Founded by two childhood best friends from Richmond, VA, Lillian Jackson and Melissa Mason, Brown Skin Brunchin was designed to provide a community of professional minority women a solution from social isolation and a way to expand their personal and professional circles, minus the awkwardness of traditional networking events. With that idea in mind, Lillian and Melissa created Brown Skin Brunchin’ to bring together women in delectable and casual settings that make new connections organic, simple, and most of all, fun!
Brown Skin Brunchin’ is the global leader for minority women who love to brunch, and brunch to the fullest!
If you’re interested in being a part of a global community that loves to laugh, offers a safe space to connect, and is full of amazing women that are building a sisterhood then Brown Skin Brunchin’ is for you.
Please tell us about how your friendship/partnership began and how Brown Skin Brunchin came about?
Lillian: My co-founder Melissa Mason and I have had a lifelong relationship that started over 30 years ago in our hometown located in Richmond Virginia. During the course of our friendship I was presented with a job opportunity that I felt benefited me during this time of my life. Being that the job opportunity was in another state it caused a great distance between Melissa and I. Through this challenge, we found how important it is to sustain relationships and through this Brown Skin Brunchin was founded in 2018.
We understand that you have built a community of over 40K black women. You are living proof that we are greater together. What impact do you want to make in the lives of the women you serve and to those who join in the future?
Melissa: As black women, we wanted to create a social setting for black women to be able to come together, create lasting friendships, and bond over a good meal & drinks in a classy and inclusive setting. The impact we would want to make in the lives of women is to be a setting where women know they are able to be themselves in the skin they are in free of bias and judgment.
Congratulations on operating in over 87 cities worldwide. What are some of your short and long-term goals for the future?
Lillian: Thank you! Some short-term goals we plan on moving forward with would be to expand Brown Skin Brunchin to an even greater number of cities around the globe. We’re excited to see the brand’s impact expand globally and we aim to provide even more luxurious experiences and access for our loyal members.
What are you currently working on?
Melissa: Aside from our international expansion, we’re creating enhanced tiers of membership to allow women to get even more out of the Brown Skin Brunchin experience, like retreats, private sponsored brunches and merchandise. We’re looking forward to having more partnerships and investors come on board. Brown Skin Brunchin’s mission is to establish a presence on every continent in the world (and Mars if there are people there!).
As Black Mompreneurs, how has the work that you do make an impact on you personally?
Melissa: Being a woman of color I realized very early on as well as when I rose in my career, there were less people that looked like me, let alone people that could relate to me. I realized as an adult, I didn’t know how to make friends, but I wanted them. So many other women reached out to me that needed the exact same thing, — that sisterhood, to network, and they wanted to do it in a fun way.
What do you enjoy most about working together?
Lillian: We have been bestfriends for many years, however being able to cultivate an experience from one of the things we both loved to do prior to establishing Brown Skin Brunchin has made working together enjoyable.
What else would you like our readers to know about you and the work that you do?
Lillian: Brown Skin Brunchin’ is a forward-thinking, innovative brand experiencing rapid growth globally. We are always looking to connect with women that would like to become an inspiration in their community by launching a chapter of Brown Skin Brunchin. Check out our website at https://www.brownskinbrunchin.com/team to join our team!
More on Brown Skin Brunchin’
Established in 2018, Brown Skin Brunchin’ is a global organization and nationally recognized brand that provides women of color a safe space to connect and enjoy delightful dining experiences while cultivating lifelong friendships and expanding their professional circles. As a market leader, the company currently operates in 87 cities around the world, caters to over 41,000 women.