Women of Color Empowered

June 30 2024

July 2024: A conversation about the Power of Allies with Alice Kim of PerfectDD and Bernardine Wu of Fez Ventures

Women of Color Empowered
Women of Color Empowered
July 2024: A conversation about the Power of Allies with Alice Kim of PerfectDD and Bernardine Wu of Fez Ventures
Loading
/

A Note from Kimberly Lee Minor, host, Women of Color Empowered and CEO of Women of Color Retail AllianceHello! I invite you to tune in for this week’s episode of our podcast and video show, Women of Color Empowered, where for 30 minutes each month, we bring allies and trailblazing women of color from various professional sectors to the air.

Meet our guests: Alice Kim, the founder and CEO of PerfectDD, and Bernardine Wu, a partner in Fez Ventures

Our topic: Allies — The importance and nurturing of your most powerful connections

About Alice: Alice Kim is the Founder and CEO of PerfectDD, a brand created from her own need to find clothes that fit and flatter women with DD+ cup. As a size 32DD, Alice struggled her entire life to feel confident in clothes that were not too tight at her chest or oversized on the rest of her body. Learning that the average bra size in the U.S. is a 34DD and millions of women struggle with the same problem, Alice was inspired to create style solutions and to be the voice for these underserved women. Alice believes that getting dressed should be easy so you can focus on being a boss. Born and raised in NYC, Alice is a graduate of Dartmouth College with a degree in economics and began her career in investment banking at Bear Stearns. After finance, she decided to follow her true calling and transitioned into fashion. Alice spent two decades working at renowned fashion houses including Shopbop, Diane von Furstenberg, Prada, and Victoria’s Secret which taught her to be an expert in product, fit, and design. Alice is a Tory Burch Fellow 2022, a 2023 Fearless Fund Grant recipient, and a member of Dreamers & Doers and the Female Founder Collective. Learn more: perfectdd.com.

About Bernardine: Bernardine Wu is a serial entrepreneur, business leader and investor. She is a partner in Fez Ventures and principal in Iron Monkey Ventures, focused on advisory and investment work in Digital Commerce, Technology, Retail and Talent. Bernardine founded the prominent digital company FitForCommerce in 2008 which was acquired in 2022 by OSF Digital. Bernardine serves on NRF Digital Council, is a Board Director and Vice Chair at Women of Color Retail Alliance, and co-founded The Innovation Office, Women in Ecommerce and Women in Sustainable Retail. A frequent industry thought leader and inspirational speaker, her career started at Accenture, Salomon Brothers, and several Wall Street firms including the first start-up for Institutional digital trading and launching one of the first ecommerce tech companies. Learn more on LinkedIn!

Learn more about the Women of Color Retail Alliance: wocretailalliance.org

About our show: Women of Color Empowered

Welcome to “Women of Color Empowered,” a vibrant and inspiring podcast where empowerment is not just a buzzword but a movement. This series brings allies and trailblazing women of color from various professional sectors to the spotlight, each with a unique story that oversteps broken rungs, shatters glass ceilings and ignites the spirit of empowerment. In each episode, host Kimberly Lee Minor delves deep into these incredible women’s career portfolios, exploring their remarkable achievements, the hurdles they’ve overcome, and the pivotal moments that led them to discover their true magic and influence. It’s a platform where candid conversations reveal the resilience, strength, and wisdom of women who are not just achieving success but are also paving the way for others. “Women of Color Empowered” is more than a podcast; it’s a celebration of diversity, a source of inspiration, and a testament to the power of women uplifting women. Join us on this empowering journey and be part of a community where every woman’s story becomes a beacon of hope and a guide toward realizing one’s potential.

About our host: Kimberly Lee Minor

An esteemed leader in the retail industry, Kim’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.

On a personal note, Kimberly hails from Philadelphia and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Temple University. Immediately following her undergraduate studies, she completed coursework toward her MBA at Drexel University. She holds Executive Certificates in Leadership and Management from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and Inclusive Organizational Excellence from Stanford University Graduate School of Business. These certifications underscore her commitment to lifelong learning and professional development. Kimberly and her husband, Marc, live in New Albany, OH, and have two college-aged sons and a dog named Blu.

About the musician behind music: The tune for the Women of Color Empowered show is by Jonathan “JDitto” Minor, a senior at Morehouse College majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Management. He is a passionate, creatively disruptive thinker with an interest in the industries of music, media, and culture. He’s been able to marry his interests with industry experience by operating his DJ business since the 7th grade and working in the industry since his junior year of high school with Globestar Media, WBLS, Complex Media, ASCAP, UMPG, and UMG. He has gained hands-on experience in video editing, strategy development, A&R consulting, artist statistics analysis, and, currently, global marketing.

