Sharing Black Culture and Joy with Black Paper Party

Summary

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Madia Willis, Jasmine Hudson and J’Aaron Merchant, the Co-founders of Black Paper Party, where Madia fulfills the role of CEO, Jasmine serves as the Chief Merchant and J’Aaron completes the trio as the Chief Creative Officer. With a combined fifteen years of retail experience, this dream team started Black Paper Party to spread joy through culturally relevant products by combining award-winning illustrations with trendy prints and patterns to create unique wrapping paper designs. Throughout the episode, James, Madia, Jasmine and J’Aaron discuss Black Paper Party’s mission, the struggles they have faced as Black women entrepreneurs and how Bentonville’s culture has helped accelerate Black Paper Party’s growth.  

Thanks for tuning in!

Show Notes

(0:52) Introduction to Madia, Jasmine and J’Aaron 

(1:49) About Madia

(2:40) About Jasmine

(3:38) About J’Aaron

(4:31) Black Paper Party’s Backstory

(6:43) The Inspiration behind Black Paper Party

(9:40) Black Paper Party’s Journey So Far

(13:45) Challenges Building Black Paper Party

(17:37) The Value of Combined Experiences

(20:26) Challenges Faced as Black Entrepreneurs

(24:15) Obtaining Funding

(29:07) How Bentonville Can Help Women Entrepreneurs

(34:57) Bentonville’s Culture

(38:00) Advice to Entrepreneurs

(40:00) #BecauseBentonville Stories

(45:36) Closing Questions

‍Links

James Bell

Bentonville Economic Development 

Madia Willis

Jasmine Hudson

J’Aaron Merchant

Black Paper Party

Black Owned NWA

JazzyJaeNWA

Quotes

“...there was a real sadness, almost a palpable feeling of fed upness in the Black community, and it was really a catalyst for change. So we thought this is the perfect time for us to really cement what our idea is…and what we saw was a kind of white space opportunity, which was visual representation of Black families during the holidays.” - Madia Willis, (7:03)

“I would say it’s very easy to be underestimated as Black women entrepreneurs in this industry. And then of course we're leading with Black-focused characters, so everyone’s like, ‘Are you sure you want to do that?’ And we’re convincing people there’s a need for it. People want to see it, and it is truly accepted.” - J’Aaron Merchant, (13:45)

“It’s kind of pushing and standing on the integrity of why we were founded and what we’re here to do. So making sure that we’re still putting that most authentic foot forward when it comes to our brand is something the customer is really resonating with.” - Jasmine Hudson, (22:33)

“It’s crazy the amount of culture you’ve taken into this little place. I try to explain [Bentonville] to people and it almost feels like it’s not real. Some of the things that you do, some of the people that you meet and it’s just actually a very welcoming community.” - J’Aaron Merchant, (39:10)