Today we’d like to introduce you to Tamani Lyn.
Hi Tamani, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Well, although I started WOMEN OF LYN back in 2018, it wasn’t until April of this year that was the moment that changed everything for me after I was laid off from the federal government of almost a decade of service. Until then, I had been balancing safety with purpose—keeping a stable career while slowly building WOMEN OF LYN in the margins of my life. But when that chapter closed, I had a choice: view it as a setback or as a sign. And with me being me, I chose the latter.
WOMEN OF LYN was born from my own lived experiences as a Black woman navigating entrepreneurship, leadership, and environments that weren’t always built with us in mind. I started this organization because I knew firsthand how isolating the journey can feel, and how transformative it is to have community, strategy, and support that truly see you. A small blog that began as a small effort to pour into women around me evolved into something much bigger—a movement grounded in sisterhood, development, and access.
After losing my job, I decided to go all in. I treated that moment not as a loss, but as the nudge I needed to build the work I was meant to be doing. I invested in myself, deepened my expertise and poured my energy into creating back to back sold-out events in the DC area, business mentorship programs like The Boss Academy and Boss Hub to offer women of color the resources I once needed, and so much more.
Today, WOMEN OF LYN serves female entrepreneurs of color through mentorship, business development, community experiences, and youth programming. We’ve grown through authenticity, impact, and a genuine commitment to meeting women where they are. Every milestone we’ve reached—every sold-out event, every mentee success story, every partnership—has been rooted in that season of uncertainty that pushed me to bet on myself.
So how did I get here? Through purpose, resilience, and an unwavering belief that when women of color have the right tools and support, we don’t just build businesses—we build legacies. WOMEN OF LYN is the very proof of that.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Well — nothing in life worth having comes with the journey of smooth roads. Of course we’ve faced setbacks and hard moments, but it’s about how you choose to water what you have in every season, and how you choose to plant small seeds each day. I always say your company and ideas are like flowers. Nurture what you have in every single season and watch it grow. Even when the going gets tough. So that’s what I do each and every single day, despite tough roadblocks.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about WOMEN OF LYN, INC?
WOMEN OF LYN is a 501 (c)(3) pending international organization based in Washington, DC that is dedicated to educating and empowering female entrepreneurs of color.
Our mission is to educate, support, and empower women embarking on entrepreneurship within their seed-stages of business development through our international business 1:1 mentorship program, The Boss Academy, our business development podcast, The WOMEN OF LYN Podcast, interactive workshops, networking events, courses, our multi-city networking hub for female entrepreneurs of color, The Boss Hub, and more.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
What I love most about Baltimore is its heart. This city has a real resilience and authenticity to it that you can feel in the people, the neighborhoods, the small businesses, and the culture. Baltimore shows up for its own—especially for Black women and local entrepreneurs. There’s a creative energy here that’s unmatched, and a sense of community that feels real, not performative. As the founder of WOMEN OF LYN, I’ve seen firsthand how quickly Baltimore uplifts ideas, supports local leaders, and rallies around grassroots work. It’s a city where you can build something meaningful and feel the impact of it immediately.
What I like least is seeing how much potential goes untapped because of inequities that have existed here for generations. Baltimore is full of brilliant, talented people—especially young people and women of color—who don’t always get the resources, investment, or environments they deserve. It’s hard to witness that gap day after day. But it’s also a big part of why I do the work I do. I believe Baltimore has everything it needs to thrive; we just have to continue pushing for access, opportunity, and intentional support so that everyone can rise with the city.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.womenoflyn.org/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/womenoflyn
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-of-lyn/
