A Note from Kimberly Lee Minor, host, Women of Color Empowered and CEO of Women of Color Retail Alliance — Hello! I invite you to tune in for this week's episode of our podcast and video show, Women of Color Empowered, where for 30 minutes each month, we bring allies and trailblazing women of color from various professional sectors to the air. Meet our guests: Alice Kim, the founder and CEO of PerfectDD, and Bernardine Wu, a partner in Fez Ventures Our topic: Allies — The importance and nurturing of your most powerful connections About Alice: Alice Kim is the Founder and CEO of PerfectDD, a brand created from her own need to find clothes that fit and flatter women with DD+ cup. As a size 32DD, Alice struggled her entire life to feel confident in clothes that were not too tight at her chest or oversized on the rest of her body. Learning that the average bra size in the U.S. is a 34DD and millions of women struggle with the same problem, Alice was inspired to create style solutions and to be the voice for these underserved women. Alice believes that getting dressed should be easy so you can focus on being a boss. Born and raised in NYC, Alice is a graduate of Dartmouth College with a degree in economics and began her career in investment banking at Bear Stearns. After finance, she decided to follow her true calling and transitioned into fashion. Alice spent two decades working at renowned fashion houses including Shopbop, Diane von Furstenberg, Prada, and Victoria’s Secret which taught her to be an expert in product, fit, and design. Alice is a Tory Burch Fellow 2022, a 2023 Fearless Fund Grant recipient, and a member of Dreamers & Doers and the Female Founder Collective. Learn more: perfectdd.com. About Bernardine: Bernardine Wu is a serial entrepreneur, business leader and investor. She is a partner in Fez Ventures and principal in Iron Monkey Ventures, focused on advisory and investment work in Digital Commerce, Technology, Retail and Talent. Bernardine founded the prominent digital company FitForCommerce in 2008 which was acquired in 2022 by OSF Digital. Bernardine serves on NRF Digital Council, is a Board Director and Vice Chair at Women of Color Retail Alliance, and co-founded The Innovation Office, Women in Ecommerce and Women in Sustainable Retail. A frequent industry thought leader and inspirational speaker, her career started at Accenture, Salomon Brothers, and several Wall Street firms including the first start-up for Institutional digital trading and launching one of the first ecommerce tech companies. Learn more on LinkedIn! Learn more about the Women of Color Retail Alliance: HTTP://www.wocretailalliance.org

A Note from Kimberly Lee Minor, host, Women of Color Empowered and CEO of Women of Color Retail Alliance — Hello! I invite you to tune in for this week's episode of our podcast and video show, Women of Color Empowered, where for 30 minutes each month, we bring allies and trailblazing women of color from various professional sectors to the air. Meet our guest: Jo Miller — Program Coordinator at Ready to Werk, Fashion Educator at Hocking College, and Board Member at Passport 2 Fashion About Jo: Truly amazing Jo Miller is a passionate fashion educator, consultant, & workforce professional committed to bridging the gaps between the love of fashion, education, and professional success through accessible and inclusive learning pathways. She is an instructor at Hocking College’s 2-year Fashion Design & Retail Merchandising program where she teaches a range of lecture/lab courses, as well as the Program Coordinator for the CFA x Franklin County fashion retail workforce development program “Ready to WERK”. Her passion is to empower students and professionals through experiential learning, culture building, and community engagement. Her mission is to transform the fashion industry into a more inclusive, sustainable, and innovative space, where diversity thrives and innovation knows no bounds. Click here to read our Q&A with this truly amazing woman: https://beinkandescent.com/jo-miller/ Learn more about the Women of Color Retail Alliance: http://www.wocretailalliance.org

