Actress and founder of Pattern Haircare speak to PEOPLE about entrepreneurship and as an ambassador for the nonprofit organization Buy From A Black Woman.
Tracy Ellis Ross has always dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur. And in 2019, the 49-year-old Black star made her dream come true by launching her hair care line, Pattern Beauty - a collection of curly-haired women-friendly shampoos, conditioners, gels, creams, kits, and more.
"I wanted to own a business, and I wanted to have creative control over that business. And I wanted to be able to build this business to meet the community's unmet needs," the founder and CEO now exclusively tells PEOPLE.
Although Ross is initially clueless about entrepreneurship, the actress says half the struggle is realizing your idea has enough "promise" to fill the void. That's why she's partnered with H&M and Nikki Porcher, founder of the nonprofit Buy From Black Women, to grow black women's homeowners' businesses by investing in equal access to resources and capital.
"In the last 2 years, we have seen very performative interest in supporting black people. This is an opportunity to fulfill the task of expanding our capital and resources for a group of citizens who have something to share," said Ross. The High Note actress admits she is very conscious about using her platform to support black women - referencing her previous decision only to wear clothing by a black designer while hosting the 2018 American Music Awards.
"I'm a fan of fashion. I'm a fan of beauty products and the beauty industry. So it's natural for me," she said, supporting her community. "But I made a conscious choice at certain points to use my body, my platform, and my voice to ride in those areas that didn't always get the attention."
"The world continues to underestimate black women — our creativity, abilities, aspirations, and interests. We're used a lot, but we're not centralized," added Ross. "I think that's one of my favorite parts about having a platform and having a voice in the world, being able to use it to get attention and, you know, share... that's one of the reasons why This partnership is so beautiful."
