photo by steed media service

It takes a lot of faith to walk away from the secure atmosphere of a corporate career. Crystal Washington, founder of Black-Market Exchange, did just that, and in doing so, forged a path that was much more rewarding and closer to her heart.

“I was working in corporate America and I prayed on [leaving], and [the idea to start Black-Market Exchange] came to me. There was no challenge in the idea,” explains Washington of her road to entrepreneurship. “Black-Market Exchange is an organization that promotes black entrepreneurship, networking and community involvement. We hold monthly mixers for African Americans, because we understand that we can never be bigger than our network.”

BME works to make sure that African Americans can pool their resources for the betterment of all involved. Or, as Washington so succinctly put it, “If you’re not connected, you can only go so far.” In addition to helping other business owners, starting BME also benefited Washington. “It caused me to stretch and learn a lot of new things,” she says, adding that her greatest accomplishment is knowing that she’s building bridges. “The great thing was [seeing] the African American community in Houston embrace [BME]. Seeing us live out our ambitions and step outside of ourselves gives me gratification.” -todd williams

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