Candid Series Reveals Rise of Black Women Reimagining Creative Business
"You Cant Be What You Cant See!"
WeTransfer and Squarespace have combined their platforms to champion Black female entrepreneurs in 'Make It Real', a new four-part doc-series produced by Pi Studios, directed by Lou Jasmine.
The project uncovers the candid stories of four modern female leaders in the UK and the USA who are reimagining entrepreneurship and inspiring a new generation to follow new paths into business.
Squarespace customers, Gal-Dem founder Liv Little, entrepreneur Sharmadean Reid MBE from London, CEO of Oratory Glory Holley Murchison and visual artist Jade Purple Brown in New York offer a resounding message ‘do not wait for a seat at the table, create your own’.
The series is inspired by recent studies *that identify Black female entrepreneurs as the fastest growing segment of the business industry in the USA. Accessibility and representation have long been roadblocks for women of colour to rise to positions of power across many industries. The stories shared in this series cite the challenges that these women have overcome in order to become trailblazers in each of their fields.
The show sheds light on the women’s journeys of modern entrepreneurialism, as the business world opens up and is reimagined by women of colour. The series reveals stories of what it really takes to make it against the odds and what it means when you do.
Each woman gives us a first-hand account of their journey to success and the barriers they faced along the way. Drawing back the curtain on their personal life and support networks, each episode is compelling and inspiring for others who hope to pave their own path into entrepreneurism.
Sharmadean Reid MBE, is a British Jamaican entrepreneur, founder of WAH Nails, Beauty Stack and Future Girl Corp. She shares her belief in women having a unique skills for business...“I just feel as women, we are so in-tuned with the world around us. We are empathetic, we listen. If you can take that empathy and turn it into something really special as a product— then you’re winning.”
Jade Purple Brown, is a self proclaimed ‘colour obsessed’ graphic design artist acclaimed for her iconic illustrations of black women and work for brands like Nike, Sephora and Apple. She reflects on the battle black women go through for recognition... “Black female entrepreneurs are the fastest growing demographic because we always have to work 10x harder most of the time just to get the same recognition. When it comes to building our dreams, we go hard. We have a plan, and we’re not stopping until we get what we want.”
Liv Little, is CEO and founder of Gal-dem, an online and print magazine run by women of colour. In 2016, she was listed as one of BBC's 100 Women. She reflects on the power of building a strong inspiring support network...“I’m surrounded by all of these amazing people of colour who are killing it and taking up space. That’s a very powerful feeling. These things weren’t here before, but we can’t wait for someone else to create them.”
Holley Murchison is founder of Oratory Glory and the author of Tell Me About Yourself. She explains the importance of getting messy and starting small...“I’ve been able to take my ideas and execute on them by starting really small, assembling good teams around me, and not being afraid to get messy and doing the relentless work of continuing to sow on the seed I’ve planted.”
"Being entrusted to tell the stories of these amazing women, has been an incredibly personal and inspiring journey for me. Frustratingly, black women are often given very narrow and limited narratives so it was particularly crucial for me as a black creative businesswoman to create something that we haven’t seen before. Something that could inspire young black women and girls to have courage and set their sights higher than society would dare them to!" said series film director Lou Jasmine
"As a Black business leader myself it has been a privilege to pull together a team that respects, lives and breathes the subject matter enough to represent these inspiring modern stories to create evidence of whats possible for people of colour in business today." said Alex Bennett Grant, Founder and CEO of WE ARE Pi
"WePresent has always existed to elevate important, representative stories, spotlighting those who we believe are pushing the boundaries of creativity and thinking. Each of the four trailblazing women in this series are doing just that, while also using their platforms to promote inclusion in industries that have not always made space for the Black female voice. For our first branded content venture, we are delighted to partner with Squarespace to bring their stories to life in such a vibrant and impactful way" - WePresent editor in chief Holly Fraser
"Our vision at Squarespace is to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs and creatives to find success and make their dreams a reality by democratising access to elevated design. Black women-identifying business owners are a historically underrepresented community, and we hope this series inspires young entrepreneurs to follow in Liv, Holley, Sharmadean and Jade’s footsteps to continue to set the standard for excellence in business" said chief marketing officer of Squarespace, Kinjil Mathur
*Statistic quoted in 2018 ‘State of Women-owned Businesses Report’ by American Express in 2018
