Founders

Nyla Choates

Nyla Choates is a Junior English major at Spelman College from Milpitas California. She is the President of the Spelman Entrepreneurship Club, a 2023 Mcdonald's Black & Positively Golden Changeleader, a Blackstone Launchpad Fellow, and Target Scholar. She has been making waves in the world of entrepreneurship and social change as the author, founder, and CEO of the children’s brand My Roots Are Rich. She came up with My Roots Are Rich after realizing that Black students are only being taught a snippet of Black history in the classrooms-most of that time being the negative parts. Leading Black students to feel inadequate and poorly represented in school settings. This is how she came up with her solution, My Roots Are Rich- a children’s brand that empowers inspires, and educates young kids about their rich history. Her brand gives children the POSITIVE representation they deserve! And she's now on a mission to not only give children the positive representation in the books that they read, but also in the clothes they wear, and toys they play with! With your help we can turn this vision into a reality! Join us in choosing to plant the seeds that you want to see grow forever!

Danasia Jenkins

l am a first-generation college graduate and a proud native of Harlem, NY. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Biology from Howard University in 2017! After graduation, I discovered a deep-seated passion for entrepreneurship. I wanted to be a beacon of hope for the youth in our communities-you can be educated and have the luxury of working for yourself! My profound love for fashion was instilled from an early age and was the driving force behind my entrepreneurial venture. Our "why" marches to the beat of a different drum because dreaming is expensive where we come from. My experience in customer-centric roles, along with my passion for fashion, has enabled me to effectively engage with our company's target customers. My proficiency in fundamental business skills, such as financial management, budgeting, inventory management, and supply chain logistics, further enhances my ability to contribute to our organization's success.

Caribbrew

Lamanda Ballard

As Founder and CEO of FloEver Health, I'm revolutionizing women's healthcare through AI-driven hormone analysis and culturally competent care. With a decade in digital marketing at Fortune 100 companies, I bring corporate expertise to address healthcare disparities. I also founded Flo Code, Texas's leading nonprofit providing menstrual products to underserved communities. My innovative approach at FloEver Health combines cutting-edge technology with personalized care, empowering women to manage their hormonal health. I'm passionate about creating equitable healthcare solutions for all women.

Lynn Callaway

Hi, I'm Lynn Callaway, founder of good dirt™, the creators of the first-ever mushroom-powered prebiotic soda. Born from a blend of personal health challenges and a deep-rooted passion for natural remedies, good dirt™ stands at the forefront of the beverage industry, merging the prebiotic powers of mushrooms with the enticing taste of soda. My husband, Mario, and I, leveraging our long-standing experience in promoting sustainability, have created a unique, tasty solution for better gut health. Our mission is to revolutionize wellness drinks and introduce the incredible benefits of fungi in a delightful, accessible way.

Brittany Coleman

Brittany Coleman is a graduate of Duke University and holds an MS in Management from the Wake Forest University School of Business. Over the course of her career, which included leadership and analyst positions for several outdoor and active lifestyle brands, Coleman became increasingly frustrated as she noticed male-run product development and research teams not understanding women or including them in the decision-making process. Coleman founded ToughCutie in 2019, becoming the first and only outdoor sock brand with a majority women-owned value chain, and joining an estimated 1% of founders in the outdoor industry who identify as a person of color.