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Claima Stories with Bimma

Claima Stories with Bimma

Claima

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Co-Founder of Claima and Former Nike Marketer, Bimma Williams interviews leading and emerging creatives and entrepreneurs of color about how they were able to build their own tables by turning their hobbies, side hustles, and ideas into thriving small businesses. From these stories, listeners will learn how to claim their dream careers by stepping into the world of entrepreneurship. Featuring Melody Ehsani, Jeff Staple, James Whitner and more. Follow Claima Stories (@claimastories) and Bimma Williams (@bimmawilliams) on Instagram, and watch us on YouTube (@claimastories).

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Top 10 Claima Stories with Bimma Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Claima Stories with Bimma episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Claima Stories with Bimma for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Claima Stories with Bimma episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Andy Nguyen is co-founder of Afters Ice Cream, Matte Black Coffee, and many more restaurant ventures; he’s sort of something of a serial entrepreneur, his journey includes everything from real estate to streetwear to food. Born in Orange County, California, Andy grew up in Little Saigon, the second largest Vietnamese population after Vietnam. In the 90s, he was a victim of bullying and spent a lot of his freshman and sophomore year skipping school and was eventually kicked out for poor performance.

Andy maintained a determined spirit and would later go into real estate. Working out of his parent’s garage, he was making really good money, but he wasn’t passionate about it. Inspired by a friend, Andy decided to jump head first into the streetwear business.

He would go on to create a streetwear brand that was carried by Zumies, Karmaloop and other online retailers along with a blog that helped create a connection with the consumer and curated the interests of Andy and his crew. Kendrick, ASAP Rocky, and many other artists were supporters of the brand that he’d eventually sell in 2015 to start Afters Ice Cream, a restaurant sensation now with 27 locations on the West Coast.\

About Claima Stories with Bimma:

Former Nike Marketer, Bimma Williams interviews leading and emerging BIPOC creatives about how they were able to break into the notoriously guarded creative and sneaker industries. From these stories, listeners will learn how to claim their dream careers. Featuring Melody Ehsani, Jeff Staple, and James Whitner. Listen and Subscribe now.

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James Whitner is a streetwear entrepreneur whose inspirational story is rooted in hard work and the hustler’s mentality. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, James grew up in the projects during the crack epidemic, where he saw drugs tear families and communities apart including his own. A victim of homelessness while taking care of his younger brother, found himself in constant survival mode. Standing 6’4 at 13 years old, he found basketball which would be his focus and sanctuary until a career injury put his hoop dreams on hold.

James went to the streets and started hustling, until his mid 20s. Deciding to move to North Carolina for an opportunity and putting the street life behind him. James then went to college where he applied his street knowledge to getting a degree in Business Administration. He opened his first store and it was a diamond in the rough so to speak. But as a black man who understood business, street culture, and how to grind, James had no choice but to make it work. The streetwear scene was starting to grow and James wanted to be a part of it inspired by his legal past, having to call his probation officer to even attend trade shows. But not even a week after he got off probation, James went straight to Japan

With the idea of selling jeans. Once he figured out how that worked, he came up with the idea for Social Status. With 5 store locations, he made sure that people understood the importance of the south in the streetwear community when many didn’t believe in him. He moved to Atlanta and opened A Man Maniere, luxury for the street kids. Which leads us to the amazing A Man Maniere Jordan 3, a love letter to black women.

About Claima Stories with Bimma:

Former Nike Marketer, Bimma Williams interviews leading and emerging BIPOC creatives about how they were able to break into the notoriously guarded creative and sneaker industries. From these stories, listeners will learn how to claim their dream careers. Featuring Melody Ehsani, Jeff Staple, and James Whitner. Listen and Subscribe now.

Subscribe:

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Laci Jordan is an artist and creative director from Huntsville, Alabama currently living in Los Angeles that has worked with Jordan Brand, Adobe, Skillshare and so many more. Raised by southern parents, her dad, a plastics engineer from Tennessee and her mother, a Jill of All Trades with roots in the church, Laci was introduced to creativity before she even realized it.

Her mother was a resourceful woman who used her gift of crafting to paint Santa Clauses black, to make sure that Laci had representation in the household, while her father would fiddle and fix electronics all over the house. With older brothers, Laci was a tomboy with an engrained love for sneakers, and a super involved kid in all things from track to marching band( yes, marching band is a sport) to working ever since she was 14.

That hard work would lead Laci to the University of Alabama where she would major in Criminal Justice with FBI dreams, but her creativity always shined through. While in school, Laci was introduced to Disney recruiters that would lead to a summer internship in Orlando. Not really feeling it, Laci returned home, where she would be an IT analyst at her old middle school. With no options back home and desperate to get out of Huntsville, she applied for any creative gig at Disney in LA.

About Claima Stories with Bimma:

Former Nike Marketer, Bimma Williams interviews leading and emerging BIPOC creatives about how they were able to break into the notoriously guarded creative and sneaker industries. From these stories, listeners will learn how to claim their dream careers. Featuring Melody Ehsani, Jeff Staple, and James Whitner. Listen and Subscribe now.

