At T.D. Jakes’ second annual Good Soil Forum, which featured a seed capital pitch competition akin to Shark Tank, the underlying idea that brought more than 2,000 entrepreneurs into one room was the desire to grow. The first event was held in Orlando last year. But according to T.D. Jakes Enterprises COO Michael Phillips, Dallas, too, has rich soil filled with shining entrepreneurs that deserve a chance to receive the spotlight. And that spotlight was a chance to compete for $500,000 of seed money—double what the organization and its partner Wells Fargo granted to Orlando-based entrepreneurs.
Focused on minority business owners, Jakes’ Good Soil is aiming to help one million business owners generate $1 million in revenue over the next decade. Walking away from this year’s event as big winners were: Ameka Coleman, the owner of Strands of Faith, who earned the first prize of $200,000 in funding. In second place was Leah Whiten of QTP Foods, who was granted $175,000. In third place with $75,000 of funding were co-founders Bryan Chatman and Stanzel Jackson of Fruition Hat Company. And finally, Gabriel Olaiya of Good News Fitness earned $50,000.
Each entrepreneur was given five minutes to pitch their company and how they’d use the funding to a panel of judges.
Coleman founded beauty brand Strands of Faith as a business dedicated to ending texturism—discrimination based on hair texture. Her products include shampoos, conditioners, twisting butters, moisturizing creams, clay masks, invigorating oils, styling creams, and more.
Whiten stands as the head baker and operations and distribution manager of QTP Foods. Whiten specializes in pies and cakes served in stores and online. Fruition Hat Co. was born from the brains of designers Chatman and Jackson. The company manufactures faith-inspired trucker hats, pork pie hats, Panama hats, derby hats, bolero hats, and more.
Olaiya, a personal trainer and the founder of Good News Fitness, has become one of the fastest-growing health and human performance enhancement businesses in Washington D.C. With a master’s in performance enhancement and injury prevention, he uses his skillset to create a personalized experience for his clients.
Three of four of the companies have a faith-based element interwoven into their businesses. The event was open to all walks of life, so the judges didn’t factor the element of faith into their decision making.
“There are unique struggles and unique challenges that Black leaders face in corporate America,” Phillips said. “There’s a certain freedom that Black people have within entrepreneurship, but there’s also the same challenges there, as well. As an entrepreneur, you may not have that guaranteed paycheck coming every two weeks, but you do have the finances, you do have the freedom of your time to go out and try to build as much equity and, wealth as possible. DEI programs and initiatives are starting to be removed from different corporate landscapes and sectors across the board. No one’s coming to save us, we have to really provide platforms and resources to help save ourselves.”
The event, which was three days long and much more than the pitch competition, featured the likes of Tabitha Brown, Warren Luckett, Jay Barnett, Leon Howard, and more influential figures in business. The event was filled with educational sessions about the upside of entrepreneurship, but also the barriers POC communities face in breaking out on their own. Topics centered around building wealth, having the right credit, and maintaining trust in your own business.
Phillips believes that because Black communities are disconnected from portions of their history—that some believe that there isn’t an entrepreneurial spirit within the Black community. The entrepreneurial spirit has always been alive in Black and Brown communities, he said. “These innovative ideas and concepts that Black entrepreneurs have historically had, have had their ideas and concepts stolen from them,” Phillips said.
Good Soil plans to return to Dallas for its 2025 forum from June 12–14. This next go around, the event will feature confirmed speakers like Jakes, Mellody Hobson, Vusi Thembekwayo, John Hope Bryant, Janell Stephens, and more. The event will be held in the Dallas Arts District.
