Eligibility
Who can list on TierLinQ
TierLinQ connects entrepreneurs and businesses of the African diaspora — with African roots — across the United States. If you’re an entrepreneur with African roots building a business here — wherever you were born — this is your directory.
Outside the US? Join the Canada waitlist.
What's required to qualify
- The business is based in and operates in the United States
- It is majority-owned or co-founded by an entrepreneur of African birth or descent
- The owner can provide proof of ownership
- The owner can complete an identity check
- The business is a legitimate, actively operating business
Who belongs here
- African-born founders building in the US
- US-born entrepreneurs of African descent
- Entrepreneurs of the African diaspora — with African roots — operating in the US
Heritage is self-attested by the founder as part of verification.
And everyone is welcome to look around. Customers, partners, and supporters of every background use TierLinQ to discover and support these businesses. Listing criteria describe who the directory showcases — never who may walk through the door.
One distinction that matters: listing is not the same as verification. Eligibility asks “does this business belong here?” Verification asks “is it legitimate?” — we review identity and business-registration information before anything goes live, and that review can never be bought.
Organization eligibility
Organizations belong here, too
Organizations — nonprofits, associations, and diaspora groups. African-heritage organizations bring people, culture and local businesses together. An authorized representative can register your organization for free.
- The organization is based in and operates in the United States
- It is an African-heritage organization with roots in any of the countries below, including the wider African diaspora
- An authorized representative can prove their identity with a government-issued ID
- The representative can prove their authority with a charter, board minutes, official appointment, or equivalent evidence
Organization verification is criteria-based and never purchasable. It confirms identity and authority information reviewed by TierLinQ — not a guarantee of activities or outcomes.
Register your organizationHeritage reference · 54 countries
Every African country. Every heritage.
If your heritage traces to any of these countries, you belong here.
The wider African diaspora — with African roots — belongs here, too. The US-based eligibility criteria above apply to businesses and organizations alike.
- Algeria
- Angola
- Benin
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cabo Verde
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Comoros
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Ivory Coast
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Republic of the Congo
- Rwanda
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Tanzania
- Togo
- Tunisia
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
How verification works
See what TierLinQ reviews before a listing is published, and what the Verified Member check means.
Learn moreKnow a business that qualifies?
Nominate an African diaspora-owned business for the directory.
Learn moreKnow a business that belongs here?
Nominate an African diaspora-owned business for the directory — or join the community for free. Verification is based on TierLinQ’s criteria, never on payment.