MailChimp debuts 'Bloom Season' to nurture Black entrepreneurs

Since its inception, Mailchimp has been all about empowering small businesses. Now, ahead of Black History Month, the marketing tech brand has debuted a new platform designed to provide support to budding entrepreneurs of color. “Bloom Season,” created out of independent agency Kin, is a digital resource and editorial platform that provides advice and support to young Black business owners—from how to get their companies off the ground to running and growing them. All the while, it pays mind to the holistic needs of the entrepreneurs, with lessons on how to maintain work-life balance, mental wellness, as well as discussion on issues tied to isolation, alienation and mistrust that directly affect them. “The name ‘Bloom Season,’ was something we thought really captured the idea that the path for small business owners of color should be paved with possibilities and not roadblocks,” said Kin Co-Founder Kwame Taylor-Hayford in a statement. “They are the roses that grew from concrete. We’re here to help them realize their ambitions and build the businesses of their dreams.” To help create "Bloom Season" Kin tapped a diverse group of Black creators and business owners and advisors, including Jewel Burks Solomon of Collab Capital and Google for Startups, Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, founder of Therapy for Black Girls, The Gathering Spot CEO and Co-Founder Ryan Wilson, Ghetto Gastro founder Jon Gray and Baratunde Thurston of How to Citizen. “We sought out founders and business owners with dynamic, thriving businesses who would be generous in sharing their experiences and insights,” Taylor-Hayford told Ad Age. “We were deliberate about profiling businesses in diverse categories, from many different parts of the country and at various stages of the business journey.” Kin co-founder Sophie Ozoux added that the hope is to continue “Bloom Season” with a focus on other communities of color. Mailchimp is backing “Bloom Season” with a dedicated marketing campaign that includes 30- and 15-second films and paid social assets. The push also includes influencer and strategic partnerships designed to engage Black business owners to help spark further conversation around equity and entrepreneurialism. “Bloom Season expands on Mailchimp’s established programs supporting small business with a dedicated focus on entrepreneurs of color,” said Michael Mitchell, senior director of brand marketing and content at Mailchimp in a statement. “It is a new-age manual for how to succeed in business that strikes a balance between personal and professional life, all designed for and by folks whose experiences defy the status quo in small business.” “Bloom Season” follows previous Mailchimp efforts from Kin such as the “Big change starts small” philanthropic platform designed to help nonprofits make the most of corporate support.

MailChimp debuts 'Bloom Season' to nurture Black entrepreneurs

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