For Roxanna Daniel, owner of Taj Development, building a career in contracting was never part of her plan. However, growing up in Chicago’s vibrant Bronzeville community, she developed a strong sense of independence early on and with it, the spirit of entrepreneurship was never far behind.
As a young adult, Roxanna was hired as a painter for various companies across the Chicago area. Despite her dedication, she found herself barely earning enough to secure her benefits. As a woman in the male-dominated construction industry, she regularly faced prejudice. It became clear: she needed a change.
Entrepreneurship ran in the family and while picking up a side job for her uncle, he encouraged her to consider working for herself. The idea stuck and Roxanna began frequenting the local library, teaching herself the fundamentals of business. Not long after, Roxanna was laid off by her primary employer and a new path was needed more than ever.
Taking a chance, Roxanna asked to meet with the building manager of her apartment complex. Knowing her experience, they gave her the opportunity to paint a few of their units. Impressed by her skill, she was then hired to paint the rest of the properties they managed. Pushing a pedal cart of supplies, Roxanna began painting apartment buildings with herself at the helm. She had officially stepped into entrepreneurship.
A self-proclaimed “serial entrepreneur,” Roxanna has led several ventures throughout her career. Then in 2009, she started Taj Development, a full-service general contracting company specializing in carpentry, painting, flooring, and more.
With a shop and office in Harvey, IL, the company’s mission is to provide fair pricing for groups, such as women and seniors, who are often overcharged by the industry. Roxanna also prioritizes creating an inclusive work environment that gives voice to trades people normally left out of construction opportunities, due to race, gender, or sexuality, by helping them build generational wealth.
Since opening, Roxanna has focused on scaling Taj Development by building strong, lasting partnerships with clients and organizations such as Builder’s Avenue Chicago. She leads a dedicated team of five full-time employees and also mentors an emerging contractor. Taj Development stands out as one of the few Black, LGBTQ+, woman-owned contracting firms in the country and is the only one certified by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce.
In 2025, Taj Development received a line of credit through a program A4CB offers in collaboration with nonprofit partner HIRE360. Via this partnership, A4CB and HIRE360 work together to provide a specialized construction contractor loan and free coaching to diverse contractors in Chicago to help them front fund contracts and grow their businesses. The funding Roxanna received from A4CB helped stabilize cash flow during slower seasons and allowed the company to become a signatory with local unions giving employees access to the benefits Roxanna herself once struggled to obtain.
“I’ve been in the business nearly 50 years,” said Roxanna. “And it’s the first time I can breathe right.”
Today, Taj Development continues to grow while staying true to its values as a “human company.” The firm is currently slated to contribute to the Obama Presidential Center and is collaborating with Brightview on the Eleanor Roosevelt Fruit and Vegetable Garden.
As the trades industry faces a growing generational gap, Roxanna is passionate about teaching the next wave of professionals. Still in the early stages of developing a mentorship/training program for the next generation of professionals, Roxanna created her Pick Up Contractors Program which provides opportunities to those who don’t always fit the traditional mold of the trades.
“For me, it’s about serving the underserved,” shares Roxanna. “As we grow, we’re able to employ more people. And ultimately, it’s not about me getting rich. It’s about supporting families for generations to come by building people, building partnerships, and building communities.”
