It appears a four-year partnership between Buy From a Black Woman and H&M has come to an end.

According to a press release, the nonprofit, founded by Nikki Porcher in 2016, has partnered with H&M since International Women’s Day in 2021. Together, they have supported 30 Black women through accelerator programs and helped over 15 founders obtain their Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certification within two years.

On its own, Buy from A Black Women has hosted over 100 workshops and trainings, awarded 45 business grants, and provided 20 relief fund stipends to Black women business owners. Between 2022 and 2023, Buy From a Black Woman was able to drive more than $2.7 million in revenue towards Black woman founders.

In 2023, Buy From a Black Woman and H&M hosted the The Inspire Tour, which was the brainchild of Porcher since 2019, and it reached various cities including Philadelphia, PA; Charlotte, NC; Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; and Atlanta, GA. The aim was to amplify Black-women-owned businesses and allow them to network, while encouraging locals to shop within their communities.

“I really just wanted to make sure that we hone in on what a true living partnership really looks like and just make sure we’re recognizing what Buy from A Black Women and H&M is doing together, changing what the narrative is around shopping with Black women, supporting Black women, standing with Black women,” Porcher told AFROTECH™ at the time. “It’s really history making. We’ve never seen anything like this before. So, this is something that is really a blueprint for how corporations can work with grassroots organizations for sustainable change.”

While the partnership appears to have made an impact, it came to an end on March 12, 2025, AdWeek reports. The collaboration went “sour” after it was transferred from H&M’s sustainability team to the brand’s inclusivity and diversity team. Porcher claims she was not informed of decisions regarding the partnership and was no longer included in meetings.

An event had been scheduled between H&M and Buy From a Black Woman for International Women’s Day on March 2, but it was cancelled and Porcher said the event was a pivotal component of the partnership, per AdWeek.

“The final straw? They canceled our signature International Women’s Day event without telling me. Just dropped it in a team call like it didn’t matter,” she wrote in a blog post. “When I raised concerns, I was told, ‘I would ask that you not assume bad intent given our history as a partner, especially during this moment.’ That’s exactly when I knew this was about bad intent.”

H&M told AdWeek that Buy From a Black Woman was not communicating with the company, “including requests for an open dialogue to ensure we were supporting the organization in a way that continued to support their vision.”

The company also stated, “H&M presented this event as an opportunity to further promote and amplify the partnership and we deny that this was a requirement, change of plans, or a breach of contract in any way.”

After Porcher pursued legal action, it was revealed H&M owed Buy From a Black Woman $83,000, which was later paid by the retailer one month after its initial due date.

Furthermore, a termination agreement from H&M to Buy From a Black Woman shows a $100,000 offer to Porcher to “quietly walk away” and for it to continue using the organization’s name and programs in its 2024 Inclusion and Diversity Report.

Porcher declined the offer.

“Corporations love to highlight Black Women when it benefits them. They build entire marketing campaigns based on our work, then quietly withdraw their resources while profiting from our visibility. That has to stop,” she commented in the blog. “Black women business owners deserve real investment. We are owed more than just empty words. We need lasting partnerships, real financial commitments, and actual accountability. When you support a Black Woman business owner, you’re not just supporting one Black Woman. You’re supporting a whole community. And this is me, standing up for mine.”