Community Weekly Report 33

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Volume 2, Edition 33

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Inspire, Inform & Educate

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August 19 - August 25, 2021

Houston Vegan Beauty Brand Becomes the First Texas-Based Page 3

African American Owned Cosmetics Line Sold by the Mega Retailer, ULTA D-MARS.COM INFO MAIN OFFICE: 7322 Southwest Fwy., Suite 800, Houston, TX 77074

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TruSo, A Black-Owned Social Networking App Set to Launch

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2 | August 19 - August 25, 2021

Community Weekly Report COMMUNITY

Houston Vegan Beauty Brand Becomes the First Texas-Based

COMMUNITY

Photo Source: NNPA

Backed by celebrities (left to right) Kareem Grimes, Miki Barber, Sway Calloway, and Terrell Owens, the Black-owned social networking app, TruSo, is poised to debut.

TruSo, A BlackOwned Social African American Owned Cosmetics Networking App Line Sold by the Mega Retailer, ULTA Set to Launch By d-mars.com News Provider

H

ouston native and owner, Kim Roxie, is proud to announce that LAMIK products will now be available on ULTA.com, which is the largest beauty specialty retailer in the country.

The official launch date was August 1, 2021.

“I have worked really hard over the last decade to establish LAMIK as an empowerment brand as opposed to a makeup brand,” said Roxie. “I’m always blown away by who the makeup is touching and who knows about it. A brand isn’t just a brand anymore, it’s a movement and I’m so honored and extremely humbled and excited to be able to share the LAMIK movement on such a huge platform.”

At 21, Roxie opened LAMIK as a brick-and-mortar makeup shop in Houston, Texas, to give women of color all-natural paraben-free makeup options for their day-to-day makeup routine.

Roxie successfully ran the store for 14 years and was the youngest African American woman to have her products carried in the major department store, Macy's.

In 2018, Roxie pivoted her business and launched LAMIK 2.0, an e-commerce beauty techenabled company. While transitioning into a permanent online platform, Roxie participated in and won the Black Girl Ventures Pitch Competition, which led to her partnership with ULTA. “When it comes to pitch competitions, it really comes down to your fanbase going online and voting for you. The city of Houston really showed up for me and without them none of this would be possible,” said Roxie. “This is a win for not just me, but for every other black-owned business in the city, because it tells major retailers that we have buying power.”

To date, LAMIK, which is an acronym for Love And Makeup In Kindness, has been featured in Forbes, Essence, Allure, Cosmopolitan, and Martha Stewart.com and was recently featured on CNBC for being named among Jay-Z’s “top black-owned business to know.”

For more about LAMIK, please visit lamikbeauty.com.

Source: Alex Green/AG Media

By Stacy M. Brown

NNPA Newswire Senior

A

new app could end the so-called “Black Twitter” experience and allow African Americans their own social media platform.

Backed by celebrities Sway Calloway, Kareem Grimes, Terrell Owens, and Miki Barber, the Black-owned social networking app, TruSo, is poised to debut.

“I believe in the power of community – especially cultural communities,” Matthew Newman, the founder and CEO of TruSo noted in a news release.

“As it relates to the Black community, the entire world has witnessed what we can accomplish when we join together behind a cause – we create a phenomenon.”

Newman continued:

“Now, we are introducing a social community that is built and funded by Blacks for Blacks and has monetization built-in so that everyone wins. Those who use the app should also benefit financially.

That’s what we’ve built.”

TruSo reportedly is designed to “empower and advance personal and career aspirations.”

It includes a content calendar that engages prominent individuals within several categories: Arts & Culture, Business & Marketing, and more.

Calloway said his partnership with the app was a strategic one and one that he felt others would use very well.

“I got involved with TruSo because this technology is truly disruptive in the social networking space,” he said.

Grimes said Newman “has a clear vision and go-tomarket strategy. I’ve worked with him on other projects, so I’m well-aware of his business acumen, and I welcomed the opportunity to get involved.”

Upon launch, TruSo will be available for both Apple and Android users. The app is free. Sign up at JoinTruSo.com.

Photo Caption: Kim Roxie, founder and owner of LAMIK

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Source: NNPA

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August 19 - August 25, 2021 | 3

4 | August 19 - August 25, 2021

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