Rashika and Jeremy Craft have created more than just a business; they’ve woven a lifeline for Houston’s Black-owned enterprises. They are the power couple behind the creation of Black Book Houston, the city’s largest directory of Black-owned businesses.
It’s an innovative platform nurturing economic growth, fostering community, and making waves in the fight against the racial wealth gap.
These high school sweethearts began their journey with a dream to make a difference in their community. Little did they know, their passion for change would blossom into a beacon for more than 1,400 Black-owned businesses across 100 categories.
Black Book Houston transcends the traditional role of a business directory. It’s a dynamic force, offering not just listings but an entire ecosystem for entrepreneurs. From physical and online directories to robust social media engagement, Black Book Houston is more than a guide; it’s a community hub.
The Defender spoke with Rashika Craft, the founder, and Jeremy Craft the co-founder, to talk about their community advocacy work and the latest updates coming up this year.
Defender: As Houston natives, how has growing up here contributed to your personal and professional growth?
Jeremy : My wife and I are actually high school sweethearts. We went to the same high school and grew up here in Houston. I guess I became a community leader when I was 12 years old. I got into a fight. I almost killed one of my classmates, and I was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. So, from the age of 12 to 17, I was on probation. But while I was on probation, part of my stipulations were to complete over 300 hours of community service and 300 hours of anger management and counseling. I just kind of matured faster by doing that. I always had a forward outlook in mind. So, I started seeing the end in every situation at the very beginning. I started mentoring kids who were on probation while I was on probation. That started when I was 12 or 13 years old. That’s something I still do to this day.
As I continued to grow, I went to college and majored in civil engineering. During that time, I was president of the engineers, a senator for the National Society of Black Engineers, and I joined Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated and several other organizations. We would go back and mentor youth. In partnership with Harris County Juvenile Probation Department I started a program to help kids on probation who may have violated or committed another offense while on probation. My wife, for example, is a part of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated. Leadership has always been at the forefront of our lives.
Defender: How were you able to grow this platform over time?
Rashika : We were definitely in the streets. We had quite a bit of expenses, like research. We were on Instagram searching for anybody who was Black. We would go out to different restaurants and different Black-owned businesses. And we would make a video telling everybody about Black-owned spots they should check out. We would give our review, and people would just show up.
We started hosting different events, like networking events, to get people to come out so we could meet more Black-owned businesses. We started going to different Black vendor markets to talk to them, connect with them, and let everybody know what we were doing. Once the George Floyd tragedy happened, everybody wanted to stick together to support our own. We already had the platform set up, which gave us a boost. They had that Blackout Tuesday, and everybody was trying to ensure they supported Black-owned businesses. It’s been growing ever since.
Defender: Black Book Houston transcends the traditional role of a business directory. What makes this platform the go-to platform that we see today?
Rashika : My mindset really wasn’t necessarily on what we’re doing differently. I feel like God has just been speaking to me, and I just wake up and do whatever he says to do. I was making cakes (as a business). Black Book Houston is a totally different path from making cakes. One thing I did notice was I felt like we were the only people who started doing it, but then we noticed that there were people before us. I’m doing my research, and seeing people before us. I started looking at it from a customer standpoint. If I’m looking for a business, I want to be able to have all the information there for me. When I go to the other directory, it’ll just be a name, a number, and maybe an address. That’s not enough. We’re in the realm of social media. I want to make sure that everything is linked there. I’m putting these things on a website, and then I started thinking about those who are not tech-savvy. I created a physical Black Book. I put QR codes in the listing of the Black Book that would connect it to the actual platform. This is an idea that’ll help take Black folks to the next level.
Defender: Could you share a memorable success story of a Black-owned business that Black Book Houston supported?
Rashika : I just had a friend who had a party, and… I’m shouting out on social media all the top people I used with Black Book Houston, because I love putting my people on. The DJ was one of the people I was shouting out. He responded, “I’m so thankful for Rashika and Jeremy with Black Book Houston because they gave me a shot when I didn’t even own my own speaker. I didn’t know he didn’t own his own speaker. I liked his vibe. I never knew people were in need until they returned and shared their stories with me. We do our best to come out and help people.
Defender: What are some basic rules entrepreneurs overlook when running a business?
Rashika : I think one thing that many businesses overlook is that we don’t necessarily have the resources, but I think many of us try to do many things by ourselves instead of building a team. Because a team will take you much further. Many of us are not great at social media. Some of us are lucky to be able to actually know what to post, how to post, and how to have an audience engage with you. A lot of us have that talent, but a lot of us don’t. We’re in an age where your business needs to be on social media, or you may not survive. I think it hurts many business owners not to utilize social media and not to utilize people to come in and help them run or even give them the tools they need to operate their social media.
I see a lot of business owners without websites. Although a website is not mandatory to run a business, it definitely helps your customers feel more secure. I think that their not having a lot of resources and education plays a major part in some of the downfalls they have to go through because they’re trying to do every single thing by themselves.
Jeremy : The other thing is, the lack of resources and access to capital. Many business owners don’t know how to qualify or position themselves to get funding. That’s one of the things we will be doing this year; helping business owners with that process of getting access to capital. Even if they may not have the established business credit to be able to get a loan from a bank, there are other avenues in which they can get funding for their business.
Defender: Can you share insights into the role of education and community advocacy in your mission?
Jeremy : We started doubling down on providing educational resources and workshops. We saw a lot of businesses failing because of what we previously mentioned. We don’t have the answers to everything, but we have the people in position who have those answers. We do networking events where we have subject matter experts speak on different topics. We do our best to provide as much information as we can and push back inside our community that will really help these businesses thrive.
Defender: Anything we can expect for 2024?
Jeremy : Our biggest event of the year is gonna be December. We’ll be having our 3rd Annual All-Black Affair Award Gala. It is an opportunity to highlight the business owners in our community doing excellent work and operating in excellence throughout the year. It’s not just for business owners; it’s for those different individuals within our community who may be working for a corporation and are still giving back and providing for the Black business community.
