“The Blacker The Berry is way more than a juice company in my eyes. It is one of many pillars that I have in mind. I see fashion, art, music and of course wellness. But my main passion is social justice. The intention is to fuse all of the categories to build a global brand unlike any other,” says Dominique.
Related Stories:
https://lasentinel.net/shayla-cowan-goes-from-will-packers-assistant-to-his-business-partner.html
Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Dominique stated that moving from home to Los Angeles was a culture shock when it came to access to healthy foods and lifestyles.
“When I first moved to L.A., it took me aback. Where I’m from it’s about ‘eating good,’ which is more about flavor profiles and quantities. In L.A., I watched people get up to exercise and let that dictate what they ate during the day. It was unheard of to me back home. But my curiosity set the tone for my path in business. That and my past experiences” Dominique said.
Before moving to L.A., Dominique’s inspiration for social justice work and advocating for prison system reform came from his brush with the law in Virginia. Dominique is transparent about this experience in college and that he had not made the right choices up to that point.
“I found myself in a situation that I almost didn’t walk away from. I consider myself a lucky one because a lot of Black men do not get a second chance after run-ins with law enforcement. So, I can’t waste this opportunity God has put in front of me,” he explained.
Just as he spoke of fashion, art, music and wellness, Dominique brings this all to life on his website. His site contains juicing packages, merchandise that nods to social causes and the culture, all while promoting local artists, pop ups and curating his own community efforts. His goal is to bring the same health vibrancy in Los Angeles as is in his hometown and join the global community with the same purpose.
He also pays it forward by sourcing his fruits and vegetables from Black farmers from whom he purchases 85% of his produce comes from along with allied businesses. Shopping by season, he looks to bring the best quality forward. His best collaborator is Farmer Ken in Temecula and IHG Farmers is a close second. With everything he has built, he urges entrepreneurs to determine if your ideas are hustles or businesses.
“A hustle is just about connecting and networking, but it cannot operate if you step away. A business, however, you build it, [must] sustain itself and operate at a level of self-efficiency. Once you know the difference, hitting your goals won’t be a problem.”
Dominique’s short-term goal is to find more funding. He speaks about the perishable nature being a barrier at times, but it is not something he will sit in for too long.
“I would love a store front.” Dominique said. “Inglewood has become my second home so that would be ideal. But West Adams is growing and should be considered. I’d be blessed to be anywhere the community will have me.
“Visibility is what will help drive what I want from this and what I imagine it can be. I’m powered by the people and the more people we have, the better the quality. The more we pour into it, the bigger it gets,” he declared.
Delivery juice orders have a 24-48 hour turn-around via DMs with a link response. A popular juice is Love Jawn comprised of berries, apples, lime and cayenne pepper.
Contact Dominique and The Blacker The Berry on Instagram @ blackertheberryjuicery/
Also on Saturday, April 27, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., Dominique will host a pop up in partnership with Burning Cycle Gym, 1218 N. La Brea Avenue in Inglewood. For tickets, visit https://www.burncyclinginglewood.com/class-schedule
