Lina LecaroThe trend toward empowerment events aimed at encouraging entrepreneurship and business advancement for women is a much-needed and welcome one in these challenging times for anyone who identifies as female. Events like the annual Girl Boss Rally or the recent Badassery Bash in L.A., for example, have attracted hundreds of women to connect and champion one another in person and thousands more online.
But women of color have an additional and unique set of concerns that aren't always addressed at these types of gatherings. That's where Boss Women's Black Girl Magic comes in. The first-ever five-city pop-up tour intends to celebrate and connect African-American women in business with visionary panels from the fields of retail, entertainment, beauty, activism, media and taste-making as well as side-hustle experts, influencers and more. The event promises a morning filled with networking, snacking and swag, but the takeaways should reach far beyond anything that might fit into a goodie bag.
“This event was created to celebrate the power of black women,” says creator Marty McDonald. “So often women of color are left out of the equation and are never brought to the table to provide input. The purpose of this event is to show our attendees there are women who have taken action over their lives and are not waiting to be invited to the table to answer questions but instead are coming to the table and disrupting spaces to show their value.”
Credit: Courtesy Black Girl Magic
McDonald hopes to provide inspiration and motivation but also hopes attendees will leave with tangible tools to help them establish a brand that sticks and create a pitch that gets the attention needed to move forward in their careers, whether they want to be “a corporate queen or entrepreneur. “
Black Girl Magic (not to be confused with the comedy group of the same name) wants to enlighten millennial businesswomen in particular, many of whom are just beginning to navigate the current cultural climate in terms of their careers, and who must be on top of trends. Opportunities are there, but so are distractions, and establishing and branding are crucial to success. Women who've experienced challenges or issues of discrimination, for example, can learn from others who've experienced the same. “Representation is so key,” McDonald says. “And when you meet someone who looks like you and has accomplished things and overcome these problems, there is so much power in that story.”
McDonald adds, “Women of color need to see other women of color winning in life. Women of color are on the rise in they need to know there is a community of women wanting them to succeed. Black women are redefining what it means to be women who can have their heart's desires with unlimited possibilities and community will bring that message to life. “
Black Girl Magic's L.A. panelists include McDonald (founder of Boss Women Media and Black Girl Magic), Destiney Green (content creator, blogger), Brittney Q. Hill (creator/host/executive producer of Faith & Fame With BQH), and Ahyiana Angel (host of the Switch, Pivot or Quit podcast).
Sugarfina at the Americana at Brand, Level 1, 889 Americana Way, Glendale; Sat., Feb. 16, 9 a.m.; $65. Tickets at eventbrite.com/e/black-girl-magic-tour-la-tickets-53759658586. More info at bosswomen.org/black-girl-magic-tour/.
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