My Beginnings
Why Now?
The Snowball Effect
Black women face misogynoir (racism + misogyny) from birth which impacts us in nearly every facet of our lives
Epidemiological data shows that chronic stress predicts the occurrence of coronary heart disease
Heart disease is the #1 cause of death & disability in women in the U.S.
The death rate from heart disease for Black women ages 25–44 years is more than twice as high as for white women in that age group
Chronic Stress is killing Black Women!
Sources: Mayo Clinic Health System, Black Women's Health Imperative, Blackburn Center, BCG
My Investigation
Desk Research
Explored +30 academic research papers & articles on wellness, psychotherapy, & stress impacts to health
Focus Groups
2, 8 person focus groups with Black Women 25-29 years old
Market
Landscaping
Investigated best-in-class players in the wellness space providing solutions around stress management
In Depth Interviews
Conducted 16 IDIs, with Black Women 25-29 years old
Workshop 3 hour workshop with 7 Black Women participants
Surveys
+100 responses from Black women 18-65 years old across 2 surveys
Prototype Test
Shared sample chapter content and received feedback from 7 Black Women + 1 Licensed Clinician 18-55 years old
Bottom Line: Black women want to be able to better manage their stress
99%
Interested in a stress management tool that acknowledges & is designed to meet the needs of Black Women's’ experiences
84%
Of Black women I spoke with ages 18-60 are actively experiencing or have experienced chronic stress in the last 12 months
~50%
Sought out self help books/guides/journals to help them better manage their stress
“I do not think the current wellness market is solving the needs of Black women. I feel like most health and wellness at this point in time is catered mostly to white women”
“Our wellness feels limited to self care through beauty maintenance. It’s important and nice, but is not sustainable for a deeper level of understanding of my mental wellness. It’s a temporary fix.”
So how can I intervene to help?
Value Proposition
Addressing unmet needs of the Striving Black Women Population with thoughtfully designed products
Designed for Striving Black Women
Delivered in a flexible format for a variety of lifestyles
Leveraging proven science that helps people feel better (i.e. psychotherapy tools, mindfulness, somatic therapy)
Prototype Iteration - Wellness Cards
Wellness education, stress management tools, psychotherapy tools, and activities delivered in an approachable, easy to use card deck style
Market Size & Customer Profile
SOM
216,333
10% of SAM, 1.7% of Black Women in the U.S. ages 18-65
TAM
8,653,321 Black Women 25 or older with at least some college experience
SAM
2,163,330
25% of Black Women with at least some college experience
PAM
13,107,558 Black Women in the U.S. ages 18-65
Customer Profile: Striving Black Women
● Black Women in the U.S. with some college experience
● Ages 18-65
● Has experienced chronic stress
● Interested in reducing stress’ impact on their life
● Not interested in cheapest product but most relevant and highest quality
Sources: US Census 2021 Data
Next Steps
Exploring the science of feeling better Expert Interviews & assemble expert review board Continue learning from my community 02 01 03 “Packaging” the business 04
La Vie Perlée’s Theory of Change
If I can make the science of being well and proven stress management tools more accessible and approachable…. through culturally competent messaging and flexible mediums that empower Striving Black Women by acknowledging their unique experiences……
I can help Striving Black Women better manage their stress, build healthier habits, and proactively take care of themselves because we deserve the opportunity to thrive
CREDITS: This presentation template was created by Slidesgo, including icons by Flaticon, and infographics & images by Freepik.
Thank You!
Appendix
Players in this space
The Opportunity
Customer Profiles
All Encompassing
Customer
Profile:
Striving Black Women
Customer Profile: Corporate
Professionals
Striver Definition: Black Women strivers are the ones who get sh*t done. Black women who are striving for and working hard towards something: being a great caregiver, building corporate career, etc.
Customer Profile: Entrepreneurs
● Black Women in the U.S. with some college experience ages 18-65
● Has experienced chronic stress in the past
Customer Profile:
Mothers /Caregivers
● Interested in reducing stress’ impact on their life
● Not interested in cheapest product but most relevant and highest quality
Customer Profile: Middle Age
Transitioners
● Seeking self education tools to live healthier, happier, less stressful and more peaceful lives
Customer Profile: Queer Strivers
● Strivers that are working in corporate spaces whether to climb the ladder, start or pivot careers, senior executives, etc. who deal with the added stress of being a Black Woman in corporate america
● Strivers that are building/running their own businesses, who feel the impact of every roadblock and must figure it out everytime dealing with the added stress of being an entrepreneur
● Strivers that are responsible for caring for others whether their own children, family members, community person, etc. Women who have the added stress of others’ deep/necessary dependance on them
● Strivers that are seasoned +40 and experiencing mid-life transition stages: empty nesting, divorce, later adult life challenges, elder family passing/aging etc. dealing with the stress of these transitions with typically more responsibility on their shoulders due to that stage of life
Striver Dictionary Definition
● First I’d like to acknowledge that this is the experience I know the least about/will require the most learning but 61% of Black LGBT adults are women. I know there’s a lot of shared experiences but also nuanced ones to this community that I can at minimum acknowledge and frame the tools around 1. Concept test experiment 1 results (questions, responses, analysis, etc.) here 2. Market Landscape here
● Verb / make great efforts to achieve or obtain something. |"national movements were striving for independence"
● Verb / struggle or fight vigorously | "scholars must strive against bias"
Business & Revenue Model
Funding Structure
● Self funding with money saved from corporate job
Product Business Model Revenue
● Acquiring grant(s) for Black
Women owned businesses and/or businesses focused on health, wellness, and preventative care
● Incubator programs and/or accelerators that provide founder training and monetary resources
● Starting with wellness cards product, a set of 3 decks with thoughtfully curated content and activities for your mind, body, and spirit
For 500 units:
+ Custom card production
+ Illustrations
+ Custom tuck box
+ Printing
= $10.21
● Can be purchased as stand alone decks or bundled set
Price per deck, $24.99 or $64.99 for bundled set
Gross Margin = $14.80 (59%)
Path to Market
Expert Review Board & Pilot
● Assemble official review board with 10 clinicians (preferably with at least one psych PHD & 2 PsychDs) to provide feedback on the accuracy of content, application of terms, and ensure I have the appropriate context setting and disclaimers
Pilot
● Test the functions of educating & empowering Black Women via 3 month pilot. I need to test the solution's efficacy and impact to user before a proper launch.
Brand Awareness & Marketing Start Up Costs
● Starting with organic word of mouth and leveraging my personal network (Parsons, Howard, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Pi)
● Social media: instagram, youtube, pinterest, tiktok
● E commerce website that will also have tailored content around wellness and stress management
● Events: wellness workshops, partner events with different brands in the Black women x wellness space
$15,000 for the activities:
● Legally establish business
● Purchase website domain
● Set up ecommerce store
● Brand assets (logo, social media templates, etc.)
● Card production (design, illustrations, iterations, etc.),
● Pilot incentives
● Launch costs
Expert Review Board