There is no shortage of success stories in Nashville, and behind many of them are incredible women who are forging their own paths and opening doors for generations to come.

Whether they’re developing an idea from scratch, crunching numbers, creating content, or working to turn dreams into reality, meet one of Music City’s trailblazing women.

Tequila Johnson

Co-founder and CEO, The Equity Alliance

The daily hustle and bustle

I am affectionately known as Ms. Solutionary. I combine modern tactics with revolutionary principles and do it authentically and with integrity. I keep the culture socially, civically, and politically engaged. As a social entrepreneur with over a decade of experience running and scaling successful purpose-driven businesses, I am a multifaceted leader. I like to say I can build community from the White House to the Trap House and everywhere in between. I am a creative and innovative community relations professional, a mother, and a friend.

GROWING THE BUSINESS

To grow my business and reach my current position, I have taken on a variety of roles and taken every opportunity to learn and innovate. My path has included strategic planning, continuous learning, networking, and adapting to new challenges. After college, I started as a therapist and quickly landed several jobs as a project manager in management consulting. I have worked as a campaign manager and senior strategist for over 20 political newcomers and currently have a winning record of 19 to 1.

CHALLENGES

Early in my career, I faced challenges like securing funding, building a trusted team, and establishing a solid market presence. We started The Equity Alliance with $250 and quickly grew to become the largest Black-owned company with multiple offices in the state. One big challenge is how lonely you can be as a founder. We transformed from a passion-driven organization to a multimillion-dollar company that was only able to survive by putting strong systems and processes in place. It was tough and continues to be tough today as we navigate scaling, maintain our competitive advantage, and stay true to our mission.