Paywalls, incubators, mentorships, trauma essays—Black women are expected to do the most just to get the least when it comes to funding our businesses.
And let’s not forget the social media popularity contests, where visibility often trumps viability—and funding goes to whoever can generate the most likes, not necessarily the most impact.
I’ve heard Black women tech founders say they’ve stopped pitching to venture capitalists altogether. Why? Because they got tired of hearing the same thing: “We don’t get it.”
Then there’s the sweet soul who got schooled by someone with a little more mileage in the system.
“Baby,” she said, “buy the things you’re supposed to buy with the grant, show them the receipts, then take that stuff back and get your money.”
Because the truth is—what we often need more than things is the freedom to decide where the money goes.
What good is a new computer if you had to let your internet go last month just to replace two worn-out tires?
The Nonprofit Sector? Same Struggle.
I’ve interviewed nonprofit founders who say operational grants are almost non-existent. You can fund a program, but not the people running it. You can pay for flyers, but not the staff answering crisis calls.
Why?
Because nonprofits—especially those serving marginalized communities—are expected to fund themselves.
Expected to carry the weight of government failure on the backs of volunteers and underpaid labor.
Expected to do the impossible, quietly.
And just like that, the burden of care shifts from the public to the private sector.
More Coaching. More Mentoring. Still No Money.
There’s no shortage of incubators, coaching sessions, and mentorship programs. Black women are over-mentored and underfunded.
We’re taught how to pitch. How to “position” ourselves.
We’re encouraged to network harder, dream bigger, show up stronger.
But when it’s time to write the check—when it’s time to invest in our vision with unrestricted, trust-based funding?
Silence.
And Then There’s the Paywall
One Threads user recently shared how she poured her heart into a grant application, relived her trauma, and reached the final page—only to hit a paywall. Her frustration wasn’t about the money. She said she would’ve paid if they had just told her upfront.
“It’s the principle of the thang now.”
Exactly.
Too often, the process of asking for help feels like a setup. One more reminder that our pain is profitable but our peace isn’t.
This Is Why I Created the TWK Grant
The This Woman Knows Grant makes it clear: yes, there’s a small application fee to cover operations.
But no trauma stories are required.
No hoops. No proof of pain.
Just one truth: You are worthy of support—without begging for it.
Let’s be clear: it shouldn’t be this hard.
When a woman is building something meaningful, she needs resources, not just recommendations. She needs money, not just mentorship.
We’ve been over-mentored for too long.
We’re still building anyway.
But imagine what we could do if we were fully funded.
👉🏾 Learn more about the This Woman Knows Grant here.
Lisa N. Alexander is the author and founder of This Woman Knows and What Million-Dollar Brands Know. She is an award-winning filmmaker, director, producer, and writer and is the owner of PrettyWork Creative.
