The Black Business School

What The Black Business School does

The Black Business School is a private online education platform founded in 2015 by Dr. Boyce Watkins, a finance PhD and former university professor, delivering culturally relevant financial education and entrepreneurship training to the African American community. The platform offers 30+ courses spanning wealth building, stock market investing, real estate, cryptocurrency, franchising, debt and credit management, professional speaking, legal topics, and youth financial literacy — including a children's series and homeschooling curriculum. Content is delivered through the third-party Teachable and Hotmart course infrastructure, with no proprietary technology stack.

The company operates a hybrid subscription and one-time purchase revenue model. Individual courses are priced from $29 to $1,499 (with lifetime access tiers at $1,299-$1,499), and the flagship All-in-One Premium VIP Package bundles 30+ courses at $249/month or $2,499/year. Most core programs offer a 30-day free trial and a money-back guarantee. Customer acquisition is community-led, driven primarily by founder Dr. Boyce Watkins' personal brand, media presence across television and radio, private Facebook groups (Black Entrepreneurs Club), email marketing, and SMS-based profit alerts.

The company is founder-owned and self-funded, with no external investors, no disclosed funding rounds, and no M&A activity. It maintains 11-50 employees, is headquartered in Chicago, and operates globally with a primary focus on the USA, governed under New York state law. The platform claims to have taught over 1 million people to buy their first share of stock, though this is a reach metric rather than a paying-subscriber count.

Name

The Black Business School

Legal name

The Black Business School

Website

https://theblackbusinessschool.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Black Business School is a private online education platform founded in 2015 by Dr. Boyce Watkins, delivering 30+ subscription and one-time purchase courses on wealth building, investing, and entrepreneurship to African American consumers seeking culturally relevant financial education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Financial Education

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Creator Course Marketplaces (Multi-Instructor Catalogs) (MPACALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education (EDAAAFAK)

Keywords

• Online financial education
• Wealth building courses
• Stock market investing
• Entrepreneurship training
• Cryptocurrency investing

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Course Subscriptions: Monthly and annual subscription access to core courses including Black Money 101, 102, and 103, as well as access to over 30 courses in the Premium VIP Package. Subscribers receive ongoing mentorship, live Q&A sessions, and continuous content updates.
2. One-Time Course Purchases: Individual courses available for one-time purchase including lifetime access options (e.g., BM102 Lifetime at $1,299, BM103 Lifetime at $1,499). Payment plans also available for lifetime memberships.
3. Premium Package Subscriptions: All-in-One Package at $399/month or $2,499/year providing access to over 15 courses with hundreds of hours of content. Represents significant savings compared to purchasing individual courses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Black Business School sells online self-paced courses and educational bundles that teach financial literacy, investing, entrepreneurship, real estate, franchising, and cryptocurrency investing to individuals, with content culturally tailored for the Black community. Offerings range from a low-cost Black Business Mini-Course up to a comprehensive Premium VIP All-in-One Package that bundles the full curriculum and community access. The school also operates the Black Crypto Investing Club as a community-driven educational offering.

Product overview

The Black Business School is a culturally-focused online education platform providing courses on wealth building, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy specifically designed for the Black community. The platform operates on a course-based model with multiple individual courses including Black Money 101 (money fundamentals), Black Money 102/102 Expanded (stock market investing), Black Money 103 (business creation), Black Money 104 (franchising), Black Money 105 (real estate), and specialized programs on credit, crypto, professional speaking, legal topics, and youth financial education. The primary subscription offering is the All-in-One Package (Premium VIP Package) providing access to over 30 courses as a monthly ($249/month) or annual ($2,499/year) subscription. The platform also offers individual course purchases and a la carte options. The company was founded by Dr. Boyce Watkins, a Finance PhD who previously taught at Syracuse University, Indiana University, The University of Kentucky, and international institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Black Money 101

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million people taught to buy their first share of stock

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Skillshare: Creator-led online course marketplace with subscription access to thousands of classes covering business, money, and creative skills. Comparable multi-instructor catalog model and self-serve subscription pricing to BBS's Premium VIP offering.
• MindValley: Online personal development and entrepreneurship education platform offering multi-instructor courses via subscription. Comparable multi-course subscription model and self-serve digital delivery, with overlap in entrepreneurship and wealth-building content.
• MasterClass: Subscription-based online education platform featuring celebrity/expert-led video courses on topics including business, investing, and entrepreneurship. Closely comparable business model and delivery mechanism to BBS, but operates at mainstream scale and premium price point without cultural specialization.
• BiggerPockets: Online community and education platform offering courses, podcasts, and tools focused on real estate investing. Comparable course-based subscription business model, particularly relevant to BBS's real estate curriculum.
• Wealth Noir: Online platform providing real estate investing education specifically targeted at Black professionals and aspiring investors. Directly comparable audience, cultural positioning, and wealth-building curriculum overlap with BBS.

Emerging players

• Ramit Sethi's I Will Teach You To Be Rich: Personal finance education brand built around a single expert instructor offering courses on money management, investing, and entrepreneurship. Comparable instructor-driven premium education model, though without cultural specialization.
• BLK Men Connect: Community and education platform offering courses and content on financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and lifestyle for Black audiences. Comparable culturally-specific educational positioning though smaller and broader in topic mix.

Others

• Teachable: Course creation and hosting platform used by BBS to deliver its content. Not a direct competitor but adjacent ecosystem participant whose policy and pricing directly affect BBS's operating economics.
• Hotmart: Digital products marketplace and course hosting platform used by BBS for content delivery. Provides critical infrastructure; changes in fees or platform terms would directly impact BBS's margins.

Broad incumbents

• Black Enterprise: Long-established media brand covering Black business, investing, and entrepreneurship. Overlapping audience and subject matter but operates primarily as media/events rather than a course subscription platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/theblackbusinessschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/theblackbusinessschool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Black Business School