Disrupting the Virtual Assistant Industry

TeQuila Cooper-Shabazz, CEO of Qui and Ascend Chicago alum

Qui, an Ascend Chicago alum, provides high-quality service at equitable pay

by Martha Flores Perez

Virtual assistants are real people for TeQuila Cooper-Shabazz, owner of Qui (pronounced "kee”). Empowering people through equitable pay is her mantra. Ms. Cooper-Shabazz is a social entrepreneur in Chicago who loves people and builds relationships. She spent 15 years in sales and administration before becoming a social entrepreneur in 2012. Ms. Cooper-Shabazz has an impressive curriculum vitae, including leading a couple of social ventures, short film production, publishing books, and being named as one of Forbes’ “1000 CEOs to Watch”. During a difficult moment in 2018, she realized to pivot from her first business into what is now Qui. "I was doing a lot for the community, churning out initiatives without consistent help or a solid business structure. That resulted in neglecting myself and leading to a nervous breakdown. In my silence, I reflected on what my journey had been for seven years. It was my own experience as an entrepreneur and individual seeking supplemental income that I decided to continue doing the work as a virtual assistant to help small businesses with their operations" The result was Qui, which provides qualified candidates to support overhead operations for US-based businesses.

Ms. Cooper-Shabazz began with eight contractors back in 2019 and is now at more than a hundred. One key aspect that sets Qui apart is that the contractors they hire, the virtual assistants, are not cheap labor. Qui is in the business of recruiting talent from the US and the Caribbean, South America, and Africa, all "marginalized communities on a global level that are typically blocked from the virtual assistance industry." However, one thing is clear for Ms. Cooper-Shabazz, exploiting cheap labor overseas is not part of her business plan. Instead, she says, "I believe in equitable pay based on talent and skills and knowledge, not geography, race, or gender." This framework attracts clients that share the same socially responsible value.

Becoming a household name is Ms. Cooper-Shabazz's next goal for Qui. This goal led her to learn more about taking her business to the next level. She was part of the Ascend Chicago cohort, which unintentionally was an all-black women group. It was an experience where they vibrated in the same vortex and around the same energy. "I love the fact that I was able to concentrate on working on my business every single day for a week. Being there on campus makes a difference," says Ms. Cooper-Shabazz. She had access to the curriculum and Northwestern faculty from participating in this Ascend cohort. Moreover, she hired an accountant from within the cohort. Even though they have graduated, they continue to foster their relationships. Last month, TeQuila graduated from Polsky’s Small Business Growth Program and continues growing her business.