Macy’s and Project Enterprise Educate Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners
11:36 AM EST 9/12/2009 by admin
Macy’s and Project Enterprise Educate Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners
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Arva
Rice, executive director, Project Enterprise; Cheryl Monroe, VP of
supplier diversity and vendor development, Macy’s; Deborah Williams,
Vera Moore, Traci Copeland and Tenille Robinson, small business editor,
Black Enterprise magazine |
Macy’s
Supplier Diversity Program has partnered with Project Enterprise, a
nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) to support
and develop New York City-based entrepreneurs and small businesses. In
their continued efforts to provide resources to local and small
businesses, the entities closed New York’s premier Entrepreneur Week
with a group of spirited, determined and passionate panelists who
addressed a standing room only crowd at PE’s Manhattan headquarters.
Participants shared how they became members of the retailer’s vendor
program and their secrets to success. Black Enterprise
magazine’s small business editor, Tennille Robinson, moderated the
event. Cheryl Monroe, Macy’s vice president of supplier diversity, says
“I have an amazing job … the opportunity to assist entrepreneurs who
are ready to partner with a major corporation. I am very excited to
present these three stars — here to talk about their journey.” yvette caslin
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Traci Copeland
Co-Founder/Managing Member, Wildchild Nation
Traci
Copeland, a former model and dancer, has a keen fashion sense. As
co-founder of WildChild Nation, a budding apparel company that is fun
and innovative, Copeland harbors humility and patience. “We wrote a
business plan that took about three or four months to do. You kind of
have to take your baby steps. We started with going to conventions …
like MAGIC. The bulk of our business is boutiques and online sales.” A
little bit of luck and being in the right place at the right time,
Copeland met Cheryl Monroe on the train. Copeland’s partners are fellow
dancer Luam and Marc David.
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| Traci Copeland, co-founder/managing member, Wildchild Nation |
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Vera Moore
President & CEO, Vera Moore Cosmetics
Vera
Moore, a former soap opera actress from “Another World,” had a passion
to create cosmetics for women of color that weren’t red, greasy and
wouldn’t stain their clothes. Her company has grown from selling from a
kiosk to a Macy’s counter. “Soft and natural” are the words Moore uses
to describe how her customers look when they apply Vera Moore
Cosmetics. “We advocate clean up versus cover up. Our strength is in
the skin care.” After almost two decades of keeping her finances “lean
and green,” Moore was ready to step up and join Macy’s, which meant
reaching deep into her pockets to repackage and hiring national make-up
artists to promote her products at the retailer’s trunk shows.
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| Vera Moore, president and CEO, Vera Moore Cosmetics |
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Deborah Williams, Ph.D.
President & CEO, Her Game 2 Inc.
Deborah
Williams is the wife of a former NBA player as well as the founder of
Behind the Bench: The National Basketball Wives Association. The idea
for her apparel company came as a result of her feeling there was a
void in the market for women’s apparel and merchandise at the sports
venues and other retailers. She states, “There were so many women that
were avid sports fan but there not much to reflect the presence of
women.” Direct selling has been the driving force behind the
business—at churches, sorority events and fashion shows. These events
led to the company gaining the attention of Macy’s.
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