BLACK ENTERPRISE MAGAZINE -SEPTEMBER 21, 2021
BLACK WOMAN ENTREPRENEUR LAUNCHES SHOE COMPANY THAT CATERS TO SORORITIES AND FRATERNITIES IN THE DIVINE 9-
Meet Kam Ballard, founder of b.c.e Shoes, an online company that customizes shoes for the sororities and fraternities in the Divine 9.
Ballard’s goal is to provide stylish, comfortable, and affordable shoes. “I want to make shoes that cater to the seasoned professional, but also, keep them affordable where a Neo on the college campus is able to obtain them without breaking the bank.”
Ballard also believes in philanthropy. She has had several shoe drives where the proceeds are used to provide new genuine leather shoes for the ladies housed in homeless and domestic violence shelters. In the past, she has partnered with First Light Shelter, YWCA, and Jessie’s Place. Ballard understands that hard times can happen to anyone. “I was always taught to sow seeds. You may not reap the harvest, but your children or someone close to you will.”
VoyageATL.com-November 9, 2023
Daily Inspiration: Meet Kam Ballard
Nationwide — Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
b.c.e. was initially started by our kids in 2016. They hand made and sold candles under their company name of Brat Candles & Essentials. When I was searching for avenues to pay for college, in 2019, I immediately went back to their idea. But, instead of hand making the candles, I outsourced them to a manufacturer. or boots.
BUSINESSWIRE - MAY 1, 2023
The Workshop at Macy's Welcomes 2023 Class
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--This May, Macy’s welcomes 25 business owners to the 2023 class of The Workshop at Macy’s, the retail industry’s longest-running retail accelerator program dedicated to driving growth and providing opportunity to diverse and women-owned retail businesses. This spring, the 2023 class will have a new opportunity to access Macy’s holistic supplier ecosystem, critical education and funding resources, new customers through a pop-up shop on macys.com and $250,000 in business grants.
Meet The Workshop at Macy’s 2023 Class
As part of The Workshop at Macy’s commitment to amplifying and empowering diverse-owned businesses, a cohort of 25 entrepreneurs across five retail categories have been invited to participate in this year’s program:
Center Core
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b.c.e Custom Shoes