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Leading with Lee™
The Future of Black Business: Nicole Murphy’s Barter Black® Is Changing How We Build and Scale
Nicole Murphy is the visionary founder behind Barter Black®, the groundbreaking tech platform reshaping how Black entrepreneurs collaborate, scale, and sustain their businesses. Recognized as one of The Washington Informer’s Best Black Tech Businesses of 2025, Nicole has built a digital ecosystem rooted in shared value, trust, and community-centered growth. Through Barter Black’s innovative Barter Bucks system, she is redefining access to services, reducing financial barriers, and creating a model of economic empowerment designed for us, by us. With a passion for equitable systems and a commitment to uplifting Black-owned businesses, Nicole stands at the forefront of the next era of Black innovation and transformational leadership.
Q. Barter Black® is a powerful concept. What personal experience or defining moment inspired you to create the platform, and when did you realize it had the potential to transform how Black entrepreneurs access resources and support?
The idea for Barter Black® came during the pandemic. I was running a thriving short-term property management business, where we cleaned and managed Airbnb's Then COVID hit and everything changed. I watched Black entrepreneurs around me struggle, not just financially, but emotionally, mentally, and structurally. I knew that traditional systems weren't built to support us, and I asked myself: Why aren’t we helping each other? That’s when bartering clicked. I realized we could circulate our skills and talents to get real support now. The moment I saw members exchanging services, coaches getting websites, accountants getting branding, I knew this could change everything.
Q. Before Barter Black® grew into a recognized tech platform and was named one of The Washington Informer’s Best Black Tech Businesses of 2025, what did its early stages look like? What beliefs or values sustained you during development?
The early stages were rough. Bartering isn’t something people naturally gravitate toward, and in the beginning, I made the mistake of building the platform before building the community. That alone taught me patience and humility. There were many moments when I thought about walking away, but I kept going because I knew I wasn’t building something ordinary.
I had to accept that a model this new wouldn’t take off overnight. It required education, consistency, and helping entrepreneurs unlearn the idea that cash is the only path to growth. Through every high and low, what sustained me was the belief that Barter Black® would change the trajectory of Black entrepreneurship. And now, seeing members actively barter and support each other confirms that I was right to keep going.
Q. Rising operational costs and limited access to capital continue to challenge Black owned businesses. From your perspective, how does Barter Black® reshape the way Black entrepreneurs build, scale, and sustain their businesses?
Barter Black® flips the script. Instead of waiting on capital that may never come, our members use what they already have, their expertise, to get what they need. Whether it’s help with branding, accounting, or social media, they can access it through our trade credit system, Barter Bucks℠. You earn by supporting someone else, and you spend when you need support. It’s not just about bartering, it’s about rebuilding what Black Wall Street represented: circulating resources within our community, creating value without waiting for permission, and building sustainable businesses on our own terms. This is a system grounded in trust, powered by collaboration, and designed to keep us moving forward together.
Q. Many describe Barter Black® as a game changing model. What has been one of the most meaningful success stories or exchanges you have witnessed on the platform?
There have been so many meaningful success stories. Which affirms that we are building is the game changing model we knew it could be when we started five years ago. But the one that stands out, that made it all amke sense was the barter when Danielle the coach purchased Ask a Therapist: Chat & Chill” w/ Dr. Shatiea Blount.
Q. You are preparing for a multi city app launch tour in 2026. What do you hope Black entrepreneurs across the country walk away with after experiencing Barter Black® in person?
There have been so many powerful success stories that confirm we’re building the game-changing model we envisioned five years ago. But the one that truly brought it all home was when Danielle, an early adopter and coach, used her Barter Bucks℠ to purchase “Ask a Therapist: Chat & Chill” with Dr. Shatiea Blount.
She shared in her own words: “I just had my 1-hour chat w/ Dr. Shatiea and it was what my soul needed. I’m SO glad I listened to my gut and logged on to the platform last week.”
She bartered, re-engaged, and even listed her own services. It wasn’t just a transaction. It was a transformation. Moments like this remind me that Barter Black® isn’t just a platform, it’s a new blueprint for building the Black Wall Street of the future.
Q. As a leader in Black innovation and technology, how do you remain grounded, visionary, and inspired in your work? Who or what continues to fuel your commitment to creating equitable systems?
Freelancer platforms out here have raised millions before ever launching an app. I don’t have that. Most Black entrepreneurs don’t. That’s exactly why I created Barter Black®. I know firsthand how powerful it is to have access to support without needing upfront cash. When I see people bartering on the platform, I know they’re not just surviving, they’re getting the help they need to grow.
To date, over 16,000 Barter Bucks℠ have been exchanged. That’s over $16,000 in value flowing between Black entrepreneurs. Every one of those exchanges represents someone being seen, supported, and strengthened in their business. That’s what fuels me.
And of course, I think about my children. I’m building Barter Black® for the world I want them to inherit, one where we own our systems, build together, and leave a real legacy. Watching them grow while I build this keeps me centered. I want to give them something they can be proud of, and every entrepreneur who uses bartering as a business strategy adds another brick to that foundation.
This work is bigger than me. It’s about Black entrepreneurs finally having a system that’s ours. And that vision keeps me going every single day.
Q. When you are not building and elevating Barter Black®, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
When I’m not building, which honestly feels like all the time because there’s always something that needs to be done, I love winding down with movie nights or playing games with my kids. I’m a big foodie, so discovering a great restaurant is definitely my thing.
And I’m serious about rest. I believe you actually get more done when you slow down and recharge. Whether it’s a quick nap or catching up on my favorite reality shows, that downtime fuels me to handle what’s next. Rest is non-negotiable.
Q. What advice would you offer aspiring entrepreneurs and women who are working to build successful brands and sustainable careers?
Spend time planning, but don’t wait until it’s perfect to launch. Perfection will keep you stuck. The real growth happens after you start. You’ll learn more in motion than you ever will sitting on an idea.
Also, don’t try to do it alone. That do it all mindset leads straight to burnout. If you want to build a sustainable business, you have to move away from being the learner of everything and start hiring the experts. That’s how you scale.
Your time is your most valuable asset. Use it where you create the most impact, and build a team to handle the rest.
Stay connected with Nicole:
PR: Swagher PR: https://www.swagherpr.com/
Website: https://barterblack.io/
Interview by: Lee K. Whetstone, Founder and Editor-in-Chief
Published: January 3, 2026