ATLANTA — Three powerful women in Atlanta are using their business platforms to inspire and educate other female entrepreneurs.
The founders of AdaChic Designs and Dayo Women hosted a “sip and shop” pop-up and networking mixer at the Four Seasons in Midtown, focused on empowering, educating, and building business-minded women of color.
A panel discussion featured some of Atlanta's most powerful women in business, government, and fashion. Among the panelists were Nicole Dove, the cybersecurity executive for games division at Riot Games, Stella Ringer a brand activation manager at The Coca-Cola Company, Nancy Flaherty the regional director of fashion group International Atlanta, and Phillana Williams the director for the Mayor’s Office of Film and Entertainment at the City of Atlanta.
Meredith Lilly, a co-founder of AdaChic, Nichole Thompson, co-founder of AdaChic, and Yolanda White, the CEO and founder of Dayo Women, hosted the event.
“We put on these experiences to uplift, inspire, educate and inform and put like-minded women together to know that we are all on the same trajectory to grow and to build each other,” said White.
White started Dayo Women in 2018 and says the loungewear brand is more than just loungewear. The pieces are comfortable, elegant, and intentional pieces made by women for limitless women. She’s also calling on big box stores to provide more opportunities for Black-owned brands.
“Not only are we creating a table that’s important for where we sit, we also are informing the big retailers that you need to continue to create this opportunity that needs to exist for women-owned businesses, Black-owned businesses, in a way that transforms the offerings that are delivered to the shoppers,” said White.
AdaChic co-owners say their brand was born out of the idea of supporting other women designers and artisans in Africa. Their line of one-of-a-kind leather handbags, duffle bags, and wallets are all sourced with materials from African vendors and designers.
“What we decided to do, when we began to work in Africa, was to uplift African talent,” said Thompson. “We are providing a platform to uplift women in fashion and to make sure this global presence has a voice.”
These business owners are also wearing several hats.
When Lilly isn’t hosting events and fulfilling orders, she’s working as the senior advisor to Georgia's U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock, a role that’s very demanding in itself. Lilly explained the results from her political work have proven the power that women have.
“I do believe that women were the backbone of the [Raphael Warnock] campaign. In terms of voting numbers, we see that Black women led in voting numbers. So I carry that same concept to my personal business. We give women job opportunities here in the United States and in the diaspora in Ethiopia,” said Lilly. “When women are bringing in money into the home, everybody wins."
Lilly said there are several empowerment events planned this summer in major cities across the U.S. All of these events are free of charge. To find their next networking mixer you can follow AdaChic and Dayo Women on Instagram.
Watch extended interviews with the business leaders below: