When founding, She Is Royal LLC, Tewana Passmore had a vision for an e-commerce marketplace focused on Black women. She learned that most minority-owned businesses only last for eighteen months and contemplated how she could change that. Her experiences as an African-American woman left her with a desire to find products made for her by her peers more easily. All of these needs motivated her to create She Is Royal, where Black women can find and sell products made for and created by their community.
She Is Royal is a different kind of e-commerce marketplace. Instead of letting vendors flounder in a volatile market, the company seeks to empower Black women as creators and consumers. She Is Royal works with business owners every step of the way, from building the business to selling and advertising products. The goal is not just for the marketplace to succeed but for every minority business owner to thrive. She Is Royal is more than a business; it’s a celebration of Black women’s courage, resilience, and essentialness to the community. Passmore has experienced discrimination and violence because of her race and gender, a common experience for Black women in America. She Is Royal is Passmore’s answer to this marginalization. She worked hard to get away from her tough childhood on the Southside of Chicago, and she wants to give other Black women the same chance to become successful.
She Is Royal has many methods for elevating their vendors to success. Besides working with vendors to help establish their businesses, She Is Royal has an affordable fee structure and a strong community support system. The company charges $0 in fees for their initial vendors and pays a 6% commission on all sales. They also train vendors on digital marketing strategies and have an influencer program to help connect vendors with social media stars. She Is Royal is committed to helping all of their vendors grow and maintain successful businesses.
While Passmore’s original focus was on elevating Black female-owned businesses, as She Is Royal grows, the company is looking to expand their reach. He Is Royal and Little Royalty will be launched next year in celebration of the Black family as a whole. The company also intends to launch She Is Royal for a Cause, a category on the marketplace where consumers can purchase items in support of a different cause each month. The charities featured will be in the vein of AIDS research, breast cancer research for women of color, and more.
With She Is Royal, Passmore has created an online haven for people of color with products and vendors they can trust. Celebrating the uniqueness of Black culture and identity is at the forefront of the She Is Royal ethos, and that extends to their vendors, consumers, and products. The marketplace promotes confidence and abundance while maintaining a strong cultural identity. The She Is Royal community is helping Black-owned businesses flourish and Black women succeed by giving them the products they need to feel their best.
