LVMH Culture House hosted an open gallery, panel discussions, and much more during Art Basel week in Miami. I had the opportunity to indulge in some spirits from Hennessy and learn from an amazing panel of diverse entrepreneurs. The nuggets of wisdom given were enlightening and showed new perspectives on what it takes to succeed as a business owner.
The Future of Business
On Friday afternoon, I attended “The Future of Business: Trends in Entrepreneurship” panel LVMH hosted in Miami Design District. As an entrepreneur of an indie beauty brand and new to the space I wanted to learn more about the pitfalls to look out for, how to run a successful business, and hear the journeys of other entrepreneurs.
I arrived ten minutes before the panel started, and headed over to the bar. When I walked into the first room I was greeted with breath-taking artwork all over the room. LVMH collaborated with five unique artists to showcase their work.
I ordered my Hennessy Apple Cider, while everyone was chatting and grabbing drinks at the bar. Now, I was very surprised at that combination. I never thought of mixing a dark drink like Hennessy with something lighter and fruity like Apple Cider. But, after taking the first few sips it was actually very good.
This has inspired me to try some other cocktails drinks using Hennessy and fruit. After I grabbed my drink, I took a seat in the audience as the discussion began. Tiara Chesmer-Williams, the Head of DEI at Moet Hennessy welcomed everyone and served as the moderator for the discussion. She first introduced Jason Gong, Founder of Complecto a community-based business that uplifts underrepresented voices in the watch industry. He talked about his journey working on the DEI side for companies like American Express and Pinterest. Before starting his company he was an avid watch collector who shared that passion online.
The Discussion: Minority Businesses Taking Up Space
Jason spoke about the challenges in the DEI space like having to constantly educate higher-level executives who weren’t self-aware and bringing minorities to the forefront. In that moment, he made a very valid point that in the business world, you have to be aware of how society and the mindset of people are always shifting. It can be easy to become complacent and fall behind if you don’t constantly ask what’s next and where are now presently. Next, Stephanie Smellie, Founder of BLK Homes spoke about her experience on the curation of black homes and having it featured on social media.
Forward Thinking Business
She spoke about her online monetization strategies like recommending black home decor that you can purchase through her website. Stephanie features the interiors of black homes from all over the world and showcases designers who can tastefully elevate a space in your home or apartment.
Then Gary Coichy, introduced his business Pod Digital Media. He started his company from his previous connections at L’Oreal and saw where opportunities were being missed. L’Oreal was creating a haircare line to reach black women and wanted to find a creative way to build brand awareness. But he saw the disconnect when executives wanted to promote the product through podcasting on an episode of Joe Rogan, which was totally missing the mark. So he teamed up with Spotify to have L’oreal bring episodes that would authentically connect with black women.
Next, Erwin John co-founder of Bishop Gallery in Brooklyn, NY spoke about showcasing emerging black artists.
His space in Bed-Stuy allows up-and-coming artists to introduce their work into the community. He spoke about how his Jean-Basquiat tour introduced HBCU students to a world of black art. This allowed these students to experience something new and expand their horizons. Erwin is looking to bring more exhibitions to the Brooklyn community and amplify black voices.
Money Screams, Wealth Whispers
Finally, I saved the best for last, Mrs. Felecia Hatcher the CEO of Pharrell’s Black Ambition was dropping wisdom left and right. She spoke about how “Money Screams, Wealth Whispers“. New money wants to be seen and heard but for wealth, you have to listen closely for it. She talked about her commitment to investing in black entrepreneurs through funding from Black Ambition. She saw the challenges of getting access to capital and wanted to become a part of the solution. Felecia truly spoke to me when she said, “Black women make business cents“. As consumers, black women spend a great deal on products like luxury goods, beauty, and skincare so it’s important to value us.
Felecia made such a valid point which was “Bet on the black community and you get a sizable return“. This is so true and has been proven time after time. As an entrepreneur, it’s important to problem-solve and have a perspective that makes you different. She made an interesting point about funding saying “Equity funding is everywhere from the black church to the boardroom“. So start from the resources you have to raise money for your ventures.
Lastly, she dropped her iconic last line which was “Pharrell is what happens when the imagination meets the budget“. She’s referring to Pharrell’s first Louis Vuitton show as Creative Director of the Maison. It was a highly anticipated and televised show that demonstrated value.
These entrepreneurs were able to tell resilient stories and were brought together by the Head of DEI for LVMH, Corey Smith, who worked hard to put on an amazing event for Art Basel weekend.
