(Editor’s note: This is the 47th installment in a monthly series speaking with minority business owners and leaders. Each will be asked their views on minority-business conditions in the state and for ways to improve those businesses’ chances for success.)
Growing up in Casamance, a region in southern Senegal, Bacary Diatta witnessed the consequences of Africa’s longest rebellion.
“We used to go to school knowing that today there would be a fight between the government and the independent group,” Diatta said.
Women and children have borne the brunt of the violence, and Diatta said that when he lived in Senegal, he focused his work on supporting them through working with UNICEF and the country’s ministry of health.
He’s also supported refugees by giving them jobs harvesting crops on his farm and selling the crops at the local market. Hibiscus was one of the many crops on Diatta’s land, and it’s particularly useful because it can be grown all year round and made into different products.
So, when Diatta moved to Rhode Island in 2018 and sought to start his own venture, it made sense that he created a business selling jams, sparkling drinks and botanical juice made from the hibiscus flower – including crops he imports from his farm in Senegal.
In 2020, Diatta ended up launching Kassumay LLC, which means both peace and hello in the Jola language that is spoken in parts of Senegal. Getting the business off the ground took a lot of hard work.
Diatta recalled a period of over two years when he would work the 5-10 a.m. shift at an Ocean State Job Lot in Warren before taking a bus to Providence, where he would work for an online company preparing customer grocery orders for delivery. At the same time, Diatta was also taking a free online course from Santa Clara University to learn how to launch a business in the U.S. and he would spend hours watching TV to improve his English.
Diatta also said his wife was crucial in helping Kassumay get started because no matter how tough it was to pay bills or put food on the table, she always supported the business.
“She took a lot of responsibilities on her shoulders,” Diatta said.
Eventually, he was able to secure loans from numerous sources and was able to launch Kassumay with the support of several groups, including the food-business incubator Hope & Main.
Now he’s starting to see the fruits of his labor. Diatta recently was named Rhode Island Exporter of the Year by the Small Business Administration during the 2024 National Small Business Week, and he has secured multimillion-dollar agreements to export products to the Caribbean. Locally, Kassumay products are sold at Urban Greens Co-op Market, Plant City and the Hope & Main marketplace in Providence.
Diatta has bigger goals.
Diatta says he hopes to open his own production facility in the U.S. and to see African products represented more in American markets.
“I believe we African immigrants in the U.S. have much more to offer,” Diatta said.
1. Do you believe racism is keeping minorities from starting businesses in the Ocean State or succeeding when they do? It’s documented that systemic racism can create significant barriers for minorities in various aspects of life, including starting and succeeding in business. Minority entrepreneurs often face difficulties in obtaining financing. This can be due to discriminatory lending practices, lack of collateral, or lower credit scores resulting from historical inequities.
2. How dependent is your business on the support of other minority groups? Is that a sustainable business model? While the broader market is essential for growth and sustainability, the support of other minority groups can be foundational for the success of Kassumay LLC. This support not only helps in establishing a strong customer base but also in accessing resources, networking opportunities and collaborative partnerships that are vital for long-term success.
Yes, relying on the support of other minority groups can be a sustainable business model, provided it is part of a broader, diversified strategy.
3. What one thing could Rhode Island do to boost the odds for minority-owned business success? One impactful action that Rhode Island could take … is to enhance access to capital through targeted financial programs and partnerships. This can be done by creating a state-backed fund for providing grants, loans and investments.
4. Have you had to turn somewhere other than a bank for a loan? Do you believe the state’s lending institutions generally treat minorities fairly? Kassumay needed … to borrow [money, but] it did not meet the criteria of many financial institutions. So, I had to turn to other sources of financing such as microloan programs … angel investors through Aperture CPG and grants.
Historically, there have been documented disparities in lending practices that affect minorities, including higher denial rates for loans, higher interest rates and less-favorable loan terms compared with nonminority applicants.
5. If another minority entrepreneur asked you where they could turn to for support for their business, where would you direct them? I would direct them to the Rhode Island Black Business Association, R.I. Commerce [Corp.], Minority Business Development Agency, Rhode Island Small Business Development Center, SCORE Rhode Island, Center for Women & Enterprise, local chambers of commerce, National Minority Supplier Development Council, Social Enterprise Greenhouse and Hope & Main.
