Dec 6, 2021
Dear Community,
As our year comes to a close and we’re taking some time off to rest and rejuvenate, while finishing up our shopping lists, we have some important updates (below) and a wonderful invitation to nurture and support some amazing entrepreneurial girls of Color.
If you’re like me, there are still a few pending gifts on your list before the holidays. We’ve started a list of products that will not only be a perfect stocking stuffer (or gift to self!) but also support entrepreneurial girls of color who are getting an early start as business owners, gaining valuable life experience and future opportunities. We’re proud to share this list of young entrepreneurs and invite you to support them, and show them that their efforts are valued!
Welcome Solace and Lisann to G4GC
Help us find a HASI fund manager
Save the date for BGF Week 2022!
Support entrepreneurial girls of color!
No chapped lips this winter!
For the girls who need some shine in their life, 11-year-old Carolina Gallaga’s got you covered with Glossier Goods. Using her birthday money, this Texan started selling her own lip glosses on Etsy while quarantining last year. She designed the logo, and loves to personalize each order to make her customers happy!
Representation matters!
Zoe Oli wondered why her Black doll had “skin like mine but her hair is still straight!” So she asked her mom if they could make dolls that she and other girls like her could relate to. Through Beautiful Curly Me, based in Atlanta, 9-year-old Zoe and her mom make dolls that embrace their hair, and also have matching sleep caps for little girls and their dolls to care for their hair together!
Spice up your holiday feast & stockings
Tyla-Simone Crayton started bottling sauce at age 14 in Houston, Texas, and 3 years later she now has her own company, Sienna Sauce! Add some spice to those stockings by getting her spicy Sienna sauce, one of the variety packs or the cool merch like an apron or hoodie!
Elegance in the bath
Do you love sweet-smelling soaps and bath bombs, but dislike all the chemicals and expensive prices? Then you’ll love J.Brielle Handmade Goods, with all-natural bath and body care products created by 13-year-old Jordyn Wright. The bath bombs and soaps delight her teen customers!
Plushies bring joy!
Never underestimate the comfort of hugging an adorable plush doll. Whether it’s a gingerbread person, a giraffe or even a pickle, 14-year-old Mariah spreads love by making adorable crochet creatures in Tallahassee, and selling them through DreamThreads Crochet.
A little something for the reader in your life
…and also for the linguist!
Teen Daniela Palacios founded
Para KIDS! in New Jersey to help youth in her area learn about and appreciate other cultures. She wrote a children’s book in English and Spanish with immigrant characters written by an immigrant. You can sign up on her website for updates on her upcoming books and check her out on social media for access to bilingual storytime activities hosted by Daniela.
Who says a good gift can’t be practical?
Aaliyah C. is an 11-year-old entrepreneur and actress, based in New York, on a mission to break the stigma against menstruation. After seeing her friends have accidents in public, Aaliyah created her own leak-proof period panties for teens and adults. Her company, Awesomeliyou, also sells a first-period gift set and pamphlet written by Aaliyah for young people learning about menstruation.
Ideal accessories
Need an accessory for the big holiday party? Gabby Goodwin was a 7-year-old who was always losing her favorite barrettes. So with her mom’s help, she created Gabby Bows, with plant-based barrettes that double snap and won’t fall off. Gabby is now a 15-year-old CEO who holds workshops for other young entrepreneurs who’d like to follow in her footsteps.
This list barely scratches the surface of the resourceful young entrepreneurial girls of color out there! Please send us a link to your favorite young entrepreneur to [email protected] so we can include them on future lists of girl and gender-expansive youth of color-owned businesses on our G4GC website. And today, we invite you to shop and support these young entrepreneurs who are building essential skills and reaching for their dreams!
G4GC UPDATES IN DECEMBER
Our G4GC team is growing!
We’re happy to introduce you to two amazing new members of our G4GC team, who started with us this November. Joining us on our mission to create more equity for girls and gender-expansive youth of color are Solace Mensah-Narh(she/her/they/them) in the role of Data Analyst and Lisann Ramos (she/her/ella) in the role of Communications Associate. Solace will be working in the Research department, and Lisann will be in the Communications department. Read more about our new team members, and everyone on our team on our website!
Help us find a HASI manager!
We’re hiring for a Manager of the Holding a Sister Initiative. This position will lead the visioning, creation, and implementation of the Holding a Sister Initiative, a partnership between Grantmakers for Girls of Color and the Black Trans Fund at Groundswell Fund to mobilize resources for work that centers and is led by trans girls of color, and to create a container for critical dialogue and movement building to advance justice for trans girls of color. For more details and to apply visit our website.
Office closures!
As a reminder, our G4GC offices will be closed from Wednesday, December 22, 2021, to Friday, January 7, 2022. We look forward to continuing working and collaborating with all of you in 2022!
Save the date for BGF Week 2022!
Black Girl Freedom Week 2022! Mark your calendars for our second annual Black Girl Freedom Week on February 14-20, 2022.
In February 2021, we kicked off our inaugural Black Girl Freedom Week, a week-long celebration of Black girls, femmes and gender-expansive youth featuring many special guests.
This recap of Black Girl Freedom Week gives an awesome overview of the week, and showcases Black girls and gender-expansive youth giving us clear direction about how they would invest $1 billion.
In the near future we will have some exciting announcements. If you don’t already follow us on our platforms, please take a moment to do that so you don’t miss important updates: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn. As always, thank you for your continued support and commitment to abundantly resourcing and uplifting girls of color.
We wish you and your loved ones happy and safe Holidays, and we look forward to an exciting 2022!
~G4GC team
*G4GC defines “girls of Color” as any cis, trans, gender-expansive, non-binary and/or any girl or femme-identified person age 25 and younger who identifies as Black, Indigenous, Latina, Asian, Arab, Pacific Islander, and/or other People of Color.