In addition to being the country’s largest gathering celebrating all things Black excellence in music, fashion, activism and entertainment, ESSENCE Festivall has also served as a launching pad for dozens of successful entrepreneurs.
ESSENCE Festival 2017 single-night tickets and ticket packages are on sale now! For more info and the latest news, visit our Festival page here.
Businesswoman and entrepreneur Dawn Dickson first began her journey to take over the world of fashionable footwear by bridging the gap between comfortable and cute with her line, Flat Out of Heels, in 2011. As so many women around the globe know, wearing heels for hours on end can take a serious toll on your feet–and your fun. Aiming to alleviate that problem, Dawn came up with the idea to launch the line of foldable flats and even took things a step further by developing a line of vending machines carrying the stylishly functional footwear. In 2015, she was selected as the winner of the Big Break Power Pitch at ESSENCE Festival, which awarded $25,000 to a woman-led company featuring a product that would change women’s lives.
Hear from Dawn herself about how winning the contest has taken her brand to the next level in the video above and then be sure to plan your trip to the 2017 ESSENCE Festival, happening this summer in new Orleans!