How BROWN GIRL Jane And SheaMoisture’s Second Annual #BrownGirlSwap Grant Competition Is Supporting Black Female Entrepreneurs

BROWN GIRL Jane and SheaMoisture have officially announced their 2nd Annual #BrownGirlSwap Grant Competition for Black female entrepreneurs.

With an investment of $150,000 plus comprehensive programming in support of Black-owned independent beauty and wellness brands, the competition is now running on BROWNGIRLJane.com and offers Black female founders a platform to amplify their brands, receive entrepreneurial mentorship from industry veterans, and be awarded critical funding.

Co-founder and Chief Impact Officer, Nia Jones, states, “We are so excited to partner again with SheaMoisture as this initiative will help diversify the beauty and wellness industry by shining the light on deserving Black women entrepreneurs who are far too often overlooked. SheaMoisture’s commitment to advancing participation for Black and Brown women in this space is in lockstep with our ethos and it has been very rewarding to hear from previous winners how the grant and mentorship has benefited them and their work.”

The initiative beautifully meshes the missions of an award-winning indie brand and purpose-driven company – serving those who have been underserved. BROWN GIRL Jane is a leading luxury, plant-based wellness collection centering the needs of dynamic women of color, and SheaMoisture remains a global leader and pioneer in the beauty and personal care space.

With funding being one of the biggest issues Black entrepreneur’s face, Jones states, “We know that Black women receive less than 1% of venture capital funding despite creating businesses at the fastest rate than any other demographic. Our goal is to therefore provide more and more women of color with true solutions and help advance the next future leaders in this space.” Besides funding, mentorship is the second biggest hurdle many of these entrepreneurs have trouble sourcing.

Simone Jordan, global head of purpose and brand partnerships at SheaMoisture, shares, “There is great value in collaboration, mentorship and providing a source of inspiration for Black female entrepreneurs. However, without the funding, many Black female entrepreneurs will face difficulty bringing their business goals to fruition. Jordan goes on to mention, “Businesses, especially those led by Black female entrepreneurs, need additional funding support because they are not as readily provided this from financial institutions or venture capitalists the same way their white peers are.”

While many have not shown the same fervor as in 2020 to support Black and Brown entrepreneurs, SheaMoisture resumes its longstanding commitment to their community and with the top grant increased to $25,000 for two Black-women founders under the $150,000 commitment. “We are excited to continue our partnership for the second consecutive year with BROWN GIRL Jane, a company whose mission and purpose so closely aligns with SheaMoisture,” shares Cara Sabin, CEO of SheaMoisture. “Our collaboration is a powerful manifestation of our shared goals of bringing real impact and change within the industry, by empowering Black female founders through the creation of space, provision of resources and economic opportunities.”

This year, 12 inspirational winners will not only be selected by BROWN GIRL Jane and SheaMoisture, but by the loyal community who will be given the opportunity to help determine the final winners. The winners will be announced at the #BrownGirlSwap second annual Black Beauty and Wellness Summit taking place on October 14-16, 2021.

The 3-day virtual hybrid Summit brings together Black and Brown women to talk about beauty, wellness and entrepreneurship, provides access to global thought leaders and puts knowledge, wisdom and confidence into the hands of attendees.

Last year’s grant recipients such as Base Butter and Range Beauty gained tremendous momentum with their businesses including retail partnerships with Target and Macy’s, new office spaces, team expansions and much more.

“We’re proud to continue such a dynamic program that allows us to support likeminded brands and will ultimately generate the next group of future beauty and wellness business leaders,” further adds Chief Impact Officer, Nia Jones.

Developed by BROWN GIRL Jane, the #BrownGirlSwap pledge launched across social channels in June 2020, challenging consumers to commit to replace at least 5 of their “go-to products” with brands owned by Black women. Learn, join and swap @itsbrowngirljane and @sheamoisture, and apply to the #BrownGirlSwap grant competition here at BROWNGIRLJane.com.