Hello Lady Suite community,
As founder + CEO of Lady Suite, women empowerment is a major brand pillar for us, including those identifying as trans/non-binary. After the past few weeks of witnessing the pure ugliness that is racism, and just how damaging and deadly racism is to black lives in particular, I’ve done my own self-reckoning on how I can do better as an individual, and as a CEO to be anti-racist, and to better empower Black women.
Being a company in beauty and personal care, it’s no secret that the beauty industry has largely overlooked Black women. Not just via lack of foundation shades either. In my own career history, it’s been years since I’ve been at a higher level meeting where there was a black woman in a decision making role. Whether this is intentional or not, it’s just wrong.
I realize being pro-women empowerment isn’t enough to change this, and that no woman can be FULLY empowered until we are ALL empowered. This means prioritizing Black women and non-binary at Lady Suite. I am not black, but I don’t have to be Black to know that what has and is, happening to the Black community is wrong. We want to see Black, indigenous and under-represented women in leadership positions in our world, in our country, and in our Company. We’re committed to helping to defeat these biased systems by weaving transparency and accountability into the fabric of our organization.
For transparency, I am a half Filipina and half White woman and Lady Suite is a small, self-funded feminine wellness company starting to raise capital so we can build our team and hire employees. The wonderful humans who help Lady Suite thrive are currently contracted:
We have recently appointed a Diversity Advisor, Brooke Sinclair, who has agreed to help us write policies and create an infrastructure of inclusion and equality. Brooke is a Black woman and entrepreneur who has spent years advising and advocating for the representation and progression of underrepresented women founders and leaders. With Brooke’s help, we have identified three brand pillars that will be part of our core practices:
Further, we’re committed to upholding acceptance and inclusion through discussions, donations, and diversification in the following areas:
diversify
Publicly share data and information to track the progress of inclusion and equality within the beauty and skincare industry.
Create and publicize data related to the firm’s employee and portfolio diversity.
Hiring Practices must focus on EEOC.
Developing products as best we can according to the diverse needs of all women.
Prioritizing Black content creators, models, artists.
discuss
Facilitate open discussions with employees to address the company’s position on matters and identify biased roles and systems of institutional racism.
donate
Currently, we are donating to The Loveland Foundation and Color of Change.
We also love the work being done by and hope to support the NAACP, Minnesota Freedom Fund, Reclaim the Block, Know Your Rights Campaign, Black Visions Collective and more.
Lastly, know that at Lady Suite we have an open door policy! We say we are here for you and we ARE: hello@ladysuitebeauty.com. Last but not least, thank you to the women who have already reached out. The input you have provided is beyond valuable.