Ericka Barnes

About Ericka Barnes

I am a creative entrepreneur, community builder, and speaker with a foundation in technology and systems leadership. My background includes over a decade in the e-commerce space, where I led complex data migrations and platform initiatives requiring structure, collaboration, and long-term thinking. As a PMP- and CSPO-certified leader, I apply that same systems mindset to nonprofit leadership, creative entrepreneurship, and community development.I am the Founder and Executive Director of Black Makers Market, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that uplifts creative entrepreneurs through curated markets, accelerators, and micro-grants. I also lead Blooms to Bounty, a faith-rooted gardening and education platform that helps beginner growers start small, grow food, and cultivate resilience through stewardship and creativity.As a speaker, I lead workshops and keynotes focused on leadership through transition, resilience, creative entrepreneurship, and community-centered growth—drawing from my experience as a founder, technologist, and mother of five. My work is rooted in building capacity — helping people, teams, and organizations turn what they already have into sustainable growth, resilience, and meaningful impact.If you’re planning a workshop, retreat, or leadership program and need a speaker who blends execution with human-centered leadership, I’d love to connect.

Experience

1. Founder & CEO

   Black Makers Market

   Oct 2019 — Present

   Design and facilitate workshops, panels, and educational programming for creative entrepreneurs and community partners• Curate and produce vendor markets and cultural activations for corporations, nonprofits, and public institutions• Produce and host large-scale public events and intimate learning experiences• Lead accelerator-style programming supporting small business growth and sustainability, including vendor marketplaces, workshops, and community engagement experiences• Partner with sponsors and venues to deliver turnkey, high-visibility events• Oversee event production, vendor recruitment, and program execution

Education

• Boston University

  Bachelor of Arts, Japanese Language & Literature and Linguistics

  2003 — 2008

• Waseda University

  Intensive Japanese Language Program

  2007 — 2007

• Kyoto University

  Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies (KCJS)

• The University of Texas at Austin

  Master's Degree, East Asian Studies

  2012 — 2013

Skills

• Project Coordination
• Interviewing
• Social Media
• People Management
• Interviewing Skills
• Marketing
• Basic Photoshop
• Crochet
• Social Media Marketing
• Management
• Training
• Visual Merchandising
• Os X
• Mac Os X
• Customer Service
• Online Marketing
• Leadership Development
• Employee Relations
• Retail
• Adobe Photoshop
• Apple
• Performance Management
• English
• Microsoft Office
• Recruiting
• Fashion
• Japanese
• Basic Spanish
• Advertising