Subscribe:

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Claima Stories with Bimma - Melody Ehsani shares story about learning sneaker design.
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02/25/21 • 0 min

After dropping out of law school, Melody Ehsani shares a story about learning sneaker design and how she immediately felt innately connected to it. Over the years, she’s leveraged this passion to collaborate with brands like Reebok, Jordan, and Footlocker.

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Claima Stories with Bimma - EP 90: Intisar Abioto, Artist and Photographer
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05/09/23 • 71 min

Our guest today picked up her first camera at the age of 14 and has worked in the world of photography ever since. Intisar Abioto, grew up in Memphis surrounded by Black art and found her path towards storytelling through taking images with Black women as the lead. Eventually making her way to Portland, she launched the Black Portlander project in 2013 and saw the impact it had on the local community. This project ultimately taught her the business of making art and using her art to celebrate the history and presence of Black life in the city of Portland. Today, Intisar identifies as an explorer-artist working across photography, dance, and writing. With the five women artists in her family, she is the Co-Founder of Studio Abioto, a multivalent creative arts studio. Her work has been featured in the Rolling Stone and New York Times.
Co-Founder of Claima and Former Nike Marketer, Bimma Williams interviews leading and emerging creatives and entrepreneurs of color about how they were able to build their own tables by turning their hobbies, side hustles, and ideas into thriving small businesses.
From these stories, listeners will learn how to claim their dream careers by stepping into the world of entrepreneurship. Featuring Melody Ehsani, Dapper Dan, Jeff Staple, Karleen Roy and more.
Follow Claima Stories and Bimma Williams on Instagram: @claimastories and @bimmawilliams
And watch us Youtube powered by Vista. Vista is proud to be your go-to design and marketing partner for small business owners across the world. Use code CLAIMASTORIES at check-out on www.vistaprint.com to receive 20% off your next order of $75 or more plus free standard shipping.

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Claima Stories with Bimma - EP 88: Jabari, Founder of COLORS Worldwide
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04/25/23 • 74 min

A lifelong student of hip-hop, Jabari always knew he wanted to work in the music industry specifically on the media side. While at Howard he started interviewing artists for a website including Fabolous, Nicki Minaj, and Justin Bieber, early in their careers. After working in social media at Capitol Records, the itch to create something of his own still remained. He decided to dive deep into the world of live music experiences, taking a page from the EDM world to create something for his culture at the forefront. Enter R&B ONLY LIVE, a one-of-kind music event that combines a DJ and Host to give you the ultimate R&B genre experience. Today, Jabari is the Founder and CEO of COLORS Worldwide with R&B ONLY as one of its flagship brands bringing together thousands of people in 50+ cities across the country.
Co-Founder of Claima and Former Nike Marketer, Bimma Williams interviews leading and emerging creatives and entrepreneurs of color about how they were able to build their own tables by turning their hobbies, side hustles, and ideas into thriving small businesses.
From these stories, listeners will learn how to claim their dream careers by stepping into the world of entrepreneurship. Featuring Melody Ehsani, Dapper Dan, Jeff Staple, Karleen Roy and more.
Follow Claima Stories and Bimma Williams on Instagram: @claimastories and @bimmawilliams
And watch us Youtube powered by Vista. Vista is proud to be your go-to design and marketing partner for small business owners across the world. Use code CLAIMASTORIES at check-out on www.vistaprint.com to receive 20% off your next order of $75 or more plus free standard shipping.

bookmark
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In searching for the thing he could truly call his own, Julian aka JuWorkingOnProjects, found that art was his calling. While working as a brand ambassador for Jordan Brand’s store in Chicago, Ju noticed an opportunity to create custom pieces of apparel that ultimately led to impressing artists like Teyana Taylor with his work. In a lot of Ju’s paintings, he offers his perspective on the experience of Black folks in America. Some experiences are great and others not so good. Inspired by his own racist encounter while sipping a cup of coffee and admiring his own vehicle, Ju went on to create a series of paintings called the Karen’s that would end up on the cover of New York Mag. In our conversation, Ju shares how being an East Sider in Chicago shaped him into the highly sought after artist he is today.
Co-Founder of Claima and Former Nike Marketer, Bimma Williams interviews leading and emerging creatives and entrepreneurs of color about how they were able to build their own tables by turning their hobbies, side hustles, and ideas into thriving small businesses.
From these stories, listeners will learn how to claim their dream careers by stepping into the world of entrepreneurship. Featuring Melody Ehsani, Jeff Staple, James Whitner and more.
Follow Claima Stories and Bimma Williams on Instagram: @claimastories @bimmawilliams
And watch us on Youtube powered by Vista

bookmark
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Claima Stories with Bimma - EP 63: Cydnie Smith McCarthy, Founder of Drink Mamey
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07/26/22 • 34 min

