Latest news with #FifteenPercentPledge
Fast Company
7 days ago
- Business
- Fast Company
5 years after George Floyd's murder, performative DEI is dead. What comes next?
Five years ago, I watched alongside millions of Americans as the news media looped a clip of George Floyd's murder at the hands of a police officer in Minneapolis. In the days that followed, as a national movement came to life, dozens of CEOs and executives reached out to me for advice on how their companies should navigate this sudden 'racial reckoning.' One time donations or DEI policies would no longer be enough. We needed a sustained response that would create generational wealth for Black families, and start to move the dial on closing the racial wealth gap. I told them, Black people are almost 15% of the U.S. population, major retailers should commit 15% of their shelf space to Black owned brands. If, in 2020, major retailers began making this commitment, venture capital would be forced to take notice, and might be ready to allocate more than their traditional 1% of capital to Black entrepreneurs, therefore driving capital into Black communities. 'Not enough customers' But in those early days of my nonprofit, the Fifteen Percent Pledge, for every late night call I had with a CEO who had been moved to tears over their complicity in systemic racism, there was a call the next morning with an executive telling me 'they didn't have enough Black customers to do this' or that 'they just wanted to stock the best products.' To be clear, the Pledge has only ever asked retailers to stock the best products—and we want to expand customer bases, not narrow them. The business case for investing in people of color, which is too often boiled down to 'DEI,' was as true then as it is now: when we invest in small businesses, everyone wins. Mounting pressure And yet, over the past few months, we've seen mounting political and cultural pressure aimed at dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. From conservative lawsuits to shareholder proposals trying to roll back corporate commitments, the backlash is unending—and some companies are caving. They are quietly scrubbing DEI language from their websites, dissolving departments, laying off experts, and shrinking procurement goals, all under the guise of 'following the law'—to be clear, there is no American law that actually bans inclusive business practices. But even as many companies cower in fear at the prospect of a nasty tweet from a certain elected leader, the ones that have truly committed to diverse employees, vendors, and customers are not backing down. Smaller, stronger, more serious Yes, the performative DEI era—marked by splashy social media campaigns, vague equity initiatives, and one-off diversity trainings—is over. What's emerging in its place is a smaller, stronger, more serious cohort of brands that are leaning into the hard work of equity. These are companies that understand this isn't about politics—it's about people and profit. And right now, those two things are aligned more than ever, for better and for worse. Let's look at Target. In 2020, the company—based at the epicenter of the Black Lives Matter movement—actively chose not to partner with the Fifteen Percent Pledge, and instead launched REACH, their Racial Equity Action and Change committee, along with a $10 million pledge and series of DEI goals for hiring, sourcing, training, and advocacy. In January of this year, Target disbanded the committee and all associated commitments, which promptly led to a series of customer boycotts. This month the company announced a 2.8% drop in quarterly sales and scaled down projections for the duration of the year. Increased profits On the other hand, companies like Sephora didn't stop at words—they've understood for years that consumers of color, and those rooting for them, are a massive market opportunity. Sephora has restructured their shelves to feature dozens of Black-owned brands, conducted in-store equity audits, and invested in vendor diversity throughout their supply chain—and they've seen significant results: stronger customer loyalty, greater brand trust, and an influence that reshaped their industry. Plus increased profits. Supporting diverse small businesses is not simply a moral argument, it's a business case. Black-owned businesses contribute over $200 billion to the U.S. economy each year. If Black women-owned businesses achieved revenue parity with their white male counterparts, they would add $1.5 trillion in revenue. We know Gen Z and millennial consumers are shopping their values, and we know Black consumers' collective buying power is expected to reach $1.7 trillion by 2030. The data is undeniable: equity sells. The market speaks And yet, we're seeing major retailers suffer the consequences of abandoning the values they once claimed to uphold. Target is only one example of companies facing reduced foot traffic, declining Q1 earnings, and increasingly vocal backlash from the very consumers they rely on. The market is speaking. Are brands listening? The companies that will thrive in this next chapter won't be the ones retreating in this moment. They'll be the ones redesigning their hiring and promotion pipelines, embedding supplier diversity into procurement, conducting holistic equity audits—not just press-friendly initiatives. They'll be the ones moving from symbolism to systems, from pledges to practice.
