Kamaria Warren and her mother, graphic designer Shaunice Sasser, went shopping for birthday invites for her forthcoming party when she was seven. They discovered that no merchandise represented Brown and Black girls. Brown Girls Stationery was born as a result of a necessity.
Brown Ladies. “Brown Girls Stationery.”
That paved the way for the McDonough, Georgia, native to create party and school supplies, stationery, vegan purses, and female accessories. Warren also offers dolls and most of his products include a cheerful depiction of a Black or Brown female.
“Because of our unique images and offerings, we can make money while having an impact,” Warren, now 13, says of the company, which employs five people and has five volunteers. Her products are available on Shopify, Faire Marketplace, wholesale, and local events. Every year, Warren sells approximately 10,000 notebooks, 2,500 notepads, and 1,500 backpacks. She will offer 1,000 packs of party supplies, 1,000 new lip glosses, and a new purse with an affirmative message each month.
Warren says what motivates her is “seeing other girls wearing my stuff and being proud of who they are.” Dear Brown Girl, you have the power to alter the world, is her mantra.
This committed CEO has recently launched a new brand to inspire all children to become entrepreneurs. Mini CEO provides kids with access to a website containing business videos and tools created by kids for kids. BGS will release its Little Genius collection, which will include STEM-related designs for both girls and boys, at the end of this year. Kamaria hopes to open her store where she can print and design for other businesses within the next five years. She also wants her products to be sold in large retail stores so that she can reach a wider audience. I love her story because she takes pride in doing what she is loves to do. Her main goal is to help others.
This is certainly an inspiring story for many people who fit this minority. I especially appreciate the fact that she entered this business endeavor with her mother by her side, which made this whole story that much more meaningful. I am curious about the uniqueness of their product, simply because there are already so many companies with such values out there. What did they do to stand out from their competition? In the end though, the success of the small startup company proves that anyone with a dream can make a change in the world!