and last updated 2021-02-21 22:38:39-05 HAMPTON ROADS, Va. â When Ann-Marie Stephens left her job in corporate America to chase her dreams of starting her own business, she didnât realize the same struggles she faced as a Black, hardworking, woman would follow 30 years later. âWe were trying to get recognition; we were trying to feel equitably valued that our contributions were assessed on the same scale,â Stephens said. âIt is almost for me, like a reliving of the same scenario in the entrepreneurial world.â Black BRAND Co-founder and President Blair Durham said African Americans receive only about 0.2 percent of investor funding for startup companies and small businesses.