Brown Suga Stationery & Design Born Out of the Need for a Creative Outlet
As a young artist, mom, and entrepreneur – Jaden Teixeira always had a passion for paper products and aesthetics.
After carrying her daughter through the pandemic and going through post-partum as a stay-at-home mom, Teixeira was seeking a creative outlet and Brown Suga Stationery & Design was born in April 0f 2022.
Creations ranging from stationery, stickers, bookmarks, to notebooks – Teixeira began working local vendor markets to sell her products on the weekends.
Get a glimpse into her online store at www.brwnsuga.co.
Entrepreneurship for All
While working outdoor markets, she met Executive Director of the South Coast E-for-All program Semia Walker who stopped by her table to look at her products and invited her to join E-for-All’s accelerator program to support her business development.
While participating in E-for-All’s networking events, she met the Director of Creative Strategies & Arts-Based Initiatives, Margo Saulnier at the New Bedford Economic Development Council – who became a mentor and shared info about applying for NBEDC’s NB100! grant.
Scaling Brown Suga Stationery & Design
NB100! Is a kick-starter grant program offered by the New Bedford Economic Development Council, an SBA Community Navigator partner which has a mission to promote entrepreneurship, grow local wealth, and strengthen community bonds.
After being awarded the $10,000 NB100! grant, Jaden was able to manufacture products she couldn’t afford to otherwise due to overhead and the high costs of sourcing materials. The NBEDC’s Business Support Officer Marianella Perry has also been a key supporter in the growth of Brown Suga, facilitating networking and media opportunities, such as radio interviews that put a spotlight on her business for example – and just referring people for her to meet!
“I know that I can reach out to anybody at the NBEDC and that’s why I love them,” said Founder Jaden Teixeira. “It’s been a really cool experience to have people locally that support my business and truly love what I’m doing with my venture.”
Today, Teixeira is looking to scale her business by increasing her online traffic and getting the Brown Suga name out to the masses.
About New Bedford Economic Development Council (NBEDC)
The NBEDC is a nonprofit organization with a mission to cultivate and promote a transparent, credible, and business-friendly environment. The NBEDC works collaboratively with local, state, and federal partners to support creativity, sustainable job growth, and private sector investment benefiting the citizens of New Bedford. Grant and loan programs include NBForward for existing businesses, NB100! for new businesses, and grants through the New Bedford Creative program: ARTnet for individual artists, Wicked Cool Places for placemaking/placekeeping projects, and Art is Everywhere! for arts-based economic development. For details, visit www.nbedc.org.