Fibre2Fashion
26-05-2025
- Business
- Fibre2Fashion
US based RedDrop debuts period swimwear for teens & tweens
RedDrop, a rising star in the wellness industry for its innovative tween period care and education, today drops its newest product to accompany girls in all their summertime activities: period swimwear. RedDrop's period swimwear can be worn any day during a girl's period as an alternative to pads or tampons. It's designed for versatility as a bikini bottom in classic black that can mix and match with any bikini top. As with RedDrop's other menstrual products, the bikini bottoms are specifically made for girls' smaller, changing bodies. The age-appropriate swimwear comes in a range of sizes from Youth XS (Kids size 8-10) to Women's XL (Juniors size 14-16). RedDrop has launched period swimwear for tweens, designed as a versatile, non-toxic bikini bottom that supports summer activities without interruptions. Available in sizes from Youth XS to Women's XL, it holds up to 18g of flow and includes educational resources. The launch follows major investments, including a $1million Black Ambition prize and a $200K Fifteen Percent Pledge Award. "We designed our period swimwear to be a perfect fit for tweens to participate in summer activities uninterrupted, from a day at the pool or beach to a weekend at the lake to sleepaway camp," said Dana Roberts, Co-Founder of RedDrop. "The swimwear also comes with empowering, straightforward educational resources to build confidence and body literacy. All girls should have access to affordable period care products made to meet their needs, no matter when their period starts." RedDrop's period swimwear is made from fragrance-free, PFAS-free and non-toxic materials that form moisture-wicking layers and flexible fits that move with growing – and swimming – bodies. The bottoms hold up to two light pads or three light tampons of flow (up to 12-18 grams) and won't get waterlogged after a dip in the pool. The new product launch comes on the heels of significant investments in RedDrop and its mission to address menstrual inequity with tween period products and educational resources. In November 2024, the minority- and women-owned company won the $1 million grand prize from Black Ambition, Pharrell Williams' non-profit organization to support Black and Hispanic Entrepreneurs. In February 2025, RedDrop won the Fifteen Percent Pledge Achievement Award totaling $200K. The Fifteen Percent Pledge is a racial equity and economic justice non-profit that addresses inequities in the American consumer economy and works towards closing the racial wealth gap. Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)
The Hill
26-03-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Founders of Black-owned brands adapt their hopes and business plans for a post-DEI era
NEW YORK (AP) — The co-founders of a company that makes lip products for darker skin tones no longer hope to get their line into Target. A brother and sister who make jigsaw puzzles celebrating Black subjects wonder if they need to offer 'neutral' images like landscapes to keep growing. Pound Cake and Puzzles of Color are among the small businesses whose owners are rethinking their plans as major U.S. companies weaken their diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The initiatives mostly date from the end President Donald Trump's first term and entered a new era with the dawn of his second one. Some Black-owned brands suspect big retail chains will drop partnerships they pursued after the police killing of a Black man in 2020 reignited mass protests against racial injustice. In today's anti-DEI climate, other entrepreneurs worry about personal repercussions or feel pressure to cancel contracts with retreating retailers. 'It becomes a question of, are the big box stores going to be there? Do we even make any attempt to talk to these people?' Ericka Chambers, one of the siblings behind Puzzles of Color, said. 'We are really having to evaluate our strategy in how we expand and how we want to get in front of new customers.' A fighting chance for Black-owned brands Chambers and her brother, William Jones, started turning the work of artists of color into frameable puzzles the same year a video captured a white Minneapolis police officer kneeling on George Floyd's neck. Amid the Black Lives Matter protests over Floyd's death, a fashion designer challenged large retailers to devote 15% of their shelf space and purchasing power to Black businesses. The Fifteen Percent Pledge helped bring Puzzles of Color's creations to Macy's and Nordstrom's websites in 2022. Last year, they made it into select Barnes & Noble stores. Chambers said she's confident in the companies' commitments but recalled a backlash after news outlets covered the brand, which is based in Texas. 