Academic Business and Branding Braintrust
In-depth, focused guidance and community for Blackademic women who want to share their knowledge with the world.
… because WE want YOU to WIN!
Does this sound like you?
- You aren’t using all of your gifts in the academy
- You want to share your expertise with a wider public, but you aren’t sure how to get started
- Everyone has a plan for your career, but you want to chart your own path
- You don’t know how to keep professional academic credibility while pursuing your entrepreneurial goals
- You’re talented in many areas, but you aren’t sure how to focus and monetize that
- You need vetted referrals for design, web sites, tax and business services
- You don’t know how to pitch services without sounding or feeling sleazy
- You find that most resources in the entrepreneurship space are hostile to or don’t understand how the academy works
- You don’t know other Black women who are similarly working on being an academic entrepreneur
If this resonates, then you already know how difficult it is to find resources and support for Blackademic women’s entrepreneurial dreams and growth.
That’s what inspired us to start AB3 — the Academic Business and Branding Braintrust!
We get it sis. Just like you, we wanted to share our expertise outside of the classroom. We’ve spent countless hours and dollars on:
- Formalizing those speaking engagements that start off with an email between colleagues
- Making sure our expertise and values shine while keeping our business side tight
- Translating entrepreneurial resources to our specific professional contexts
Sadly, ain’t nobody thinking about us.
This won’t have to be your story!
Introducing AB3 - the Academic Business and Branding Braintrust
In-depth, focused guidance and community for Blackademic women who want to share their knowledge with the world
...because We want You to Win!
We offer a self-paced signature course with resources on the crucial elements of planning, building, running and growing your successful business on your terms.
Plus, AB3 offers the community support you need to ensure your business thrives and meets its full potential.
What Our Blackademics Are Saying
AB3 will help you to:
Articulate your business vision with confidence and clarity
Have a systematic plan with resources for how to launch or strengthen your business
Build your business while maintaining and amplifying your academic credibility
Move your business forward in the way you want it to go and grow, knowing your tax and finances are done right
Stack some paper to pay back those loans or make some coin to have the lifestyle you want
What makes AB3 different?
- We understand how the academy works. We’ve held faculty positions at HBCUs, PWIs, small liberal arts colleges, public universities, and in private theological education, mentoring both undergraduate and graduate students. We’ve published widely in our disciplines, and hold leadership positions in our respective guilds
- We have over 25 years combined experience sharing our academic knowledge beyond the classroom; nearly 20 years combined as incorporated businesses - successfully meeting the goals we’ve set for ourselves
- Peer support: Not just 1:1 coaching with someone who doesn’t understand the academy or your business dreams. In AB3, you’ll have other Blackademic women entrepreneurs to provide feedback and support
- We understand the financial demands in the lives of Blackademic women; so AB3 offers multiple pathways for developing business success based on where you are right now
- Most importantly, we lead with the love of what we do, the nerdy parts of our disciplines and the strong belief that the world needs the knowledge that Blackademic women have
We’re Takiyah Nur Amin and Monica A. Coleman, and we are professors, small business owners and long-time friends.
We’ve spent 25 + years as public scholars, sharing the knowledge from our academic degrees with the global classroom.
As public intellectuals, we’ve learned how to live into our purpose and values, do work we find meaningful, impact individuals and communities around the world, and amplify the voices of others. At the same time, we’ve crafted solid academic careers and nurtured thriving businesses.
Our mission is to help Blackademic women nurture their entrepreneurial dreams within and beyond the academy by teaching models for purpose-led success, sharing resources and providing a supportive community.
We decided to take our knowledge and experience, and use it to help Blackademic women just like you to harness your expertise and achieve your entrepreneurial dreams. We created Academic Business and Branding Braintrust to meet the unique needs of Blackademic women expanding their impact in the 21st century. We love helping Blackademic women with the nuts and bolts of building a business that matches their lives and dreams … because We want You to Win!
Reasons to love the Braintrust!
Natasha Robinson
Apply for Academic Business & Branding Braintrust Today!
If you’re ready to nurture your entrepreneurial dreams within and beyond the academy and build a business that both sustains and offers you freedom, then apply today to secure your spot. Simply fill out the application form and join us in this amazing community of Blackademic women.
Enrollment is open!
There is a one-time enrollment fee of $1496. This gives you access to the self-paced signature course. Membership in the Braintrust is $67/ month. AB3 is designed to give you the time, resources and community to grow and sustain your business. As such, membership is billed annually to support this purpose.
Three Pay Plan
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In-depth focused guidance and community for Blackademic women who want to share their knowledge with the world
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First payment is charged immediately with the remaining two payments charged in 30 day intervals.
Pay One Time
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In-depth focused guidance and community for Blackademic women who want to share their knowledge with the world
Six Pay Plan
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In-depth focused guidance and community for Blackademic women who want to share their knowledge with the world
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First payment is charged immediately with the remaining two payments charged in 30 day intervals.
All prices listed are in US Dollars
5 ways to grow inside AB3
Self-Paced Signature Course
Ready to have a handle on all the key aspects of growing or refining your business? Takiyah and Monica guide you through the core components of growing your business. You will emerge with a plan/ roadmap for the next step you need to take to reach your goals. Do it over Spring break, a free weekend, or the whole semester.
