Exploring Life & Business with Uyi Idahor of The Coco Drip, LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Uyi Idahor.

Hi Uyi Idahor, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Since 2018, Uyi and Brianna have collaborated to create spaces that center and celebrate Black women in Durham and beyond. What began as a shared desire for connection and representation evolved into Black Women of Durham—a gathering space—and later The Coco Drip, a pop-up event supporting Black Women-Owned Businesses. With backgrounds in education, business consulting, diversity, and equity, they recognized a need for spaces that uplift Black women’s creativity and entrepreneurship. Their first Coco Drip event, planned for Women’s History Month 2020, was postponed due to the pandemic. Undeterred, they relaunched in October 2020, adjusting for safety while staying true to their mission. The event was well received, with several of the original vendors still participating five years later. Today, The Coco Drip continues to grow—expanding from Durham into Virginia, Maryland, and Georgia—empowering Black women to start, grow, and thrive in business.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, but every challenge has helped shape and strengthen The Coco Drip. As new business partners, we had to navigate how to work collaboratively, hold critical conversations, and build a strong structure that allowed both of us to lead authentically. We’ve faced growing pains like identifying the right platforms for promotion, recruiting vendors and volunteers, and setting vendor fees that balance accessibility with sustainability. Finding diverse, high-quality Black-woman-owned vendors required deep outreach and, at times, navigating gatekeeping or rejections. We also learned to say “no” to distractions and “yes” to alignment, all while striving to maintain work-life balance. Through it all, every hurdle sharpened our vision and reinforced our belief that Black women’s creativity, resilience, and brilliance deserve spaces to shine.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The Coco Drip is a community-driven platform created to empower and uplift Black women entrepreneurs through curated events, mentorship, and intentional spaces for connection. We specialize in showcasing Black women-owned businesses and are known for centering Black women unapologetically—especially in a time when doing so can feel taboo. What sets us apart is our holistic approach to empowerment: we support not just the business journey, but the mental, emotional, and personal growth that comes with it.

Our events go beyond selling products—they’re carefully designed experiences that foster community, collaboration, and inspiration. We’re proud of the authentic sisterhood we’ve cultivated, where entrepreneurs feel seen, celebrated, and supported. Whether someone is launching a business or scaling an existing one, The Coco Drip offers more than visibility—we provide a space for transformation.

Most importantly, we believe your success is our success. We’re not just an organization—we’re a movement committed to the brilliance, resilience, and power of Black women.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
The quality most essential to our success is resilience. Throughout our journey with The Coco Drip, we’ve faced challenges, setbacks, and moments of uncertainty, but our ability to adapt and stay committed has carried us forward. Resilience has meant pivoting when plans fell through, especially during the pandemic, and pushing ahead even when resources were limited or the path was unclear. No matter the obstacle, we’ve remained focused on our mission to empower and uplift Black women entrepreneurs. That unwavering dedication to the bigger vision is what continues to sustain and strengthen our work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thecocodrip.com/founders-of-the-coco-drip
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_cocodrip/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570367370164