Last year, JDitto made his debut as an executive producer with two mixtapes, Taking Up Space & Fall Fast, respectively, featuring soul-sample heavy head bobbers like Jam and In my Head and hard-hitting Hip-Hop songs like Ivory with feature verses from rappers Ray Rags and Pac. Today, JDitto is finishing up his Business degree while still producing music and DJ’ing live shows, corporate events, and parties nationwide.

Click here to check out his music.

(more…)

Previous Episodes
Saturday, June 1st, 2024

June 2024: You will be blown away by the courage and determination of our guest Jo Miller — on Episode 4 of Women of Color Empowered

A Note from Kimberly Lee Minor, host, Women of Color Empowered and CEO of Women of Color Retail Alliance — Hello! I invite you to tune in for this week’s episode of our podcast and video show, Women of Color Empowered, where for 30 minutes each month, we bring allies and trailblazing women of color from various professional sectors to the air. Meet our guest: Jo Miller — Program Coordinator at Ready to Werk, Fashion Educator at Hocking College, and BoardClick here to listen to the podcast!

Wednesday, May 1st, 2024

Episode 3: Meet Brandice Daniel, CEO and Founder of Harlem’s Fashion Row and the nonprofit ICON360 — on Episode 3 of Women of Color Empowered

May 2024: A Note from Kimberly Lee Minor, host, Women of Color Empowered and CEO of Women of Color Retail Alliance — Hello! I invite you to tune in for this week’s episode of our podcast and video show, Women of Color Empowered, where for 30 minutes each month, we bring allies and trailblazing women of color from various professional sectors to the air. Meet our guest: Brandice Daniel, CEO and Founder of Harlem’s Fashion Row and the nonprofit ICON360Click here to listen to the podcast!

Monday, April 1st, 2024

Episode 2, Part 2 — An interview with Fashion Industry Exec and CNBC correspondent Sandra Campos on Episode 2 of Women of Color Empowered

April 2024: A Note from Kimberly Lee Minor, host, Women of Color Empowered and CEO of Women of Color Retail Alliance —Hello friends! We invite you to tune in for Part 2, episode 2 of our new podcast and video show, Women of Color Empowered. “Being empowered is not just a buzzword — it’s a movement,” explains our host, Kimberly, who brings to the airwaves allies and trailblazing women of color from various professional sectors. “Each woman has a uniqueClick here to listen to the podcast!

Monday, April 1st, 2024

Episode 2, Part 1 — An interview with Fashion Industry Exec and CNBC correspondent Sandra Campos on the Women of Color Empowered

April 2024: A Note from Kimberly Lee Minor, host, Women of Color Empowered and CEO of Women of Color Retail Alliance —Hello friends! We invite you to tune in for Part 1, episode 2 of our new podcast and video show, Women of Color Empowered. “Being empowered is not just a buzzword — it’s a movement,” explains our host, Kimberly, who brings to the airwaves allies and trailblazing women of color from various professional sectors. “Each woman has a uniqueClick here to listen to the podcast!

Thursday, February 1st, 2024

Episode 1, Part 2 — An interview with “Women of Color Empowered” host Kimberly Lee Minor, CEO, Women of Color Retail Alliance (WOCRA)

February 2024: A note from Inkandescent Radio producer Hope Katz Gibbs and Women of Color Empowered Host Kimberly Lee Minor — Hello friends! We invite you to tune in for Part 2, episode 1 of our new podcast and video show, Women of Color Empowered. “Being empowered is not just a buzzword — it’s a movement,” explains our host, Kimberly, who brings to the airwaves allies and trailblazing women of color from various professional sectors. “Each woman has a uniqueClick here to listen to the podcast!

Monday, January 1st, 2024

Episode 1, Part 1 — An interview with “Women of Color Empowered” host Kimberly Lee Minor, CEO, Women of Color Retail Alliance (WOCRA)

January 2024: A note from Inkandescent Radio producer Hope Katz Gibbs and Women of Color Empowered Host Kimberly Lee Minor — Hello friends! We invite you to tune in for Part 1, episode 1 of our new podcast and video show, Women of Color Empowered. “Being empowered is not just a buzzword — it’s a movement,” explains our host, Kimberly, who brings to the airwaves allies and trailblazing women of color from various professional sectors. “Each woman has a uniqueClick here to listen to the podcast!