Lets take a moment to thank the celebrities who make it a priority to use their influence to break down barriers. In the Black community, the youth is held back by not having enough resources and mentoring to achieve their goals. Grammy award winning producer and artist, Pharrell, founded Black Ambition to aid in this fight.
According to Teen Vogue, the non-profit organization awards resources and capital to HBCU students and entrepreneurs on the rise. This year, Black Ambition has teamed up with Chanel to give Black and Latino business owners the opportunity of a lifetime. This collaborative effort aims to “nurture blossoming businesses through mentorship.” The program starts with a one-hour discussion between diverse women with expertise in their field titled “Women Who Lead”.
The event was held on June 11th moderated by Harper’s Bazaar editor-in-chief Samira Nasr and included the always fabulous Tracee Ellis Ross; CEO and co-founder of Good American Emma Grede; co-founder of Medley, Edith Cooper; and co-founder and partner of Imaginary Ventures, Natalie Massenet.
“Historically Black and Brown women do not have a stake in what they make and aren’t trained tr taught, societally, culturally, to actually have equity in the things that they build,” Tracee mentions in the chat. “Mentorship doesn’t always come in the way you expect it to come. It’s really about what you can extrapolate from meetings, from situations, from conferences, from the people that you just bump into? How can you put yourself in the proximity of people that are going to help you?” Emma Grede adds. “Find and surround yourself with the right people that are going to be honest about the journey. [And] if you are willing to take help, you better be willing to give it.”