At the beginning of this year, Deschantrice Smith wanted to find a community of entrepreneurs. But she didn’t know where to start.
“I needed to be in more rooms of like-minded people,” Smith told Mirror Indy, “Like-minded entrepreneurs, people who have the same struggles as me, people who can help me in areas that I didn’t understand.”
Smith found that in Hu$tlers Mastermind, a community of Black entrepreneurs that meets weekly to learn about business and help each other grow. For the past year, entrepreneurs have been meeting weekly to learn about the foundations of business and connect with each other.
And on Tuesday, Dec. 9, Smith and her classmates celebrated their accomplishments with a graduation ceremony at eastside coworking space P30.
Rather than earning a degree or credential, participants are recognized for growing their startup or business over the last year by creating a pitch, business model or plan. Some entrepreneurs invested in building a business from the ground up, while others focused on expanding existing endeavors.
For Anthony Murdock II, a business coach who started and leads the Mastermind community, it matters less what type of business participants operate and more what their long-term goals are.
He wants to help entrepreneurs learn to promote themselves and their stories in order to grow their businesses.
“If we know we have a story, we own that story, and we learn how to leverage that story through entrepreneurship,” Murdock said. “The game changes.”
Creating masterminds
The Mastermind graduation is unlike most commencement ceremonies.
For one, the ceremony begins with a “mindful moment” meditation from Raymond Achille, known as @recovery.ray on Instagram.
And, rather than having a commencement speaker or valedictorian speak, each graduate gets the opportunity to thank their friends and families and reflect on their accomplishments this year.
That was intentional for Murdock, who designed the Mastermind community not just to center Black people, but to celebrate them. Allowing the entrepreneurs and their families to be central to the graduation proceedings was a part of that.
But Murdock’s goal is bigger than just teaching people about how to own a business — he sees entrepreneurship as the path to liberation and generational wealth for the Black community.
“There’s plenty of spaces with just a lot of Black people, but they don’t affirm that powerful Black identity,” Murdock said. “That is what we do here.”
A supportive group
After working in restaurants for nearly 15 years, Jonathan Thomas wanted a change.
He’d always had side hustles and what he called “entrepreneurial ambition.” But without a college degree, Thomas saw his best chance at a well-paying career to be to go into business for himself full time.
“I don’t see a pathway forward to any sort of real, attainable financial stability and freedom outside of entrepreneurship,” said Thomas, who owns a commercial cleaning business called PufLuv.
That doesn’t mean that pathway’s easy, and joining the class has been a way for Thomas to both learn from and commiserate with his fellow entrepreneurs about everything from invoices to pay schedules.
“We need spaces for Black entrepreneurs to pour into each other, to feed each other,” Thomas said. “One of the biggest struggles for entrepreneurs, no matter who you are, is the ability to keep going, and you need a community of people that can help you keep going.”
The Mastermind program takes a high-level view of entrepreneurship. Some people are traditional entrepreneurs starting a business, others are side hustlers. Still others are trying to promote their own brand.
That flexibility was crucial for Smith, who is a real estate agent, yoga instructor and nonprofit owner. Through the program, she’s perfected her elevator pitch and learned how to promote each of her projects as part of her brand.
She’s already signed up to be part of the Mastermind community next year.
“It gave me purpose,” Smith said. “It made me feel like I’m going in the right direction, that what I’m doing has value.”
If you’re interested
Applications to be a part of the 2026 Mastermind group are open. Black people interested in creating a business, learning about entrepreneurs and connecting with other business owners can apply online.
The program costs $1,000 for the year or $99.99 per month. You can also donate to provide a scholarship for a Black entrepreneur to join the program.
Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.
Claire Rafford covers higher education for Mirror Indy in partnership with Open Campus. Contact Claire by email claire.rafford@mirrorindy.org, on most social media @clairerafford or on Signal 317-759-0429.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
