Black Business Owner and Double SDSU Graduate Discusses the Inspirations and Lessons that Contributed to his Entrepreneurial Success

As the U.S. celebrates Black History Month, one SDSU business alumnus discusses his unique experience as a Black small businessman and the unique company he operates.

By Suzanne Finch

According to a 2019 report from the non-profit Brookings Institution, only 2.3% of U.S. businesses with more than one employee were Black-owned, even though 14.2% of the country's population is Black. 

Williams, who earned both his bachelor's degree in 1994 and his MBA in 1999 from San Diego State University's College of Business Administration (now the Fowler College of Business), chose to become an entrepreneur after working in corporate America for 25 years. "It was all I knew, so corporate life became comfortable and dependable," he said. "When the company I was working for was sold in 2019, the new management began moving in an unfamiliar direction. I had been dreaming about becoming an entrepreneur, so I used the opportunity to close the door on my corporate career and open the door to entrepreneurship." 

The same article from the Brookings Institute mentioned that many Black business owners or potential entrepreneurs lacked access to funding. However, this was not the case for Williams, who was able to finance the acquisition of the business on his own. "I was fortunate to avoid some of the known pitfalls that are often associated with minorities trying to start or maintain their small business," he said. "Since I was able to self-finance, I didn't have to ask a bank or investors who didn't know me or my work ethic for financing or other forms of support. This is not always an option for most minority business owners and I'm sure that challenge still exists." 

Williams' journey to entrepreneurship literally started with a real cross-country journey from his childhood home in New Orleans to San Diego when his mother took her family to visit his California-based aunt. "I recalled seeing SDSU from the freeway as we passed by and I wondered what it would be like to go to school there." he said. "When I was in my senior year of high school, I thought 'what if I went to San Diego for college?' And the rest is history." 

Before attending SDSU, he found his love for computers and technology, which prompted him to pursue his bachelor's degree in management information systems. He also found Sophia L. Barnwell (’94, management) a fellow SDSU business student who moved into the same apartment complex where he was living. The two ended up graduating at the same time and married shortly thereafter. 

Almost immediately after graduating, Williams found a job at a San Diego tech company as a systems programmer. Within a few years, he wanted to transition into a management position, and he returned to SDSU to earn his MBA. “I wasn’t your typical student,” he recalled. “I had a full-time job, was married, had a two-year-old and another child on the way. Since this was before remote learning, I attended classes at night, but it all paid off in the end.” 

After climbing the corporate ladder for nearly 25 years, Williams left his comfort zone to pursue his entrepreneurial dreams with a very unique product. Since its inception, Hammond’s has marketed ice cream manufactured in Hawaii, which brings about some challenges that test Williams’ business acumen. He says that inflation has brought about increased pricing and supply chain issues that can make things difficult at times. “It can be very scary when you are dependent on shipments of a product that can take months to produce and two weeks to ship by boat,” he said. “While we’ve been able to keep the supply chain functioning since 2014, we are definitely looking for ways to control costs and make delivery more reliable while maintaining the same quality and Hawaiian-inspired flavors.” 

While Williams looks to improve his business operations without compromising quality, he falls back on some of the lessons he learned during his time as an SDSU student that make his life as a small business owner much easier. “Whether it was how to put together effective presentations, understanding different methods of inventory management, or how to read financial statements, there were plenty of lessons I learned during my time at SDSU that I still use today,” he said. “But equally important, were the social lessons I learned:  How to work effectively in teams, how to build positive relationships that can steer you to your goals, and being service minded towards others and your community are all lessons that I use every day.”

As a successful Black business owner, Williams has a unique opportunity as a role model and inspiration for other aspiring Black entrepreneurs to follow in his footsteps. But it is Williams who is continuously inspired by his family and the struggles of his forebearers who helped shape him into the success he is today. “I think about watching my grandfather work and tend to his 77 acres of land in Liberty, Mississippi and all the challenges he had to face on his own while raising 12 kids,” said Williams. “I think about my father who worked two jobs, 14 hours days/6 days a week for most of my adolescence to put us through school and keep the lights on. And I think of my three daughters — I know they are looking at me daily as an example of what it means to be a responsible and hardworking member of the community.”