black-founded
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MoCaFi moved the money. Keeping the business alive was harder.
MoCaFi made public aid spendable for people banking often overlooked. Its rise, and its March 2026 liquidation, show how much financial inclusion depends on the machinery behind the money.
She Bet $25,000 on Period Underwear. Ruby Love Turned an Awkward Problem Into a $25 Million Business
Crystal Etienne’s first investor emails disappeared into silence. So she used her savings, found customers through search, and built a period-apparel brand around one useful idea: protection should fit into life, not interrupt it.
Promise
Promise is an Oakland-based govtech company that modernizes how government agencies and utilities collect payments and distribute benefits. Founded in 2017 by Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins and Diana Frappier, it offers flexible, interest-free repayment plans, AI-powered fraud detection, automated benefits distribution, and income verification - all designed to make public systems work better for both agencies and the residents they serve.