Meet Shanté
Shanté is a loving mother of three who channels her passion for interpersonal connection and design into her Newark-based jewelry business. Since she was young, jewelry-making has always been an important creative outlet for Shanté. From initial sketches to finishing touches, Shanté found it rewarding to, at the end of her creative process, have a unique piece that represented all her hard work. With the onset of COVID-19 and its accompanying lockdowns, Shanté realized she had an opportunity to turn her longtime hobby into a full-fledged business from the safety and convenience of her home.
“I’ve always been very good with my hands. When I’m able to see the things that I create, it motivates me to keep going. It was also a hobby. It was something I enjoyed doing. So when the pandemic hit, I decided to take it seriously. ”
Since she began selling her pieces last spring, Shanté has found her niche creating custom waist beads, a traditional African accessory. Waist beads are historically a quite symbolic piece worn for a variety of different reasons specific to each wearer. Because of their personalized nature, waist beads have quickly become a staple in Shanté’s line alongside bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and rings.
“I don’t just do regular waist beads because everybody does that. I like to be special, so I make them specifically for one person. When you have it, it’s for you, and nobody else will have that one.”
This commitment to originality and personalization is a vital part of Shanté’s business, and the time and attention she pays to each unique piece has also proven therapeutic for her. Having grown up in the foster system, Shanté repeatedly found herself reckoning with the complex emotions surrounding her relationship with her biological mother.
“It took me a while to realize it was because she loved me so much that she gave me away. She knew she couldn’t do the best for me. So, once I understood that love, I wanted to know how I could transform all of it into tangible things that I can pass on to people.”
For Shanté, joining Grameen America brought her jewelry-making to the next level, importantly, alongside a supportive peer group that understood how important her business was to her and her self-growth. As she’s still in the early stages of building her brand, she greatly appreciates both the tangible learnings and sense of community that she looks forward to at her weekly center meetings.
“What I appreciate about Grameen America is being able to build a business with like-minded people. This is exactly what I need because I’m at a place in my life where I’m expanding a lot. I love it. I love being able to hop onto meetings and get all the encouragement I need.”
Shanté is using her loan capital to bring her products out into the community by registering for intimate vending events where she can connect with her customers one-on-one and understand the exact pieces they’re looking for. She hopes these events become a fixed part of her business model as they have the potential to evolve alongside her product offerings as Shanté hopes to incorporate other items like vintage clothing and crystals into her inventory.
When she reflects on her motivation to succeed as an entrepreneur, Shanté points to her children, a daughter aged nine and two sons ages seven and six.
“My kids keep me going, honestly. They teach me so much more about what I need to grow, learn, and improve for myself. It gives me a great opportunity to feel purpose-driven.”
Shanté hopes that they, one day, also pursue their own entrepreneurial ventures, finding a community like Grameen America along the way.