'It does make us think about how we envision ourselves as far as the safety of not wanting to be attacked, because some people are very vocal about being anti-DEI,' Chambers said. Vibrant depictions of Black women account for many of her and Jones' puzzles. The pair figured they needed to provide more abstract designs for certain Barnes & Noble locations to give Puzzles of Color 'a little bit of a fighting chance.' Discontent over corporate diversity The first prominent names in U.S. retail to end or retool their diversity programs surfaced last summer amid threats of legal challenges and negative publicity from DEI critics, who argue that setting hiring, promotion and supplier diversity goals for underrepresented groups constitutes reverse discrimination. After Trump won a second term in November, Walmart joined the corporate pullback. Target's suspension of its comparable DEI targets in January stung Black and LGBTQ+ customers harder, largely because they regarded the Minneapolis-based company as more of a natural ally. The company said it would continue working with a diverse range of businesses. Philadelphia-based Pound Cake's co-founders, Camille Belle and Johnny Velazquez, said they don't think they would agree at this point if the retailer offered to stock their lipsticks and lip oils. 'Target would have been a great boost to our business's growth,' Velazquez said. 'We'll just find it elsewhere.' To boycott or not? Target's stance has created a dilemma for brand founders with existing distribution deals. One is Play Pits, a natural deodorant for children that Maryland resident Chantel Powell launched in 2021. The product is found in about 360 Target stores. The retailer's DEI program 'allowed us to employ amazing people, give back to our community, and exhibit Black excellence on and off the shelves,' Powell wrote on LinkedIn as civil rights leaders talked about boycotting Target. She and some other product creators highlighted the impact boycotts might have on their businesses. They urged upset customers to intentionally limit their purchases to items from Black-owned enterprises. Some activists understood; others pushed the brands to join the protest by cutting ties with Target. 'The conversation around Black brands, that they should pull out of the retailers that they're in, is unrealistic,' Powell said this month as a 40-day, church-organized Target boycott was underway. 'We signed up to be in business. I understand why people are having that conversation of boycotts. As a Black founder, I also understand the side of how it can be detrimental.' Navigating the post-DEI landscape The owner of a Black-owned sexual wellness business with its own line of condoms has a slightly different take. Target started carrying B Condoms in 2020, and founder Jason Panda said the company told him late last year that it didn't intend to keep the prophylactics in the 304 stores that stocked them. Panda says he isn't worried. The product is available through Amazon and in more than 7,000 CVS stores, he said. What's more, contracts with non-profit organizations and local governments that distribute condoms for free are the cornerstone of the business he established in 2011, Panda said. 'My money has never really come from mainstream,' he said. 'We're going to be protected as long as I can maintain my relationship with my community.' Brianna Arps, who founded the fragrance brand Moodeaux in 2021, notices fewer grants available to Black brand creators these days. She used to apply for 10 to 15 every week or two; the number is down to five to seven, Arps said. 'A lot of the organizations that had been really vocal about supporting (Black businesses) have either quietly or outwardly pulled back,' she said. Moodeaux was the first Black-owned perfume brand to get its perfumes into Urban Outfitters and Credo Beauty, which specializes in natural vegan products. In the current environment, Arps is looking to expand her brand's presence independent shops and to support other Black fragrance lovers. 'The resiliency of brands like ours and founders like myself will still exist,' she said. Accentuating the positive Aurora James, the founder of the Fifteen Percent Pledge, said nearly 30 major companies that joined the initiative remain committed to it, including Bloomingdale's, beauty retailer Sephora, J. Crew and Gap. Ulta Beauty, another pledge signatory, and Credo Beauty carry Pound Cake products. Velazquez and Belle want to use social media to direct their followers to support retailers like Ulta and to bolster their online sales. 'It's going to be fostering the community that we have and growing that,' Velazquez said. While making a strategic decision 'to appeal to a broader audience' when selecting puzzles for Barnes & Noble, Chambers said she plans to introduce Black faces and experiences to the chain's bookstores over time, in boxes of 500, 750 and 1,000 pieces. In the meantime, Puzzles of Color expanded its 'Pride' collection as a response to the DEI backlash. The subjects include Harriet Tubman, a mother and daughter tending a garden, and a little girl in a beauty supply store gazing up at hair accessories. 'Do we lean in all the way?' Chambers asks herself. 'Part of why we started this was because we didn't see enough Black people in puzzles.'
