Meet the Woman and the Mission Behind The Brand.
Before there was a hard hat, there was a hot comb.
Talia Johnson-Huff's first business was beauty. A licensed cosmetologist and master barber, she built her foundation in the trades the same way she builds everything — with her hands, her community, and an eye for what people need to feel seen. Beauty taught her how to serve. Then construction chose her, and she never looked back.
For over 16 years, Talia has led MWBE Constructors, Inc., a NYS Certified Women's Business Enterprise, through some of Western New York's most complex infrastructure and development projects. From railroad corridor management and brownfield redevelopment to construction compliance, owner representation, and community engagement — she does the work that moves projects forward and brings communities along with them.
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She also serves as Director of Projects & Property at ECIDA, where she oversees industrial sites, public infrastructure, bid administration, and MWBE compliance across Erie County.
She knows government contracting from both sides of the table; and that knowledge is exactly what she brings to her clients.
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People know her as The MWBE Coach — because she doesn't just help minority, women and veteran-owned businesses get certified. She connects them to the buyers and ultimately to the contracts.
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That work lives inside Black in Business; a book and workbook curriculum born from her own story of growing up in East Buffalo, turning adversity into opportunity, and building something real from the ground up. It's not just a book. It's a teaching tool and a testimony, and it has put over 1,000 copies into the hands of entrepreneurs who needed to see themselves in the story.
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In 2014, Talia founded The RARE Place, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit rooted in the belief that the people closest to the problem already hold the power to solve it. Through workforce development, business training, youth programming, and community building, The RARE Place has become an anchor institution on Buffalo's East Side.
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She hosts Blueprint The Culture™ on Mix 1080 WUFO and Power 96.5 FM, and Blueprint is more than a radio show. It's a full media company she built alongside her daughter Marjae, a Canisius University graduate in Digital Media Arts, and a singer, songwriter, and producer in her own right. That one is personal. That one is legacy.
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Every October, Talia produces the Buffalo Niagara MWBE & SDVOB Training Day Conference — the region's premier training and connection event for diverse businesses, drawing hundreds of attendees, government partners, and procurement officials under one roof.
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She sits on the boards of the Women's Business Center at Canisius University and BOMA, serves on the WKBW-TV Advisory Board, and currently leads community engagement and MWBE strategy for the 5/14 Living Memorial & Healing Center; one of the most significant projects in Buffalo's recent history.
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Talia Johnson-Huff is not just a contractor. She is not just a coach. She is a builder; of projects, of people, and of a Buffalo that works for everyone in it.
Background On The Owner
Talia Johnson-Huff is a powerhouse in construction, strategy, and entrepreneurship. As the founder of MWBE Constructors, Inc., she leads a multifaceted firm that blends construction oversight, community engagement, and business transformation. Talia’s journey started in her father’s contracting business, where she learned how to lead from the ground up, literally. Today, she brings that same grit, creativity, and heart to everything she does.
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Through MWBE Constructors, Inc. and her coaching brand, The MWBE Coach, Talia helps government agencies meet real equity goals and empowers small businesses, especially Black, Brown, and women-owned firms, to stay profitable and in the game.
She’s the creator of the Black in Business curriculum and a trusted trainer for workforce development, inclusive leadership, and MWBE certification strategy.
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Talia’s background is more than professional, it’s personal.
She’s lived the highs and the hard lessons of business ownership and now teaches from a preventative, honest lens. Whether she’s leading a project inspection, planning a retreat, or helping entrepreneurs build brands that convert, she brings unmatched clarity, connection, and results.