Inspired by the need to fight the racial disparity in the healthcare system after losing her father to a heart disease he wasn't aware of, Cydnie started educating herself on ways to boost immune systems and how to use food as part of preventative healthcare. With no true business motivations in mind, she started making juices for herself at home and then sharing the process on instagram. To her surprise, people wanted to purchase what she was making and Cydnie realized she had something special. In 2020, Cydnie Smith McCarthy founded Drink Mamey, a cold press juice, health, and wellness company.
Co-Founder of Claima and Former Nike Marketer, Bimma Williams interviews leading and emerging creatives and entrepreneurs of color about how they were able to build their own tables by turning their hobbies, side hustles, and ideas into thriving small businesses.
From these stories, listeners will learn how to claim their dream careers by stepping into the world of entrepreneurship. Featuring Melody Ehsani, Jeff Staple, James Whitner and more.
Follow Claima Stories and Bimma Williams on Instagram: @claimastories @bimmawilliams
And watch us on Youtube powered by Vista

bookmark
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share episode
Claima Stories with Bimma - EP 86: Olajuwon Ajanaku and Earl Cooper, Founders of Eastside Golf
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04/11/23 • 79 min

If you ask today’s guests Olajuwon Ajanaku and Earl Cooper, golf has always been a great game. The two met as teammates on the Morehouse College golf team where they won a National Championship and then remained friends as their lives ran parallel in different career fields. But the game always remained in Olajuwon’s heart and as a lover of design he wanted combine the two. So, he created the infamous swingman logo and put it on a shirt initially for himself which turned into shipping 3,000 orders from his home. As they say, the rest is history. Earl saw the vision and knew he had to join the mission. Today, Olajuwon and Earl are the Founders of Eastside Golf a golf apparel brand for the culture that is rooted in authenticity. They’ve gone to work with some of your favorite brands, including golf enthusiast and GOAT Michael Jordan.
Co-Founder of Claima and Former Nike Marketer, Bimma Williams interviews leading and emerging creatives and entrepreneurs of color about how they were able to build their own tables by turning their hobbies, side hustles, and ideas into thriving small businesses.
From these stories, listeners will learn how to claim their dream careers by stepping into the world of entrepreneurship. Featuring Melody Ehsani, Dapper Dan, Jeff Staple, Karleen Roy and more.
Follow Claima Stories and Bimma Williams on Instagram: @claimastories and @bimmawilliams
And watch us Youtube powered by Vista. Vista is proud to be your go-to design and marketing partner for small business owners across the world. Use code CLAIMASTORIES at check-out on www.vistaprint.com to receive 20% off your next order of $75 or more plus free standard shipping.

bookmark
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On today's show, recorded live at Claima Stories: Feast Portland edition, I speak with Megan Sanchez, Chef and Co-Owner of Guero. Megan grew up admiring her grandmother, who was a hustler, moving to the States with 5 kids and working in restaurants. She never had a master plan, but she walked through every door opened for her. Eventually becoming a landlord. Now, this isn't about Megan's grandmother. But let's just say the apple's apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. Megan moved to France after college to teach English but soon after gravitated towards food. Especially cheese. When she returned to the states, she'd work at Shelburne Farms in Vermont, where she'd become a cheesemonger.

But it was when she met her business partner Alec, that she would begin to go down a more entrepreneurial path. While selling food out of his apartment, Megan decided to turn his kitchen into a restaurant. They would go on to create a flourishing bicycle taco delivery service. With some naive confidence, Megan and Alec packed up their bags to sell tacos in Portland and eventually sold Tortas. business was booming, and they transitioned from a food truck to a restaurant space called Guero. When recalling how she ended up down this path, Megan shares a story about the impact of her Grandmother on her life today.

About Claima Stories with Bimma:

Former Nike Marketer, Bimma Williams interviews leading and emerging BIPOC creatives about how they were able to break into the notoriously guarded creative and sneaker industries. From these stories, listeners will learn how to claim their dream careers. Featuring Melody Ehsani, Jeff Staple, and James Whitner. Listen and Subscribe now.

Subscribe:

bookmark
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share episode

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FAQ

How many episodes does Claima Stories with Bimma have?

Claima Stories with Bimma currently has 152 episodes available.

What topics does Claima Stories with Bimma cover?

The podcast is about Leadership, Inclusion, Entrepreneurship, Fashion & Beauty, Podcasts, Jobs, Arts, Business, Diversity and Careers.

What is the most popular episode on Claima Stories with Bimma?

The episode title 'EP 82: Douglass Williams, Owner and Chef of MIDA and APIZZA' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Claima Stories with Bimma?

The average episode length on Claima Stories with Bimma is 39 minutes.

How often are episodes of Claima Stories with Bimma released?

Episodes of Claima Stories with Bimma are typically released every 6 days.

When was the first episode of Claima Stories with Bimma?

The first episode of Claima Stories with Bimma was released on Jan 21, 2020.

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Edwin Lee

@edwinBMU14

Mar 27

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