their Small Business Hero Program, an initiative that recognizes and empowers small business owners who are making a meaningful impact in their communities. As part of the partnership, she helped honor three entrepreneurs at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles in July, presenting each with a $20,000 grant to support the continued growth of their businesses.

The partnership was especially meaningful for Long, who grew up seeing the struggles and successes of Black entrepreneurs firsthand through her grandmother, a hairstylist who built her own salon after immigrating to the U.S.

“Coming from a family where my grandmother was a hairstylist who came to this country from Trinidad, but was born in Grenada—the first thing she did was start doing hair in our kitchen in Brooklyn. That eventually evolved into her opening a small salon,” Long shared. “She was a small business owner, and I remember she would come home and her feet would be achy, but she would still make us dinner and make sure we were taken care of.”

A word from Long on what matters

Here’s more of what she had to say about Black entrepreneurs, their needs, their challenges, and their importance to our communities:

On ownership, economic empowerment and inspiring the next generation:
“There’s a lot of pride in owning something and doing something that no one else is doing. There’s growth, economic development within the community, and you’re inspiring your children to take chances on themselves. There’s just a deep sense of confidence that comes out of that pride.”
On the importance of Black businesses and building community:
“Because how else do we connect with one another? How else do we build together? It is important for us to know what other business-minded people are inspired to do. This is how you build community—by supporting, coming together, and utilizing one another in a way that benefits both businesses.”
On what Black women entrepreneurs need to succeed:
“We are capable of doing all things when we have realistic expectations, when we recognize that there is no time to waste, and that we fully understand the foundation of our businesses. Also, understanding our strengths and weaknesses—I think that is key because sometimes you need to pass the job along to a team member in order to have the correct balance for success.”
On overcoming barriers around access, funding, visibility and support:
“Keep showing up to events like this, keep having conversations about your needs, and change the way in which we think. If we keep thinking about what we don’t have, then we’re spending less time on what we can build.”
Her message to Black entrepreneurs:
“Keep going. You have to keep going. There is a lane for you, there is a place for you, and there is a purpose for you.”