Member Profiles
Meet the superwomen changing the face of entrepreneurship and elevating their financial futures.
Meet Our Members
Mitzie
Hair Salon Owner
Mitzie has worked with hair for over 16 years and owns Mitzie’s Hair Boutique, a popular salon in Harlem. Born into a large family, Mitzie is the tenth of 15 siblings. Over two decades ago as a 20 year old, Mitzie moved to New York from Jamaica. Her transition to the United States had an added challenge to the major transition of moving countries. In search of greater opportunities, when Mitzie moved to New York she had to leave her baby daughter in Jamaica with her own mom as she setup her life here.
“It was very, very hard leaving a child behind. I didn’t realize how difficult it was going to be at the time to come here and leave her back there. It was very painful.”
Jasmine
Creative Studio Owner
Jasmine is an entrepreneur by trade and a creative at heart. Growing up, she always knew herself to be the “girl with a camera” and has been passionate about the visual arts and graphic design ever since her childhood. Coming of age in the midst of the content creation boom, Jasmine found an opportunity to market her skills to brands and individuals looking to establish their creative identities in the digital world. However, she would not realize how great the demand for such expertise truly was until she was in need of them herself.
“I was really drawn to the community of women like me who were trying to propel their businesses forward. Beyond the loan capital, I was attracted to the weekly meetings where I could hear from the other entrepreneurs in the program. I feel like there is always something to learn when we bring together business owners from very different backgrounds and industries.”
Shanté
Jewelry Business Owner
Shanté is a loving mother of three who channels her passion for interpersonal connection and design into her Newark-based jewelry business. Since she was young, jewelry-making has always been an important creative outlet for Shanté. From initial sketches to finishing touches, Shanté found it rewarding to, at the end of her creative process, have a unique piece that represented all her hard work. With the onset of COVID-19 and its accompanying lockdowns, Shanté realized she had an opportunity to turn her longtime hobby into a full-fledged business from the safety and convenience of her home.
“I’ve always been very good with my hands. When I’m able to see the things that I create, it motivates me to keep going. It was also a hobby. It was something I enjoyed doing. So when the pandemic hit, I decided to take it seriously.”
Sheila
Mobile Boutique Owner
Sheila started selling jewelry and accessories from a table as a vendor in Harlem. In 2013, during her first winter, Sheila was able to stay warm inside once of the storefront on the block. But when that store was sold and Sheila was no longer able to be inside, she decided that she couldn’t run the stall in the winter time.
“I was really drawn to the community of women like me who were trying to propel their businesses forward. Beyond the loan capital, I was attracted to the weekly meetings where I could hear from the other entrepreneurs in the program. I feel like there is always something to learn when we bring together business owners from very different backgrounds and industries.”
