Chicago entrepreneur LaTanya Orr has graduated from the Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women: Black in Business program, a milestone she says has helped sharpen her approach to business growth while expanding her work supporting women entrepreneurs.
Orr, an author and business strategist, is the founder of The FoundHERS Suite, a collaborative workspace and entrepreneurial community designed to help women business owners develop their companies through education, connections and shared opportunities.
She participated in the Spring 2026 cohort of Goldman Sachs’ Black in Business program, which provides business education and resources to Black women sole proprietors. Orr said the experience strengthened her understanding of enterprise growth, financial stewardship and long-term business strategy.
“The program didn’t hand me a blueprint—it challenged me to rethink the one I already had,” Orr said. “It strengthened my thinking around enterprise, stewardship, and long-term impact while reaffirming the work I’ve been called to do.”
Her participation in the program came during a period of transition for The FoundHERS Suite. Earlier this year, an unexpected incident involving the building where the Suite operated forced the business to temporarily close its physical location.
Rather than abandon the concept, Orr said the interruption provided an opportunity to reassess how the organization could continue serving women entrepreneurs while she considered the future of the physical workspace.
Part of that evolution is BridgeWRX, Orr’s strategic advisory and thought leadership platform. The venture is designed to help women entrepreneurs move beyond developing brands and focus on building sustainable businesses through strategy, leadership development and intentional growth.
Orr emphasizes that BridgeWRX is not intended to replace The FoundHERS Suite. Instead, she sees it as an extension of the broader mission, providing additional ways for entrepreneurs to receive information, build relationships and strengthen their businesses while she explores the Suite’s next chapter.
Since completing the Goldman Sachs program, Orr has expanded that work through strategic advisory services, educational programs, publishing and community-centered initiatives.
Among those efforts is ShiftShop, a workshop series focused on practical business development. Another initiative, Gather & Shift, brings entrepreneurs together for networking, collaboration and shared learning.
Orr is also developing an editorial component to her work. Through The Bridge, her Substack publication, and HERspectives, a LinkedIn thought leadership series, she writes about entrepreneurship, leadership, business growth and the challenges established founders encounter as they attempt to move from operating individual businesses toward building larger enterprises.
Her developing BridgeWRX Leadership Library is expected to include books, tools and other resources drawn from more than two decades of Orr’s experience as an entrepreneur.
“I’ve come to realize that the assignment was always bigger than the building,” Orr said. “BridgeWRX allows me to extend the mission of The FoundHERS Suite in new ways while continuing to prepare for its next chapter. My passion has always been helping women discover what’s possible, build with intention, and create something that lasts.”
The Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women initiative was launched as part of the financial institution’s broader effort to invest in Black women and address economic disparities. Black in Business focuses specifically on Black women sole proprietors, providing participants with business education, access to resources and opportunities to develop strategies for growth.
For Orr, completing the program comes as she works to bring several parts of her entrepreneurial experience under a broader strategy.
Through BridgeWRX, she plans to continue offering advisory services, educational experiences, publishing and community programming. At the same time, Orr said she remains committed to The FoundHERS Suite and its original goal of creating opportunities for women entrepreneurs to connect and grow.
The result, she said, is an expanded vision centered not simply on operating a business, but on helping entrepreneurs create enterprises capable of producing long-term impact.
Based on reporting by Chicago Crusader.
