We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Claudia Walker a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Claudia, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

As a former Wall Street analyst turned public school teacher and proud second-generation HBCU graduate, I was disheartened by the educational outcomes for Black students in California. In response, I began hosting after-school programs and summer camps teaching Black history and spotlighting HBCUs. The interest and engagement confirmed a pressing need for engaging youth in our stories.

After a 2018 campus visit to my alma mater, Spelman College, with my then 8-year-old daughter, I was inspired to write a children’s book about Black colleges. In April 2020, amidst the early pandemic shutdowns, I finally brought this vision to life – collaborating with an illustrator who was also a Spelman alum to create “The ABCs of HBCUs.”

While building buzz for the book’s preorder debut, I created an HBCU-themed flashcard set to help my 3-year-old son, who had a speech delay. A video of him using the flashcards went viral almost overnight – catching the attention of major outlets. For nearly a week straight pre-release, my platform exploded from 1-2 sales a day to over $10,000 in almost instantaneous revenue. As a first-time self-published author, this was the market validation that I needed. I knew I was creating deeply personal products for a market that had gone untapped.

The response underscored the need for content spotlighting historically overlooked stories of Black ingenuity and advancement. Since then, I’ve been on a mission to make reading culturally resonating books accessible

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m Claudia Walker, the proud founder of HBCU Prep School, a family-owned multimedia education company passionate about amplifying Black history, financial literacy, and cybersecurity.

I was raised in Oakland, California, by two educators who constantly stressed the importance of education. After graduating from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, I worked as a Wall Street analyst for a prominent investment bank. I enjoyed it. However, after watching the September 11th attacks unfold in front of me, I started reassessing what was most important to me. It took a while to figure things out, but I returned to California and started teaching. I was deeply concerned about the education crisis in my hometown, where 1 in 4 Black students weren’t graduating from high school. This realization led me to become a public school teacher and an advocate for empowering our youth through engaging and culturally responsive education.

I created my publishing company, HBCU Prep School, in direct response to the lack of representation in mainstream publications and the need to showcase stories often overlooked. Our offerings include a rich array of products, from children’s books, puzzles, and stationery to videos, classes, and apparel. We pride ourselves on being a one-stop shop for modern, kid-friendly, and culturally responsive educational resources.

The core problems we aim to solve revolve around the gaps in traditional education. Our products and services bring empowering and authentic stories of the Black experience into homes and classrooms everywhere, decolonizing education and fostering a sense of pride and identity among children.

Our best-selling book series, “The ABCs of HBCUs,” launched in 2020, followed by “The ABCs of Black Wall Street” in 2022, both receiving accolades and being featured in Target stores during Black History Month. Our commitment to excellence has been recognized by reputable outlets such as Forbes, Essence, and Black Enterprise.

One of our proudest moments was when my 14-year-old daughter and I were invited to the White House to participate in a discussion on the state of cybersecurity in the Black community. During this event, my daughter and I announced our commitment to co-author our newest book series, “The ABCs of Cybersecurity.” This acknowledgment reflects not only the impact of our work but also the recognition of the importance of diverse and inclusive stories.

Our unwavering dedication to showcasing the richness of Black history sets us apart, empowering children to see themselves as integral parts of this history. Our bold, unapologetic celebration of the Black experience distinguishes us in the market, making our products and services educational and profoundly transformative. Further, as a teacher and mom, I’m uniquely positioned to create books that seamlessly blend academic expertise with input from my children. To highlight this, my 15-year-old daughter has co-authored two books with me and my younger children have provided invaluable feedback on the direction of multiple projects.

HBCU Prep School is not just a brand; it’s a movement. We are here to revolutionize education and inspire the next generation of trailblazers!

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

When I started establishing our presence on social media, I was starting from scratch with no prior accounts. It was a bit intimidating at first, especially as a private person, but I recognized the necessity of overcoming my reservations for the success of my company.

My strategy began with early content creation, even before having a physical copy of my book. I started sharing insights about my journey, the inspiration behind the company, and the development of my book. I started following and engaging with accounts producing content related to HBCUs. This not only expanded our reach but also connected us with a community of potential customers who shared similar interests.

Naturally, I also included my children in our social media presence. This approach served a dual purpose: it showcased how parents and kids could interact with our products and provided a glimpse into the personal side of our family. This personal touch allowed our audience to get to know us on a more intimate level.

Additionally, I leveraged the power of reposting HBCU and kid-friendly content. As more products are released, the content has grown to include business and cybersecurity-related content. This is entertaining and inspiring material for our followers and positions our brand as genuinely centered around education and Black children. By curating and sharing content from others in our niche, we contributed to a sense of community and showcased a broader range of perspectives, all while alleviating the pressure to constantly create new content.

I advise those just starting to build their social media presence to embrace authenticity. Share your journey, engage with your community, and don’t be afraid to incorporate personal elements that make your brand relatable. Building a social media presence is not just about showcasing your products; it’s about creating a community that shares common values and interests.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

This year, we’ve made a deliberate effort to enhance our customer engagement and foster brand loyalty. Our email marketing campaigns serve as an effective tool for regular communication. Additionally, we fulfill all orders through our website, and they typically include handwritten thank-you notes.

We’re in the process of creating an exclusive product specifically for our top clients. The product will likely be a limited edition item exclusive to our VIPs that will be mailed to with a personalized thank-you card.

As a business owner, the joy of receiving orders is undeniable, but there’s a special fulfillment in curating something meaningful for our customers.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hbcuprepschool.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/hbcuprepschool
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hbcuprepschool/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanwalker-hbcuprepschool/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHJlt6GZXqKyjQJODh0CY1Q