Ayesha Curry on Building Businesses & Empowering Communities

Notes:

        
Sweet July's Evolution: Ayesha Curry discussed how her brand, Sweet July, evolved from a skincare line to a multifaceted platform, including a magazine and local products. The brand focuses on uplifting underrepresented voices and businesses, especially women of color.

Storytelling & Amplifying Voices: Ayesha emphasized the importance of storytelling in her work. She shared her personal experience in the food industry and how being given a platform allowed her to break barriers. This lesson inspires her to amplify the voices of others through her business.

Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation: Ayesha and her husband, Steph Curry, co-founded the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, which focuses on child well-being through nutrition, education, and physical activity. The foundation has made a significant impact in Oakland, providing over 25 million meals during the pandemic.

Focus on Local Sourcing & Partnerships: Ayesha values local partnerships and hands-on collaboration with product makers for her brand. She highlighted her work with local businesses like 676 Candle Co. and others, explaining how these collaborations elevate both the products and the community.

Literacy & Philanthropy: Ayesha announced a $25 million pledge to provide one-on-one tutoring for children in Oakland’s public schools, aiming to address the literacy gap exacerbated by the pandemic. She stressed the importance of meeting children where they are—in schools—and the transformational impact of early literacy intervention.