May 2024: A Note from Kimberly Lee Minor, host, Women of Color Empowered and CEO of Women of Color Retail Alliance — Hello! I invite you to tune in for this week’s episode of our podcast and video show, Women of Color Empowered, where for 30 minutes each month, we bring allies and trailblazing women of color from various professional sectors to the air. Meet our guest: Brandice Daniel, CEO and Founder of Harlem’s Fashion Row and the nonprofit ICON360 Kimberly asks Brandice: 1. What was the catalyst for founding Harlem’s Fashion Row? 2. What inspired the birth of ICON360? 3. What goal are you hoping to accomplish with your new book, "Small Business. Big Partnerships: The little black book to attract, secure, and maintain partnerships with big brands"? About Brandice Daniel: The founder of Harlem’s Fashion Row (HFR), Brandice has been instrumental in promoting inclusivity and representation in fashion and bridging the gap between brands and designers of colour, who were historically overlooked by the industry. Born in Memphis and now residing in New York City, Brandice founded HFR in 2007 — long before inclusivity became a buzzword — to give a voice to multicultural designers and provide them the same business opportunities and connections enjoyed by others. Under her leadership, the agency has produced innovative events and attracted partners across fashion, media, and entertainment, including such companies as Target, Marriott International, Verizon, Google, and LVMH. Over the years, HFR’s events have allowed participating designers the chance to display their talents and give them a reach that might have otherwise been unattainable. “10 years ago, seven years ago, it would be hard for me to give young designers hope; I would cringe internally because I knew what they would be up against,” Daniel told The Business of Fashion in 2019. “[Now], I see things getting better.” About Brandice’s new book: Small Business. Big Partnerships: In today’s saturated market, the right partnerships can skyrocket your business to unimaginable heights. “This book unlocks the secrets that everyone else is either too scared to uninformed to tell you,” says Brandice, who knows we all want in on the brand partnerships that can change the game for your business. “You’re looking in the right place.” I’m not serving you theory; I’m serving you proven tactics. Over 16 years, I’ve secured partnerships with industry titans like Nike, Disney, AT&T, and Gap. Yeah, the heavy hitters. Consider this book your no-nonsense upgrade to my first guide, “Sponsored.” We’re cutting to the chase—this is your fast-track guide to locking down those game-changing partnerships. So, what’s at stake here? Pure, unadulterated success. I’ll show you how to not only bag those high-value partnerships but also how to absolutely crush it once you do. If you’re ready to supercharge your business and elevate its purpose, this book is your secret weapon. Get ready to change the game. Click here to buy the book: https://www.smallbusinessbigpartnershipsbook.com/live Learn more about the Women of Color Retail Alliance: http://www.wocretailalliance.org

A Note from Kim Lee Minor, host, Women of Color Empowered and CEO of Women of Color Retail Alliance — Hello! I invite you to tune in for this week's episode of our podcast and video show, Women of Color Empowered, where for 30 minutes each month, we bring allies and trailblazing women of color from various professional sectors to the air. Meet our guest: Fashion Industry Exec and CNBC correspondent Sandra Campos About our guest: Sandra Campos is an internationally recognized retail technology CEO, entrepreneur, and retail executive. A child of entrepreneurial immigrant parents, Sandra’s upbringing was characterized by a focus on education, helping out in her family’s tortilla business from a young age, and experimenting with her own entrepreneurial ventures in fashion. Sandra’s love for fashion and buying led her to New York City, where she was thrown completely into the deep end. What followed were many years of working multiple jobs, paying off debt, and eating potatoes for lunch, all of which showed Sandra the importance of resourcefulness, grit, and never giving up. Sandra has been instrumental in launching brands like DKNY and Polo Jeans, as well as her own venture with Selena Gomez, which grew to over $100M in annual sales turnover per year over the course of six years. After her entrepreneurial stint, Sandra became the President of Global Brands Group, which owned brands like Bebe, BCBG, and Juicy Couture. She most recently was the CEO of the iconic brand Diane Von Furstenberg. Now, she’s the CEO of retail tech start-up Project Verte and the founder of Fashion Launchpad, an online education platform. Sandra advises various startups, is part of the advisory group for Athena Technology Acquisition Corp (a SPAC on the NYSE), and is on the Board of Directors for Big Lots. We’ll talk to Sandra about how she went from a small town in Texas to the runways of New York, the major life pivot she made after getting divorced and raising three young kids as a single mom, why she recommends setting goals (and the magic number of goals to set), and the importance of trusting your instincts. Learn more about the Women of Color Retail