The inaugural Madam C.J. Walker Leadership Awards will honor seven dedicated local entrepreneurs for their commitment, success and leadership in Bed-Stuy's beauty care industry
Sponsored by the Bed-Stuy Gateway Business Improvement District, the Bed-Stuy Beauty Collective will host its inaugural Madam C.J. Walker Leadership Awards event on Monday, March 19 at the Billie Holiday Theatre.
Personal care services represent approximately 47 percent of the employment industry and have become a vastly growing business right here in Brooklyn. Hence, it was important for Medina Sadiq, executive director of the Bed-Stuy BID, to create a platform that celebrates these entrepreneurs.
"If you tell people to sharpen this district, you have to be prepared to sharpen it yourself," says Sadiq. "I believe in supporting people locally rather than sourcing outside businesses."
The Bed-Stuy Beauty Collective is a committee of experienced professionals in the personal care industry who are dedicated to supporting local businesses. Their ultimate goal: To promote and market Bed-Stuy's beauty care businesses and to thereby draw a clientele that will bring economic growth to the entrepreneurs in the community.
With the Madam C.J. Walker Leadership Awards, named after the woman trailblazer who created specialized hair products for African-American hair and who was one of the first American women to become a self-made millionaire, the collective is recognizing hard-working and talented professionals within the personal care sector.
The selected seven awardees are local business owners who have dedicated their lives to their craft—similar to the late Madam C.J. Walker. With the ceremony, the Bed-Stuy Beauty Collective not only is recognizing these local entrepreneurs for their leadership, exhibited diligence and superior performance within the industry, but also aims to highlight Brooklyn as a destination for the beauty industry and to shed light on the existing local personal care culture.
"I think that this event will bring people to this area and unify the people who are in the industry throughout the community," says Sadiq. "I want to celebrate the hard-working people who are in the industry [and] make Bed-Stuy a beauty destination."
During the event, the Bed-Stuy BID will receive a proclamation, declaring March 19th as "Bed-Stuy Beauty Day." The Madam C.J. Walker Leadership Awards ceremony is endorsed by Madam C.J. Walker's great-great-granddaughter A'Lelia Bundles and Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams.
The 2018 Madam C.J. Walker Leadership Awards
When: Monday, March 19, 6:30 pm. To RSVP for this free event, go here.
Where: The Billie Holiday Theatre, 1368 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11216
