Challenge
In 2020, diverse entrepreneurs faced unprecedented challenges. Just between February and April of that year, the US lost 41%, 32% and 26% of Black, Latino, and Asian small business owners, respectively, versus only 17% for White business owners. The pandemic and the resulting recession left them with limited access to capital and very few dedicated resources.
“It's really challenging and really hard. I don't think people realize just how difficult it is to be an entrepreneur during these times. Especially when you don't have access to the same resources or networks that our peers may have.”
— Aaron Fender, Portrait Coffee
Opportunity
In culture at large, there is very little content that reflects the experiences of diverse entrepreneurs—and even then, it tends to focus on deficit framing. We believe there is more to the story of Black, Latino, and Asian small business owners than just struggle and resilience. We’re here to talk about their success stories—and help create more of them.
Kin Solution
Kin and Mailchimp joined forces to create Bloom Season, a digital resource packed with actionable insights to help entrepreneurs of color thrive.
For our inaugural issue, we collaborated with a collective of over 50 Black writers, photographers, illustrators, videographers, artists, and entrepreneurs, to develop a new editorial platform from the ground up. Every original piece of content, across 25 articles, 5 films, 50 photographs, and 40 illustrations, was designed to arm them with specific guidance on starting, running, and growing a business—while maintaining mental health and personal balance.
Inspired by Afrofuturism and the colorful data visualization of W.E.B. DuBois, our design concept is not only a bespoke resource for diverse entrepreneurs, it’s also a true representation of the richness, vibrancy, and brightness of our audience and their experiences.
What is Afrofuturism?
A cultural aesthetic that combines science-fiction, history, and fantasy to explore the African-American experience and aims to connect those from the Black diaspora with their forgotten African ancestry.
Results
Early Bloom Season readership quickly surpassed 10 thousand unique visitors, and continues to grow each day through word of mouth. Strategic cross-promotion with Mailchimp customers and Intuit QuickBooks are already paving the way for the expansion of the platform, with a second edition launching in June 2023.