Live Workshops
Once a month we go live with community discussions or training on additional topics that are relevant to growing your business. There are hot-seat opportunities for personalized feedback on your current business concerns. We bring in guest experts to share specialized business knowledge.
Cheatsheets and Templates
Doing most of your negotiating through email exchanges? We share our proven templates and cheatsheets for workflows, proposals, intakes and contracts. These models will get your business side down pat so you can focus on your craft!
Vetted References
Web designers, small business tax accountants, branding specialists, business services, oh my! Sure you can surf the web for what you need and hope they are legit and understand the academy too. Ain’t nobody got time for that! Our vetted references will save you precious time and energy as you put your best professional foot forward.
Community of Blackademic Women Like You
Who do you talk to about your tagline, your gigs, pricing, and the academic entrepreneur balance? Other Blackademic women, moving along the same path you’re on. In our exclusive community, you’ll meet up to share, learn and get feedback from co-journeyers.
Topics We Cover in the Signature Course
- Vision, Purpose and Why Branding Matters
- Identifying your Business, offerings and audience
- Business entity, taxes and money
- Components of your brand
- Marketing without being sleazy
- Growing your business
Not sure if AB3 is right for you?
AB3 is not for everyone
The Braintrust is for you if:
- You feel secure in your knowledge base and want to share it broadly
- You are willing to reflect on your life and goals and align your business with that
- You are willing to put in some time and effort to build a sustainable business
- You are genuinely a life-long learner
- You are willing to implement a new model or strategy if you need to
- You are genuinely enthusiastic about building your business and expanding your reach
- You have at least a small idea of the business you’d like to start
- You like having your sh*t together
The Braintrust is not for you if:
- You don’t want to build a business
- You want to stay in your comfort zone and not take risks
- You want it done-for-you
- You aren’t coachable
- If you need 100 different opinions from 100 different people before you can make any kind of money move
- You are an information or training junkie who has challenge implementing what you’ve learned
- Anyone who isn’t willing to commit and stick with a new idea long enough to see if it actually works
- Anyone who is interested in taking, but not giving
We aren’t trying to talk you out of your business dreams. If the Braintrust is not the right fit for you, that’s ok. We want you to win at your goals, and if this isn’t for you, we hope you find the resources that will get you there.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. It’s important for black women to have spaces where we can nurture and grow our business dreams together, but ultimately we welcome anyone in solidarity with helping Blackademic women achieve their entrepreneurial goals within and beyond the academy.
That said, all non-men/ women of color are welcome to join the bootcamp. The important thing is that you love what we’re doing here and want to be in community with us.
No. We welcome new academic entrepreneurs. If you just have an idea or you’ve been Zooming into a couple other campus classrooms and you want to formalize your endeavors, the bootcamp will help you out. We give a clear method for the decisions you need to make and the steps you need to take to get on solid footing and up and running with your business. If you feel confused, Monica and Takiyah are just an email away
Are you happy with where your business is? Feel like you got your mission, taxes, website, branding on point and popping. Are you consistently hitting your business goals? If not, then this Braintrust is not too basic for you. As a seasoned academic entrepreneur, you’ll get inspired by peers who are operating at your level and higher and you might learn something new from the folks just starting out. You’ll refine your business model and tighten your operations so you can have the kind of flourishing business you want.
Fill out the application form. We’ll notify you immediately that we received your application and you’ll hear from us within seven days. All applicants will be notified of the status of their application.
Once you’ve been accepted to the AB3, you’ll be prompted to submit your payment (in full or through payment plan) and you’ll receive your credentials to log-in to the members-only area of the bootcamp to access further details.
All live webinar lessons are recorded and will be shared with you in the Braintrust community. So even if you cannot attend a session, you will not miss any information.
Yes but each member will need to have a separate application
You are responsible for making a clear decision when enrolling for this Braintrust. Your deposit and payments are non-refundable. Takiyah and Monica offer this Braintrust in the spirit of excellence. Therefore you can expect to enjoy a quality and rewarding learning experience
You can look forward to having weekly action assignments related to the week’s lesson. The weekly webinars are inspirational, informational and practical. To receive the greatest benefit, you will need to apply the content and “do the work” This learning is for YOU. You won’t be “turning in homework” for any kind of evaluation.
The one-time enrollment fee is $1496. The monthly membership fee is $67/ month. Membership is billed annually.
Yes – you can pay your one-time enrollment fee and annual membership in full, or in 3 or 6 monthly installments. After the first year, the annual membership will be billed to the payment information on file.
Probably. Depending on where you are with your business. Inside the Braintrust, we offer solutions for a range of budgets and situations.
We’re here to support you in making the best decision for your business growth trajectory. If you still have questions after reading the FAQ, please email us at info@blackademicbootcamp.com and someone from our team will be in touch ASAP.
Love this idea but not ready to commit?
Grab our free resource on “12 Questions to Ask Yourself Before a Blackademic Entrepreneur.” If you’re thinking of hanging your shingle outside of the academy or want to share knowledge outside of your institution- here’s are 12 questions to ask yourself