Alliance: HTTP://www.wocretailalliance.org About Kimberly Lee Minor, host: An esteemed leader in the retail industry, Kimberly’s career spans more than 30 years of building brands, achieving operational excellence, and strategizing for business competitiveness. As CEO of Bumbershoot Group, she provides fractional C-suite leadership, leadership development, and process creation. Her work emphasizes inclusive, equitable, and diverse representation across brand, content, product, and customer experiences. Kimberly was named a Top Retail Expert of 2024 by Rethink Retail, recognizing her profound impact on the sector. Kimberly’s previous roles as President and Chief Commercial Officer at Bandier, Brand President of London Fog, Joe Boxer, and leadership positions with iconic brands such as Express, Footlocker, David’s Bridal, and BBW highlight her experience in global and diverse categories, customers, and markets. Her expertise extends to board work with BlueConic (Vista Partners), a global martech company focused on retail, publishing, and entertainment. Kimberly’s commitment to advancing women of color in the retail industry led her to co-found the Women of Color Retail Alliance (WOCRA) in 2019. She initially served on the board and now holds the position of CEO. WOCRA is dedicated to increasing the representation of women of color in the retail leadership pipeline through training, leadership development, partnerships, and networking opportunities. Further extending her influence, Kimberly joined The Ohio State University’s Fisher School of Business as an adjunct professor in 2023. She teaches graduate students, senior undergraduates, and executives. Her community engagement is reflected in her board work, including Dress for Success and Wellbeing Connections, as well as her roles with the Columbus Fashion Alliance, CAPA, NA Citizen Advisory Committee, and the New Albany Community Foundation. These positions demonstrate her dedication to various causes and impact across multiple sectors.

February 2024: A note from Inkandescent Radio producer Hope Katz Gibbs and Women of Color Empowered Host Kimberly Lee Minor — Hello friends! We invite you to tune in for this month's episode of our new podcast and video show. “Women of Color Empowered is not just a buzzword but a movement," explains our host Kimberly, who will bring allies and trailblazing women of color from various professional sectors to the air. "Each woman has a unique story that oversteps broken rungs, shatters glass ceilings, and ignites the spirit of empowerment." Our first guest: A Q&A with the show's host, Kimberly Lee Minor This month's topic: What it means to empower and be empowered! About Kimberly: An esteemed leader in the retail industry, Kimberly's career spans more than 30 years of building brands, achieving operational excellence, and strategizing for business competitiveness. As CEO of Bumbershoot Group, she provides fractional C-suite leadership, leadership development, and process creation. Her work emphasizes inclusive, equitable, and diverse representation across brand, content, product, and customer experiences. Kimberly was named a Top Retail Expert of 2024 by Rethink Retail, recognizing her profound impact on the sector. Kimberly’s previous roles as President and Chief Commercial Officer at Bandier, Brand President of London Fog, Joe Boxer, and leadership positions with iconic brands such as Express, Footlocker, David’s Bridal, and BBW highlight her experience in global and diverse categories, customers, and markets. Her expertise extends to board work with BlueConic (Vista Partners), a global martech company focused on retail, publishing, and entertainment. Kimberly’s commitment to advancing women of color in the retail industry led her to co-found the Women of Color Retail Alliance (WOCRA) in 2019. She initially served on the board and now holds the position of CEO. WOCRA is dedicated to increasing the representation of women of color in the retail leadership pipeline through training, leadership development, partnerships, and networking opportunities. Further extending her influence, Kimberly joined The Ohio State University’s Fisher School of Business as an adjunct professor in 2023. She teaches graduate students, senior undergraduates, and executives. Her community engagement is reflected in her board work, including Dress for Success and Wellbeing Connections, as well as her roles with the Columbus Fashion Alliance, CAPA, NA Citizen Advisory Committee, and the New Albany Community Foundation. These positions demonstrate her dedication to various causes and impact across multiple sectors. Click here to learn more about Women of Color Retail Alliance: wocretailalliance.org