The Independent
26-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Founders of Black-owned brands adapt their hopes and business plans for a post-DEI era
The co-founders of a company that makes lip products for darker skin tones no longer hope to get their line into Target. A brother and sister who make jigsaw puzzles celebrating Black subjects wonder if they need to offer 'neutral' images like landscapes to keep growing. Pound Cake and Puzzles of Color are among the small businesses whose owners are rethinking their plans as major U.S. companies weaken their diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The initiatives mostly date from the end President Donald Trump's first term and entered a new era with the dawn of his second one. Some Black-owned brands suspect big retail chains will drop partnerships they pursued after the police killing of a Black man in 2020 reignited mass protests against racial injustice. In today's anti-DEI climate, other entrepreneurs worry about personal repercussions or feel pressure to cancel contracts with retreating retailers. 'It becomes a question of, are the big box stores going to be there? Do we even make any attempt to talk to these people?" Ericka Chambers, one of the siblings behind Puzzles of Color, said. 'We are really having to evaluate our strategy in how we expand and how we want to get in front of new customers.' A fighting chance for Black-owned brands Chambers and her brother, William Jones, started turning the work of artists of color into frameable puzzles the same year a video captured a white Minneapolis police officer kneeling on George Floyd's neck. Amid the Black Lives Matter protests over Floyd's death, a fashion designer challenged large retailers to devote 15% of their shelf space and purchasing power to Black businesses. The Fifteen Percent Pledge helped bring Puzzles of Color's creations to Macy's and Nordstrom's websites in 2022. Last year, they made it into select Barnes & Noble stores. Chambers said she's confident in the companies' commitments but recalled a backlash after news outlets covered the brand, which is based in Texas. 'It does make us think about how we envision ourselves as far as the safety of not wanting to be attacked, because some people are very vocal about being anti-DEI,' Chambers said. Vibrant depictions of Black women account for many of her and Jones' puzzles. The pair figured they needed to provide more abstract designs for certain Barnes & Noble locations to give Puzzles of Color 'a little bit of a fighting chance.' Discontent over corporate diversity The first prominent names in U.S. retail to end or retool their diversity programs surfaced last summer amid threats of legal challenges and negative publicity from DEI critics, who argue that setting hiring, promotion and supplier diversity goals for underrepresented groups constitutes reverse discrimination. After Trump won a second term in November, Walmart joined the corporate pullback. Target's suspension of its comparable DEI targets in January stung Black and LGBTQ+ customers harder, largely because they regarded the Minneapolis-based company as more of a natural ally. The company said it would continue working with a diverse range of businesses. Philadelphia-based Pound Cake's co-founders, Camille Belle and Johnny Velazquez, said they don't think they would agree at this point if the retailer offered to stock their lipsticks and lip oils. 'Target would have been a great boost to our business's growth,' Velazquez said. 'We'll just find it elsewhere.' To boycott or not? Target's stance has created a dilemma for brand founders with existing distribution deals. One is Play Pits, a natural deodorant for children that Maryland resident Chantel Powell launched in 2021. The product is found in about 360 Target stores. The retailer's DEI program 'allowed us to employ amazing people, give back to our community, and exhibit Black excellence on and off the shelves,' Powell wrote on LinkedIn as civil rights leaders talked about boycotting Target. She and some other product creators highlighted the impact boycotts might have on their businesses. They urged upset customers to intentionally limit their purchases to items from Black-owned enterprises. Some activists understood; others pushed the brands to join the protest by cutting ties with Target. 'The conversation around Black brands, that they should pull out of the retailers that they're in, is unrealistic,' Powell said this month as a 40-day, church-organized Target boycott was underway. 'We signed up to be in business. I understand why people are having that conversation of boycotts. As a Black founder, I also understand the side of how it can be detrimental.' Navigating the post-DEI landscape The owner of a Black-owned sexual wellness business with its own line of condoms has a slightly different take. Target started carrying B Condoms in 2020, and founder Jason Panda said the company told him late last year that it didn't intend to keep the prophylactics in the 304 stores that stocked them. Panda says he isn't worried. The product is available through Amazon and in more than 7,000 CVS stores, he said. What's more, contracts with non-profit organizations and local governments that distribute condoms for free are the cornerstone of the business he established in 2011, Panda said. 