Black women surveyed about their food businesses often reported operating alone and relying on personal savings, according to a new report developed with Cornell University researchers.
The Black Women in Food Industry Report, released in September, examines 191 eligible survey responses. Cornell's account of the research said the team included Lilly Jan, a professor in its Nolan School of Hotel Administration, and Emma Roder, a 2026 Cornell graduate, working with Black Women in Food co-founders Nina Oduro and Maame Boakye.
Fifty-three percent of respondents said they ran their ventures without employees. The most commonly reported annual revenue category was under $25,000. The report did not say that figure represented a majority of respondents; its chart lists 69 businesses in that category.
Personal savings were a funding source for 76% of respondents, while formal lending and outside investment were much less common, the report found. Eighty-two percent reported holding a bachelor's or graduate degree, underscoring that education did not necessarily translate into access to business capital or networks among those surveyed.
The ventures included catering, private-chef services, packaged foods, culinary education and community food programs. Respondents also described goals such as preserving culinary traditions, improving food access and supporting their communities.
What the survey can show
The survey was conducted from April through August 2025. Participants were recruited at a Black Women in Food summit and through social media connected to that community. Participation was voluntary and anonymous, and respondents could skip questions.
The report cautions that the sample is not statistically representative of all Black women who own food businesses. It drew responses primarily from U.S. entrepreneurs, but some came from abroad. The results therefore describe the experiences of respondents, not a national or Finger Lakes rate.
Jan and Roder developed the survey, which asked about business size, financing, mentorship and barriers to growth. The Cornell news release described approximately 200 participants, while the report identifies 191 eligible responses used in its analysis.
Funding and support needs
Funding or investment was the most frequently named current need, identified in 102 responses to a question about support. Marketing and branding followed with 88, while operations help, mentorship and peer networking were also cited.
Jan said the work arose partly because existing data on Black-owned businesses and women-owned businesses did not adequately describe the intersection of the two in the food sector. She is preparing a formal research paper on the subject, Cornell said.
The report recommends stronger access to appropriately sized financing and professional networks. Those are the researchers' recommendations, not evidence that a particular program has already produced better outcomes.
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