Women In The Black New York Inc

Who's the Boss Conference

PAST 2019 WOMEN ON A MISSION AWARDEES

EGYPT "IFY" UFELE
Egypt “Ify” Ufele responded to the bullying she regularly experienced in elementary school with a metaphorical one-two punch. In January 2015, she launched (with the help of her mother) Chubiiline: a collection of caps, backpacks and T-shirts emblazoned with anti-bullying slogans like “No hate just love” and “No kid should ever feel bad about how they look.” The items are for sale via Ify’s website and have so far netted more than $30,000. She’s also taken her creativity—and her message—to the runways, with a second line of clothing for curvy girls and women that features bold colors and African-inspired prints. “My dad is from Nigeria,” she said, “and when I visited there I fell in love with the fabrics.” The pieces have been shown in New York and Philadelphia and on the West Coast. Ify hopes the collection will be available in stores soon.

All of this has transformed the once-bullied sixth-grader into a high-profile advocate. Her story has been covered by the Today show, NY1, People.com and Teen Vogue. Next month, she’ll spend her holiday break in Nigeria, helping to raise funds to build schools and design school uniforms; and she’s slated to unveil fresh Chubiiline looks during February’s New York Fashion Week. The schoolyard bullies have mostly been silenced, Ify says, and these days her classmates are more likely to approach her saying, “Hey! I saw you on TV!”

LADIES OF CURLY GIRL COLLECTIVE
Our Mission Is To Create Innovative Experiences That Harness The Energy Of The Natural Hair Movement And Showcase The Best Brands For Modern Women Of Color.

Curly Girl Collective is an experiential marketing group that specializes in multicultural beauty. Our events find unique ways to connect the latest products and brands to our network of fans and influencers, and create fun spaces for women of color to celebrate their natural beauty.

SUZZANNE DOUGLAS
Suzzanne Douglas is an award-winning actress of both screen and stage, whose work has lead her through all walks of creative life. Driven by her desire to constantly grow as an artist, Suzzanne has developed a canon of enigmatic and complex roles and hopes to encourage younger artists to do the same.

Suzzanne will be appearing later this year in the Ava DuVernay limited run series, Central Park Five, on Netflix. On stage she recently played Dorothy Brock in 42nd Street at the Drury Lane Theater, and starred in the Baltimore Center Stage Theater’s production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, and George Street Playhouse’s American Son. Other theater credits include The Tap Dance Kid, Night in Tunisia, Julius by Design, The Drowning Crow, Crowns, Women of Brewster Place, and Arthur Laurent’s, Hallelujah, Baby!, which Laurent re-wrote especially for her. Suzzanne was also the first African-American to play the role of Dr. Bearing in the Pulitzer Prize winning play, Wit at the George Street Playhouse.

TESTIMONIALS

Wow... Words can not express how grateful how blessed I feel to have had the opportunity to share the space with such dynamic individuals at the Who's the Boss: Women in the Black Conference. Both women and men believing that with commitment, knowledge and hard work.... realizing your dream is possible.

I left the conference full and ready to make moves. The resources offered coupled with the networking was phenomenal. Thank you for allowing me to share my dreams with you. From listening to my pitch to stopping by our table to sharing words of encouragement... I feel blessed.

I am most grateful that The Shoe-B allows me to continue our work in Haiti. A percentage of the sale of each Shoe-B goes towards the Survival Kit Drive for Haiti initiative"

- Vicki Sylvain | Creator/Owner | The Shoe-B

"Truly I am excited and so grateful for the invitation to your Women in the Black conference. I am thankful to you for thinking it not robbery to invite my father and I to be among positive and extraordinary women. No one would have imagined that eighteen years ago that the seed that you planted would yield increasing wealth for a community and generations to come!

As you pour into more young entrepreneurs, I pray you see and reap the harvest of your labor and greater manifestations of the work that you do for others. May continual blessings of favor and prosperity be upon you and the women connected to Women in the Black and The Brownstone"

- Imani Perlie

EVENT SPONSORS

PAST WINNERS OF THE TOP PITCH

Desiree Patton of Desiree By Designs
Yvonne Thevenot, Executive Director/Founder of STEM Kids NYC
Atinuke Akinwunmi CEO of PURh2O

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