Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kennedy Dumas. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Kennedy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Stationery Black was thought of back in 2016, when I was a junior in high school. I loved school supplies, and I always told my dad that when I got rich, I would buy a Staples. Being an avid collector of school supplies, I soon started to notice that none of the characters on these supplies are Black. This made me feel very underrepresented, so I decided to make my own. Soon Stationery Black will go from just Black-inspired illustrative and custom notebooks, to a Black- inspired school supplies line.

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

My name is Kennedy Dumas, and I am 22 years old from Atlanta, Ga. I currently attend Morehouse School of Medicine where I am pursuing my Master of Medical Sciences, to eventually enter their MD program and become a Medical Doctor. In addition to being a student, I am also a proud entrepreneur of my wonderful business, Stationery Black. Stationery Black is a notebook company that focuses on the representation of Black people. With our Black-inspired illustrative notebooks, our customers feel a sense of pride and inclusion. I think it’s important for Black people to be represented on all mediums, not just on TV, but on regular household items, like notebooks.
I started this company as a junior in high school because I noticed that there was a lack of representation in one of my most favorite things, school supplies, so I decided to make my own. We have 25 different illustrative notebooks with inspirational images of Black people, and I am proud to say that I have sold over 2,000 notebooks worldwide and was accepted into the Black Girl Venture’s and the NBA’s accelerator program.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

It was very hard starting a company at 17. Not only were there physical demands but there were emotional ones as well. At that age, I felt like my business was me, and when people said no to my products, I felt like they said no to me. This was very emotionally taxing for me. As the initial months went on, I started to develop tougher skin and learn about business. “All I need is one yes”, is what I would always think to myself. This made the “no’s” not hurt as bad. I feel like consistency is resilience, and I often had to remind myself that this business isn’t just about me, it was for my whole community.

Getting into a graduate program at a medical school was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. It takes a lot of mental strength to do it because before you even start studying and completing the application, you first have to believe in yourself. When my MCAT scores came back lower than the required scores, I took it again. I never gave up, and I believed in myself. Oftentimes we ask God to bless us with new positions, but we have to be willing to meet him halfway, put the work in.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

In 11th grade I knew I wanted to start Stationery Black, but I didn’t have the money to do so. So, I started “easier” businesses like selling candles, candy apples, etc, to fund Stationery Black. When I saved enough from those businesses, I was able to fund Stationery Black. I would then save all my initial earnings to keep growing and scaling my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: Stationeryblack.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/stationeryblack