American rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs has launched an e-commerce platform Empower Global, allowing consumers to discover and buy products created and sold by Black entrepreneurs.
“My mission has always been to empower Black entrepreneurs and create more opportunities for them to access the resources, tools, and support needed to build successful businesses,” said Sean “Diddy” Combs, Chairman of Combs Global, in a press release.
Empower Global
Empower Global is an immersive e-commerce experience offering products from Black-owned businesses.
With a focus on culture and community, Empower Global aims to create opportunities for Black entrepreneurs to build and scale successful businesses by making it easy for everyone to shop Black daily.
The launch listed over 70 brands, including Silver & Riley, Actively Black, Scotch Porter, Coco & Breezy, Kultured Misfits, Gwen Beloti Jewelry, Buttah Skin, Marie Hunter Beauty, Pound Cake, B.M. Franklin & Co., Beauty Stat Cosmetics, Cecilia’s House, Cise and several others.
Image Credit: Empower Global
There are over 1000 items available on the platform, and there are plans to introduce new Black businesses every month.
The goal is to grow the site in a phased approach to showcase over 200 brands by the end of the year.
“Empower Global will uplift Black entrepreneurs, keep dollars circulating in our community, and make buying Black a lifestyle,” said Combs.
Built And Supported By Black-Owned Companies
The new platform was designed and built by TechSparq, a Black-owned e-commerce design and development company that brings “emotion into the digital world in a way that makes people feel connected.”
CEO of TechSparq Dedrick Boyd is an e-commerce strategist and ex-developer who has consulted and built e-commerce systems and marketplaces at several Fortune Companies over the past 23 years.
Empower Global is also supported by ChatDesk, a Black-owned customer service tech company based in New York.
Partnerships with UPS and Salesforce
Empower Global and courier service UPS are also collaborating to make supporting Black-owned businesses even more accessible by offering special deals and shipping rates.
Through the Days of Deals initiative, select sellers will offer discounts on choice products and free UPS shipping for any purchases on the platform for a limited time.
Empower Global also has a global strategic partnership with Salesforce, powered by Marketplacer’s best-in-class online marketplace technology.
