The wave of corporate DEI commitments that surged in the early 2020s is receding fast. Budgets are being slashed, teams are shrinking, and the conversation is quieter than it was just two years ago. For Black professionals, particularly Black women, this pullback translates into fewer advancement opportunities, stalled pay equity initiatives, and—in 2025—more layoffs than gains (even though we know we were 5th in line).
This is why entrepreneurship isn’t just an alternative; it’s a necessity. Building businesses that serve our community directly shields us from corporate trend cycles. It’s the difference between hoping for inclusion and ensuring independence.
SpadesLife offers an infrastructure for this independence, pairing entrepreneurs with consumers eager to spend intentionally. The marketplace transforms individual hustle into collective economic power, creating a supply chain we can trust to prioritize our interests. DEI can open a door, but ownership keeps it from closing.