We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Co-Founders of rāv collective, Remy Johnson and Vanessa Lee. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with both of them below.

Alright, Remy and Vanessa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.

Only 20% of minority-owned small businesses survive their first 18 months, compared to the U.S. average of 75%. Debt, capital, and resources are at the top of the list of challenges minority-owned businesses disproportionately face.

rāv collective is on a mission to help close this gap by providing all businesses, but especially minority-owned businesses, the strategic support to help level the playing field and set them up for success.

One of our most rewarding projects was collaborating with an up and coming Black-owned sneaker brand on a rebranding project – that included an editorial and e-commerce photoshoot, a full website refresh, as well as establishing their brand guidelines. The founder expressed to us how difficult it had been getting access to these types of resources at a rate his business could afford. It is our mission to create a space that make resources that feel out of reach, more accessible for all.

As Black women, we are fervent supporters of women-led businesses and entrepreneurs of color. We believe in not only creating “a seat at the table,” but building a table where everyone can show up authentically. We foster an oasis where we can all show up as ourselves, stand in our truths, and dare to push the limits together.

Remy and Vanessa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

We’re Remy Johnson and Vanessa Lee, former coworkers turned friends and now business partners. We are rāv collective.

We have a combined 33 years of experience in the retail industry and we’re ready to share our wealth of knowledge with small-mid size businesses. Having worked in nearly all retail business segments, ranging from early stage startups to global multi-billion dollar brands. We’ve amassed a substantial amount of experience across merchandising, product development, and creative production which has resulted in millions in incremental revenue.

It can be extremely challenging for small businesses to connect to resources to help their businesses scale and evolve. This challenge impacts minority-owned and women-owned businesses disproportionately. Despite having strong offerings, at times business owners can struggle with creating a strong growth strategy or may not have the connections to execute them.

rāv collective offers a space for small businesses to connect with industry experts in order to create and execute strategies in the areas of: Merchandising, Creative, Wholesale, and Business Optimization. With rāv collective, small businesses benefit from thoughtful, needle-moving business moves, grounded in data and backed by years of experience.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

I was the first, and for a while, only Black buyer at a popular subscription model retail company. This was not my first experience working for a company with a lack of diversity so I understood the importance of community and representation in the workplace.

I heard that some new buyers had been hired and that one of them was a Black woman – named Vanessa Lee. I immediately made it my mission to find her and welcome her. I spotted her alone in a conference room and beelined my way over. I introduced myself and let her know it’s “just us” here. If you have ever been “the only” at any point in life, then you understand the feeling of being able to create a tribe – where there is a common understanding of your experience. After that introduction, we became sounding boards for each other and part of each other’s support systems. We quickly went from coworker to friends.

Over the years, we discussed how we’ve informally helped brands with their business strategies. We witnessed how minority-owned brands seemed to have less access to resources than other brands that we had relationships with.

We had also shared stories of our experience as Black women in the fashion industry and in the corporate world. The emotional and mental toll of wearing a “mask,” doing our best to assimilate, and never feeling like we could truly be our authentic selves. With our combined years of experience, we knew we had something to offer. Additionally, we had such a strong desire to create space where we and our clients could show up unapologetically authentic. Where you come as you are and you have the freedom to be proud of who you are. Where our intersectionality is not only embraced, but leaned into.

Out of this vision, rāv collective was born.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Our reputation is not only built on our strategic acumen, but how people feel when they leave our presence. We are not transactional – even though that is the very core of our industry. We prioritize relationships and true partnership. Vanessa and I have always treated our internal and external partners with grace, compassion, and understanding. We seek out partners that want to ride the waves together. Where we celebrate the highs and find collaborative solutions for the lows.

Starting any new business is one of the scariest, most vulnerable things one can do. We are so fortunate and grateful that the seeds we planted with previous relationships, throughout our entire career tenure, are coming to harvest for us now. With some of our relationships, yes, we’ve had major financial successes, but those people are still around because of how we approached them as humans and not just dollar signs.

Contact Info:

• Website: ravcollective.com
• Instagram: @ravcollective
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rav-collective/

Image Credits
Grace Kim, Andrew Waits