local business

The murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis a year ago put a spotlight on racial inequality in all forms — including business. The resulting conversation about race has changed where many consumers have been spending their cash. Searches on Yelp for Black-owned businesses across the country jumped 3,085% from February of 2020 to February 2021, according to a data analysis by Yelp.

Small businesses have been hit especially hard in the pandemic and need support more than ever. These are just a few of the many Greater Boston based, Black owned businesses to support during the holiday shopping season.

Cecilia Flores and Ivannoe Rodriguez, owners of Jamaica Plain-based Dominican catering company Coco Verde Vegan, are not trying to convert carnivores, but they are proving that plant-based Latino cooking is possible, and delicious.

When Maxime Charles sought to start his own construction management business, he relied on $60,000 he’d saved up while working for other construction firms. Originally from St. Marc, Haiti, Charles graduated from English High School, then earned an undergraduate degree in construction management from the Wentworth Institute of Technology in 1994.

In 2016, Randolph, now living in Framingham, founded the 1854 Abolitionist bicycle company as a way to provide manufacturing jobs to formerly incarcerated men and women who ordinarily face challenges finding the well-paying jobs they need to get their lives back on track.

On June 29 Noah and Jovanny De Amour smashed through their $50,000 crowd-funding target, securing plans for a bike repair and coffee shop in a historic building in Upham’s Corner. The couple’s latest venture, Sip & Spoke Bike Kitchen, will start this month.

Opened in late May, Juicygreens offers fresh juices, smoothies, coffee, salads and baked goods in Jamaica Plain.