New York— The Black in Jewelry Coalition (BIJC) and Jewelers of America (JA) have announced the inaugural group of retailers selected for their jointly developed program, the Emerging Jewelers Accelerator program (EJAP). Launched last year, EJAP is a comprehensive series of interactive workshops tailored to equip emerging retail jewelry entrepreneurs with essential insights into establishing and sustaining successful ventures within the jewelry industry.
The first EJAP cohort comprises six retailers from five different jewelry companies, reflecting the program’s commitment to diversity and inclusion:
Patricia Carruth, Your Personal Jeweler, Royal Oak, Michigan
Cloyette Harris-Stoute, Twin Elegance Jewelry, St. Albans, New York
Soojin Kim, Suu Atelier, Los Angeles
Madeline and Karen Ormaza, Armonia Jewelry, Lawrence, Massachusetts
Ashley Perryman, Jewelry Lady, Indianapolis
Commencing in February, the eight-month EJAP program, supported by the JCK Industry Fund, will feature interactive workshops covering key business topics. Subject matter experts will lead these sessions:
Business strategy: Valerie Madison, Owner, Creative Director, and Designer at Madison Jewelers
Accounting: Mariel Diaz, Founder and Director at Accounting for Jewelers LLC
HR/Operations: Annie Doresca, CFO at JA, and Lisa Jones, VP of Human Resources at the Gemological Institute of America
Legal: Cecilia Gardner, Attorney at Cecilia L. Gardner, Esq.
Product Development/Jewelry Forensics: Emily Phillippy, Owner and Founder of Emily Chelsea Jewelry Inc., and Adrianne Sanogo, GIA GG and Co-Founding Board Member and Education Chair at BIJC
Ethical Sourcing: Christine Malle, Owner of Christina Malle Designs
Sales: Manos Phoundoulakis, Co-Founder and Director of Happiness at Select Source Inc.
Marketing: Deanna Thornton, Founder of Thornton Digital Consulting LLC
Security: John Kennedy, Jewelers’ Security Alliance President
Insurance: Tina Olm, VP of Shipping Solutions at Jewelers Mutual Group
Malyia McNaughton, BIJC President, expressed excitement about the program’s first cohort, highlighting their impressive business acumen. McNaughton expects participants to gain deeper knowledge in the jewelry industry, fostering businesses that will thrive for years to come.
Upon completion of the workshops, participants will present how they plan to apply the program’s insights to their businesses. One participant stands to receive a $5,000 grant, while the remaining four businesses will each be awarded $1,250.
Post-program, the cohort will maintain access to periodic check-in calls, quarterly workshops, and invitations to industry events.
