Summer 2024: A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, publisher, Inkandescent Women magazine — Hello friends! It’s a pleasure to celebrate Season 1 of the podcast and video show Women of Color Empowered, hosted by award-winning retail expert, educator, and inspiration leader Kimberly Lee Minor, CEO of the Women of Color Retail Alliance. She brings allies and trailblazing women of color from various professional sectors to the show.
Kimberly explains: “Women of Color Empowered is not just a buzzword but a movement. Each woman has a unique story that oversteps broken rungs, shatters glass ceilings, and ignites the spirit of empowerment.”
Above: You’ll find our video interview from Episode 1 where I had the privilege of talking with Kimberly about her journey. The podcast version is in 2 parts. Part 1 is posted above; click here to listen to Part 2.
On the right of this issue, you’ll find sidebar articles: These feature the women Kimberly has interviewed thus far.
- Episode 2: Fashion industry and CNBC correspondent Sandra Campos who shares that her love for fashion and buying led her to New York City, where she was thrown completely into the deep end. What followed were many years of working multiple jobs, paying off debt, and eating potatoes for lunch, all of which showed Sandra the importance of resourcefulness, grit, and never giving up.
- Episode 3: Brandice Daniel, CEO and Founder of Harlem’s Fashion Row and the nonprofit ICON360, tells about how she has been instrumental in promoting inclusivity and representation in fashion and bridging the gap between brands and designers of color, who were historically overlooked by the industry.
- Episode 4: Jo Miller, Program Coordinator at Ready to Werk, Fashion Educator at Hocking College, and Board Member at Passport 2 Fashion, tells about her powerful experience growing herself into a fashion expert after growing up in Amish community where education — especially for young girls — was just not a priority
- Episode 5: Alice Kim of PerfectDD and Bernardine Wu of Fez Ventures discuss the importance and nurturing of your most powerful connections
Also in this issue:
- You’ll meet Kimberly’s son, musician JDitto, who created and performed the track for the Women of Color Empowered Show.
- In the Welcome article: Kimberly answers the 10 questions she asks her guests — from a pivotal moment when you felt you broke through a significant barrier as a woman of color to her vision for the future of professional women of color, and what steps she is taking to make it a reality.
- And there’s more: Kimberly and I met in elementary school and both graduated from Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School in 1982. After our 40th reunion in October 2022, I launched a Classmates column in our BeInkandescent business magazine and featured Kimberly. Click here to read more about her personal journey to becoming an award-winning retail expert.
Don’t miss a single video episode: WomenofColorEmpowered.tv.
Click here to listen to all of the show’s podcasts on the Inkandescent Radio Network.
Be sure to click here to learn more about the mission and vision of the Women of Color Retail Alliance: wocretailalliance.org.
About Kimberly Lee Minor: An esteemed leader in the retail industry, Kimberly’s career spans more than 30 years of building brands, achieving operational excellence, and strategizing for business competitiveness. As CEO of Bumbershoot Group, she provides fractional C-suite leadership, leadership development, and process creation. Her work emphasizes inclusive, equitable, and diverse representation across brand, content, product, and customer experiences. Kimberly was named a Top Retail Expert of 2024 by Rethink Retail, recognizing her profound impact on the sector.
Kimberly’s previous roles as President and Chief Commercial Officer at Bandier, Brand President of London Fog, Joe Boxer, and leadership positions with iconic brands such as Express, Footlocker, David’s Bridal, and BBW highlight her experience in global and diverse categories, customers, and markets. Her expertise extends to board work with BlueConic (Vista Partners), a global martech company focused on retail, publishing, and entertainment.
Kimberly’s commitment to advancing women of color in the retail industry led her to co-found the Women of Color Retail Alliance (WOCRA) in 2019. She initially served on the board and now holds the position of CEO. WOCRA is dedicated to increasing the representation of women of color in the retail leadership pipeline through training, leadership development, partnerships, and networking opportunities.
Further extending her influence, Kimberly joined The Ohio State University’s Fisher School of Business as an adjunct professor in 2023. She teaches graduate students, senior undergraduates, and executives. Her community engagement is reflected in her board work, including Dress for Success and Wellbeing Connections, as well as her roles with the Columbus Fashion Alliance, CAPA, NA Citizen Advisory Committee, and the New Albany Community Foundation. These positions demonstrate her dedication to various causes and impact across multiple sectors.
Click here to learn more about Women of Color Retail Alliance: wocretailalliance.org