'My money has never really come from mainstream,' he said. 'We're going to be protected as long as I can maintain my relationship with my community.' Brianna Arps, who founded the fragrance brand Moodeaux in 2021, notices fewer grants available to Black brand creators these days. She used to apply for 10 to 15 every week or two; the number is down to five to seven, Arps said. 'A lot of the organizations that had been really vocal about supporting (Black businesses) have either quietly or outwardly pulled back,' she said. Moodeaux was the first Black-owned perfume brand to get its perfumes into Urban Outfitters and Credo Beauty, which specializes in natural vegan products. In the current environment, Arps is looking to expand her brand's presence independent shops and to support other Black fragrance lovers. 'The resiliency of brands like ours and founders like myself will still exist,' she said. Accentuating the positive Aurora James, the founder of the Fifteen Percent Pledge, said nearly 30 major companies that joined the initiative remain committed to it, including Bloomingdale's, beauty retailer Sephora, J. Crew and Gap. Ulta Beauty, another pledge signatory, and Credo Beauty carry Pound Cake products. Velazquez and Belle want to use social media to direct their followers to support retailers like Ulta and to bolster their online sales. 'It's going to be fostering the community that we have and growing that,' Velazquez said. While making a strategic decision 'to appeal to a broader audience' when selecting puzzles for Barnes & Noble, Chambers said she plans to introduce Black faces and experiences to the chain's bookstores over time, in boxes of 500, 750 and 1,000 pieces. In the meantime, Puzzles of Color expanded its 'Pride' collection as a response to the DEI backlash. The subjects include Harriet Tubman, a mother and daughter tending a garden, and a little girl in a beauty supply store gazing up at hair accessories. 'Do we lean in all the way?" Chambers asks herself. "Part of why we started this was because we didn't see enough Black people in puzzles.'
Associated Press
26-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Founders of Black-owned brands adapt their hopes and business plans for a post-DEI era
NEW YORK (AP) — The co-founders of a company that makes lip products for darker skin tones no longer hope to get their line into Target. A brother and sister who make jigsaw puzzles celebrating Black subjects wonder if they need to offer 'neutral' images like landscapes to keep growing. Pound Cake and Puzzles of Color are among the small businesses whose owners are rethinking their plans as major U.S. companies weaken their diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The initiatives mostly date from the end President Donald Trump's first term and entered a new era with the dawn of his second one. Some Black-owned brands suspect big retail chains will drop partnerships they pursued after the police killing of a Black man in 2020 reignited mass protests against racial injustice. In today's anti-DEI climate, other entrepreneurs worry about personal repercussions or feel pressure to cancel contracts with retreating retailers. 'It becomes a question of, are the big box stores going to be there? Do we even make any attempt to talk to these people?' Ericka Chambers, one of the siblings behind Puzzles of Color, said. 'We are really having to evaluate our strategy in how we expand and how we want to get in front of new customers.' A fighting chance for Black-owned brands Chambers and her brother, William Jones, started turning the work of artists of color into frameable puzzles the same year a video captured a white Minneapolis police officer kneeling on George Floyd's neck. Amid the Black Lives Matter protests over Floyd's death, a fashion designer challenged large retailers to devote 15% of their shelf space and purchasing power to Black businesses. The Fifteen Percent Pledge helped bring Puzzles of Color's creations to Macy's and Nordstrom's websites in 2022. Last year, they made it into select Barnes & Noble stores. Chambers said she's confident in the companies' commitments but recalled a backlash after news outlets covered the brand, which is based in Texas. 