BHM Founders Features: Angela Hawkins, Founder of Bamblu
February signals the start of a month of celebration and reflection on the many contributions Black Americans have made to the United States and the world. Indeed, the man credited as the visionary for this annual celebration, Carter G. Woodson, hoped to educate young black people about their rich heritage and the achievements of their ancestors.
This February is like no other. The globe is nearly a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disproportionately impacted a multitude of areas of the Black community, including health, racial equity, and economic prosperity.
Monica Motivates was created by founder Monica McCoy to help women, Black and Latinx, and underrepresented founders gain critical access to capital and successfully launch their dreams.
Throughout February, in honor of the spirit of Black History Month, and adding to the body of knowledge the accomplishments of Black people, we will feature founders who are making incredible strides in their businesses.
Angela Hawkins is the owner and founder of Bamblu, a sleep company.
Monica Motivates had the opportunity to ask Hawkins to share a little about her journey as a founder.
In a few sentences tell us a little about your business — the clients you serve and the services you provide.
Bamblu is a sleep company. We offer a suite of luxury products from bedding to pajamas. We offer our customers sleep solutions to get the rest they need to live the lives they want.
Describe the moment you decided to start your business and what was the inspiration behind it?
I created Bamblu in an effort to solve a sleep issue for my favorite troubled sleeper, my husband. He would sweat at night which caused him to be uncomfortable and toss and turn. His lack of restful sleep was affecting how he showed up in his daily life. We tried everything from cooling pillows to fancy mattresses and nothing worked. After some extensive research, I decided to address the actual fibers in the bedding. We tried a natural fabric, bamboo. It was just what he needed to get that good restful sleep his body was craving. No more night sweats, itchy fabrics, and allergens. Bamboo was soft, weighted like silk, and temperature regulating to keep us both comfortable like sleeping on the cool side of the pillow all night long. I realized this was a solution everyone needed to hear about. We all sleep and 40% of us sleep poorly. I decided I would tell them by creating my own bedding line designed with living your best life at the core of the mission!
All great businesses, at their core, are providing solutions to life’s challenges. What challenges does your business aim to solve for your customers/clients?
We aim to solve the problem of sleep deprivation and illnesses that come from lack of restful sleep by offering products and solutions including knowledge on how to create the ideal sleep environment.
What does being a founder/entrepreneur mean to you?
Being a Founder to me means I’m paving a way in my industry. Creating opportunities not only for my business, but for my family and my community.
We know that founders of color face a number of challenges in not only creating but successfully operating their own business. As efforts are made nationally and globally to create racial equity across industries, what role do you believe founders of color can have?
Lift as we climb. Operate in integrity and excellence to solidify a path forward for our legacy.
Is there a founder of color, historically or present day, who inspires you? And why?
Lamar Tyler of Traffic, Sales & Profit. His success has never been about him. It has always been about moving the needle for the culture. Helping to encourage and uplift a community by developing skills and mindset. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.
What’s your one piece of advice to someone who dreams of becoming a founder/entrepreneur?
No one ever said it would be easy, but most will say it’s definitely worth it. Don’t give up!
Learn more about Bamblu by visiting their website: https://bamblu.co
In a few sentences tell us a little about your business — the clients you serve and the services you provide.
Bamblu is a sleep company. We offer a suite of luxury products from bedding to pajamas. We offer our customers sleep solutions to get the rest they need to live the lives they want.
Describe the moment you decided to start your business and what was the inspiration behind it?
I created Bamblu in an effort to solve a sleep issue for my favorite troubled sleeper, my husband. He would sweat at night which caused him to be uncomfortable and toss and turn. His lack of restful sleep was affecting how he showed up in his daily life. We tried everything from cooling pillows to fancy mattresses and nothing worked. After some extensive research, I decided to address the actual fibers in the bedding. We tried a natural fabric, bamboo. It was just what he needed to get that good restful sleep his body was craving. No more night sweats, itchy fabrics, and allergens. Bamboo was soft, weighted like silk, and temperature regulating to keep us both comfortable like sleeping on the cool side of the pillow all night long. I realized this was a solution everyone needed to hear about. We all sleep and 40% of us sleep poorly. I decided I would tell them by creating my own bedding line designed with living your best life at the core of the mission!
All great businesses, at their core, are providing solutions to life’s challenges. What challenges does your business aim to solve for your customers/clients?
We aim to solve the problem of sleep deprivation and illnesses that come from lack of restful sleep by offering products and solutions including knowledge on how to create the ideal sleep environment.
What does being a founder/entrepreneur mean to you?
Being a Founder to me means I’m paving a way in my industry. Creating opportunities not only for my business, but for my family and my community.
We know that founders of color face a number of challenges in not only creating but successfully operating their own business. As efforts are made nationally and globally to create racial equity across industries, what role do you believe founders of color can have?
Lift as we climb. Operate in integrity and excellence to solidify a path forward for our legacy.
Is there a founder of color, historically or present day, who inspires you? And why?
Lamar Tyler of Traffic, Sales & Profit. His success has never been about him. It has always been about moving the needle for the culture. Helping to encourage and uplift a community by developing skills and mindset. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.
What’s your one piece of advice to someone who dreams of becoming a founder/entrepreneur?
No one ever said it would be easy, but most will say it’s definitely worth it. Don’t give up!
Learn more about Bamblu by visiting their website: https://bamblu.co