It's Black History Month, and the #blackowned hashtag on TikTok has gotten over 4.8 million views as many users honor the occasion by celebrating Black-owned businesses. 

One business getting some love this month is Kreme & Krumbs, a Black-owned ice cream shop in Montclair, New Jersey. Cheddar News' Shannon LaNier spoke with owner Kiahna Malloy about why she got into the business. 

"In 2018, I was laid off, so I decided I'm going to go ahead and live my dream, which was to open up my ice cream shop," she said. 

Malloy worked for the federal government for 25 years and used her severance package to help build the business, with the goal of eventually financially supporting herself and her husband. 

In addition, Malloy felt that the existing market for ice cream wasn't up to snuff. 

"I found that the market lacked ice cream with flavor," Malloy said. "You know, I wanted my vanilla to taste like vanilla, chocolate to taste like chocolate, strawberry to taste like strawberry."

Here are some tips that Malloy offered for others looking to start a business:

"I know it's corny to say follow your passion, but I would say always follow your passion," she said. "However, make sure that passion turns over a profit." 

Share:
More In Business
Trump Highlights Partnership Investing $500 Billion in AI
President Donald Trump is talking up a joint venture investing up to $500 billion for infrastructure tied to artificial intelligence by a new partnership formed by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank. The new entity, Stargate, will start building out data centers and the electricity generation needed for the further development of the fast-evolving AI in Texas, according to the White House. The initial investment is expected to be $100 billion and could reach five times that sum. While Trump has seized on similar announcements to show that his presidency is boosting the economy, there were already expectations of a massive buildout of data centers and electricity plants needed for the development of AI.
Cybersecurity is Entering a New Era
Jim Guinn, EY Americas Cybersecurity Leader, shares how companies must stay vigilant and navigate the evolving regulatory landscape. *Sponsored by EY
Load More