'It does make us think about how we envision ourselves as far as the safety of not wanting to be attacked, because some people are very vocal about being anti-DEI,' Chambers said. Vibrant depictions of Black women account for many of her and Jones' puzzles. The pair figured they needed to provide more abstract designs for certain Barnes & Noble locations to give Puzzles of Color 'a little bit of a fighting chance.' Discontent over corporate diversity The first prominent names in U.S. retail to end or retool their diversity programs surfaced last summer amid threats of legal challenges and negative publicity from DEI critics, who argue that setting hiring, promotion and supplier diversity goals for underrepresented groups constitutes reverse discrimination. After Trump won a second term in November, Walmart joined the corporate pullback. Target's suspension of its comparable DEI targets in January stung Black and LGBTQ+ customers harder, largely because they regarded the Minneapolis-based company as more of a natural ally. The company said it would continue working with a diverse range of businesses. Philadelphia-based Pound Cake's co-founders, Camille Belle and Johnny Velazquez, said they don't think they would agree at this point if the retailer offered to stock their lipsticks and lip oils. 'Target would have been a great boost to our business's growth,' Velazquez said. 'We'll just find it elsewhere.' To boycott or not? Target's stance has created a dilemma for brand founders with existing distribution deals. One is Play Pits, a natural deodorant for children that Maryland resident Chantel Powell launched in 2021. The product is found in about 360 Target stores. The retailer's DEI program 'allowed us to employ amazing people, give back to our community, and exhibit Black excellence on and off the shelves,' Powell wrote on LinkedIn as civil rights leaders talked about boycotting Target. She and some other product creators highlighted the impact boycotts might have on their businesses. They urged upset customers to intentionally limit their purchases to items from Black-owned enterprises. Some activists understood; others pushed the brands to join the protest by cutting ties with Target. 'The conversation around Black brands, that they should pull out of the retailers that they're in, is unrealistic,' Powell said this month as a 40-day, church-organized Target boycott was underway. 'We signed up to be in business. I understand why people are having that conversation of boycotts. As a Black founder, I also understand the side of how it can be detrimental.' Navigating the post-DEI landscape The owner of a Black-owned sexual wellness business with its own line of condoms has a slightly different take. Target started carrying B Condoms in 2020, and founder Jason Panda said the company told him late last year that it didn't intend to keep the prophylactics in the 304 stores that stocked them. Panda says he isn't worried. The product is available through Amazon and in more than 7,000 CVS stores, he said. What's more, contracts with non-profit organizations and local governments that distribute condoms for free are the cornerstone of the business he established in 2011, Panda said. 'My money has never really come from mainstream,' he said. 'We're going to be protected as long as I can maintain my relationship with my community.' Brianna Arps, who founded the fragrance brand Moodeaux in 2021, notices fewer grants available to Black brand creators these days. She used to apply for 10 to 15 every week or two; the number is down to five to seven, Arps said. 'A lot of the organizations that had been really vocal about supporting (Black businesses) have either quietly or outwardly pulled back,' she said. Moodeaux was the first Black-owned perfume brand to get its perfumes into Urban Outfitters and Credo Beauty, which specializes in natural vegan products. In the current environment, Arps is looking to expand her brand's presence independent shops and to support other Black fragrance lovers. 'The resiliency of brands like ours and founders like myself will still exist,' she said. Accentuating the positive Aurora James, the founder of the Fifteen Percent Pledge, said nearly 30 major companies that joined the initiative remain committed to it, including Bloomingdale's, beauty retailer Sephora, J. Crew and Gap. Ulta Beauty, another pledge signatory, and Credo Beauty carry Pound Cake products. Velazquez and Belle want to use social media to direct their followers to support retailers like Ulta and to bolster their online sales. 'It's going to be fostering the community that we have and growing that,' Velazquez said. While making a strategic decision 'to appeal to a broader audience' when selecting puzzles for Barnes & Noble, Chambers said she plans to introduce Black faces and experiences to the chain's bookstores over time, in boxes of 500, 750 and 1,000 pieces. In the meantime, Puzzles of Color expanded its 'Pride' collection as a response to the DEI backlash. The subjects include Harriet Tubman, a mother and daughter tending a garden, and a little girl in a beauty supply store gazing up at hair accessories. 'Do we lean in all the way?' Chambers asks herself. 'Part of why we started this was because we didn't see enough Black people in puzzles.'
