Entrepreneurship runs deep in Elana Pea Boyd, a woman whose journey from corporate America to focusing on Black-owned businesses in Charleston Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, Elana’s story reflects her upbringing—her mother owned a daycare for over 30 years, and her father ran a barber school and three barber shops and her twin sister, Miranda Grimmage runs her own business. Leadership and resilience were constant in her household, which laid the foundation for her future career.

From an early age, Elana was drawn to the business world. A pivotal moment came when she stumbled upon a publication highlighting Charleston businesses. She saw that her cousin, the director of the treasury department for South Carolina, was featured in an article. Elana kept that article as a reminder of her entrepreneurial aspirations and how proud she was to see someone she recognized featured in the magazine. It wasn’t long before she saw that entrepreneurship was deeply rooted inside her and although she spent several years in the corporate realm, she mentioned she always gravitated toward entrepreneurship.

Elana’s professional path took a detour when she pursued a bachelor’s in business administration and worked in Corporate America. For eight years, she thrived at USCI, all while nurturing a side hustle offering natural hair care services with her twin sister, Miranda. Together, they cultivated the craft of styling locs, a practice that wasn’t widely embraced at the time but has since become a powerful cultural movement. Her dedication to helping people embrace their natural beauty became an influential piece of her journey, leading to the formation of Black Charleston Professionals.

Elana and Miranda helped establish a platform to spotlight Black professionals in Charleston. What began as a desire to connect and uplift a community rapidly grew into a business entity with over 175 active members. The platform’s success unmasks the power of inclusivity, and the need for access to resources, and the determination to create spaces where Black professionals can thrive.

One of the organization’s most rewarding initiatives is its Culture & Cocktails event, an annual fundraiser designed to support Black-owned businesses through a microgrant program. The first round of applicants consisted of eight businesses submitting applications and only one received $1,000 to help grow their entrepreneurial endeavor. The goal for these annual fundraisers is to quadruple that number, giving more Black entrepreneurs the resources they need to flourish.

“We want everyone to have access and give everyone a fair playing field,” Elana says. Reflecting on her parents’ early business ventures, she recalls the financial hurdles they faced, from paying for everything out of pocket to dealing with not having power because their businesses couldn’t keep up with the expenses. This history fuels her passion for ensuring that Black business owners today have the resources and support they need to avoid similar struggles and to excel personally as well as professionally.

What sets Black Charleston Professionals apart is not just commitment to the community but the drive to create opportunities for growth. Their educational classes, networking events, and resources are intentionally designed to empower Black entrepreneurs, equipping them with the skills they need to elevate their businesses and make genuine connections. The organization doesn’t stop at its own initiatives but has also fostered relationships with other minority-focused organizations to build a more inclusive and supportive business environment for all.

Among its most innovative initiatives is the Black Charleston Professionals digital business directory, easily accessible through a custom wristband that allows users to support local Black-owned businesses with just a tap of their phone. “You can tap your phone on the wristband and the wristband will tell you which local black owned businesses are associated with Black Charleston Professionals that you can support.” This unique and modern technology approach to connecting consumers with entrepreneurs makes supporting Black-owned businesses more seamless than ever before, further solidifying the organization's commitment to creating lasting impact.

At the heart of Black Charleston Professionals is a strong sense of community and a shared vision for collective success. Elana and the board’s leadership has made a tangible difference, but she doesn’t stop there. The goal is to create paid positions within the nonprofit so that the people driving their mission can focus on its growth without compromising their own entrepreneurial journeys.

When asked to describe the organization in three words, she sums it up: resourceful, intentional, and valuable. "If it’s not impactful, it doesn’t bring value to people in our network. If members aren’t growing from the services we provide, it’s useless."

The most recent Culture & Cocktails event, which is Black Charleston Professional’s annual fundraiser was held on January 31, 2025, and was another indicator to Black Charleston Professionals’ impact on the community. The event brought together local businesses and entrepreneurs, including Eggs-Zactly by Vivica Baker-Bryant, Kiki’s Chicken and Waffles by Kiki Cyrus, Party Thyme Catering by Kym Mosely-Freeman, That Art Nerd by Kenish Harmon, and SOCA Bakery, to name just a few. The event wasn’t just a fundraiser; it was a celebration of Black entrepreneurship in Charleston, an opportunity for professionals to come together, collaborate, celebrate and support one another.

Through the collective efforts of Black Charleston Professionals leadership, the organization continues to break barriers, provide resources, and offer a platform where Black entrepreneurs can not only survive in today’s business world, but thrive. It’s not just about business for Black Charleston Professionals, to them, it’s about building a legacy for future black entrepreneurs, creating a network, and changing the narrative for generations to come.