Board Members/Volunteers

WELCOME TO THE BOARD AND COMMITTEE

We Are Excited to Have You Join Our Mission

On behalf of Bantucola Inc., it is our pleasure to welcome you to the Board of Directors. Your leadership, expertise, and dedication to empowering Black-owned businesses and fostering economic growth in our community are invaluable to our mission. We are honored to have you join our team.

As a board member, you play a crucial role in shaping the vision and strategic direction of Bantucola. Your insights and contributions will help drive initiatives that provide vital resources, advocacy, and opportunities for our business community. Together, we will work to strengthen our impact and support sustainable success for Black entrepreneurs.

Here’s what you can expect in your role:

Strategic Planning & Governance – Guide the organization’s policies, goals, and initiatives.
Networking & Advocacy – Represent Bantucola in the community and build meaningful relationships.
Engagement & Support – Participate in board meetings, events, and key decision-making processes.
Commitment to Growth – Contribute to fundraising, mentorship, and program development efforts.

We encourage you to familiarize yourself with our ongoing programs and upcoming initiatives. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need support as you transition into this role.

Again, welcome to the Bantucola Board of Directors. We are excited to collaborate with you and look forward to making a lasting impact together.

Our History

Founding and Growth In November 2018, Bantucola was established with a mission to become the premier source of business information within the Black community of Northwest Florida. Since its inception, Bantucola has rapidly grown into the largest Black Business Directory on the Gulf Coast and one of the only Black-owned media outlets stretching from Pensacola to Tallahassee. Bantucola.com serves as a trusted platform, offering support to Black businesses and providing reliable news to the Black community.

Building a Black Business Ecosystem Chris Hendricks, the founder of Bantucola.com, envisioned a thriving Black Business Ecosystem through his 1Kx20 model. This innovative approach pairs small Black-owned businesses with events designed to promote group economics on a large scale. According to Chris, “We pair small Black-Owned businesses with events that promote group economics at scale. We aim to gather 1000 people to spend $20 at a local Black-Owned business. The Black Business Weekend is all about us being practitioners of what we preach, which is supporting the Black community and building its economic capacity.”

Transition in Leadership In 2023, Chris Hendricks stepped back from Bantucola to focus on other pressing commitments. He entrusted the organization’s leadership to Katrice Johnson, a seasoned entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience. Passionate about the Black community and economic empowerment, Katrice took on the role with a commitment to preserving Bantucola’s core mission while enhancing its reach and impact.

Under Katrice’s leadership, Bantucola has undergone significant transformations over the past two and a half years. She has streamlined operations and expanded Bantucola’s offerings to better serve the community. These new initiatives include:

Health Education
Business Development Workshops
Podcasts for Business
Branding and Marketing Opportunities
Special Events

What is Bantucola?

The name "Bantucola" is deeply rooted in African heritage. The term "Bantu" means "people" and is the root language for many African languages and tribes. Bantucola embodies the unity of African Americans, reflected in its motto: "Many Tribes, One Nation."

Why Bantucola

As the largest Black business directory on the Gulf Coast, Bantucola connects the Black community through its website, online streaming, social media platforms, and events. It provides a vital voice that ensures Black-owned businesses are seen and heard, bridging the gap between businesses and the community through group economics, education, and corporate engagement.

Bantucola focuses on seven key areas:

Tribal Unity
Business Development & Economic Growth
Healthcare
Education
Faith
Self-Defense
Inclusivity

Group Economics “A race that is solely dependent upon another for its economic existence sooner or later dies.” ~ Marcus Garvey, Founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League.

Our Stories & Black Love “It’s better to get smart than to get mad. I try not to get so insulted that I will not take advantage of an opportunity to persuade people to change their minds.” ~ John Johnson, Founder of Johnson Publishing.

Vision: Pillars to Stand On Bantucola serves as an ideological anchor for the accelerated growth of the African Diaspora in Northwest Florida. Built on foundational principles, Bantucola fosters wisdom and economic freedom for future generations.

Principles to Build On:

Mt1N – Many Tribes, One Nation
We are made in the image of God.
We practice self-love.
We practice group economics.
We pursue equality and inclusivity.
We pursue higher education & experimentation.
We are ready to defend by any means necessary.

Community to Depend On Bantucola is dedicated to rebuilding the Black community through economic empowerment. By fostering Black-owned businesses, the organization ensures that these businesses, in turn, reinvest in the Black community. However, for this cycle to be sustainable, the Black community must also actively support Black-owned businesses.

Bantucola stands as a beacon of unity, economic strength, and cultural pride, continuously working to elevate the Black community in Northwest Florida and beyond.

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