Meet Britnie Mosby | Business Owner & Youth Advocate

We had the good fortune of connecting with Britnie Mosby and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Britnie, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I am a third generation entrepreneur, my grandparents were entrepreneurs and my mom is an entrepreneur and rightfully so I had the desire to follow in their footsteps. When I decided to start Melanated Girls it was important to me to pass on to my children the lessons that were passed on to me, the importance of being a business owner and working for yourself. It was also important to create a business that would serve and help build up my community.
As I began my entrepreneurship journey I realized that as an African American female from south central Los Angeles there was little to no representation of African American entrepreneurship around me. My community is full of people that look like me but every store in my community is owned and operated by people who do not represent the make up of the community but people who do not even live in the community. This is what inspired me to create a business that would provide the young girls in my Community of South central as well as other minority communities with the resources, tools and support to become entrepreneurs.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Melanated Girl Brand is a purpose-driven business that aims to empower and celebrate melanated girls while promoting female entrepreneurship. Our primary goals are to foster self-confidence, provide diverse role models and representation while supporting and teaching the skills of entrepreneurship. African Americans are one of the largest groups of consumers of products and services not made or offered by African Americans. Our goal is to help turn as many Melanated girls as we can from consumers to owners.
One of the biggest challenges we have had for Melanated Girls is although we have a clear vision, purpose and mission entrepreneurship is a journey and requires some financial support. I believe we have incredible goals that we will accomplish but we have to embrace the process.
Although Melanated Girls is in its early stages and we are just getting started I am so excited about what’s in store for us. I could not be more proud to be following the path that was laid before me by my ancestors, the path of entrepreneurship. I am most proud to be building this business with my daughter, who is now carrying the legacy and tradition of entrepreneurship into the fourth generation of my family of Black Female business owners.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If My best friend was visiting from another area the very first place I would take them is to Santa Monica Beach. People travel from all over the world to see the Pacific Ocean and here it is right in our back yard. Next we would head to Nobu in Malibu, the most incredible ambiance, people and again the pacific ocean right at your feet. We would then go to Disney Land, you can not come to LA and not do Disney, it is the happiest place on earth. It would only be right when in LA to go to a Laker game and catch a glimpse of Labron James before heading down the street to dinner at Roscoes Chicken and Waffles another LA must have.
We would spend an entire day shopping on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills some of the best shopping in LA then dinner at AVRA. Finally we would spend the day at the Getty Museum enjoying beautiful art before ending the day with a Pinks hotdog.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Without question Juanita Dockery my mother the owner of Juanita’s Family Daycare would be who I would dedicate my shoutout to. My mother is the owner of a Family daycare that has served the families of South Central Los Angeles for the last 15 years. From sun up to sun down her house is full of children. I have seen my mother pour her heart and soul into the families and the children she serve every single day. I have never seen her turn a parent away, I have watched her open her doors at 3AM to allow parents to bring children so that they can make it to work, work holidays, feed countless children, provide an loving and safe environment for countless children and mothers who were often in unsafe or unhealthy living situations, foster children, take groceries out of her refrigerator to give to parents to ensure when they get the babies home they will have food at home too, I could go on and on but it is my mother who shows me everyday that the best way to build your community is to serve your community.

Instagram: Melanatedgirls