Today we’d like to introduce you to Aisha Cort.
Hi Aisha, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory
V E L A N E G R A began as a stress reducing outlet. By day I’m full-time professor at Howard University and UCLA and in the evenings, I’d make things — crochet, sketches, crafts, and candles. When the pandemic started, my anxiety was at an all-time high and I started making more and more and realized that it could be more than a hobby. With VELA NEGRA I wanted to create a mindful and environmentally conscious, but luxurious addition to home. It has evolved into a personal expression of heritage and home. The unique fragrances of V E L A N E G R A (ashé, azúcar, coquí, morena, rico, wepa) are inspired by various elements of my Afro-Cuban and Guyanese heritage. The fragrances and their namesakes remind me of my heritage and places like, Cuba, Puerto Rico, that I have been lucky enough to call home.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I launched in July 2020, in the middle of COVID. We got an amazing response and at first there were minor supply chain issues, but by September everything was out of stock, or stuck in port, so I had to get incredibly creative. Additionally, we had our volume almost quadruple in October 2020 when we were featured on Good Morning America. All of that coupled with USPS shipping delays has made these first few months of business a beautiful but stressful start.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I spin a lot of plates in my daily life. Professionally, I’m an entrepreneur, scholar, maker, author, and podcast host. By day, I am a full-time lecturer of Spanish at Howard University and also a full-time lecturer of Spanish at UCLA. I earned my BA in Spanish from Yale University, and her MA and PhD in Spanish Literature from Emory University. My research focuses on Afro-Latinx and Latinx film, literature, and cultural production, with a specialization in Afro-Cuban cultural production. I’m the author of the forthcoming monograph, Representing Race in Revolutionary Cuba: Afrocubanía, negrometraje, and cultural production, 1961-1996 (SUNY Press). As an entrepreneur, I run a few businesses including drapersouth, a creative consulting company that is the umbrella for my other businesses –Hey Dr. Cort!, VIVA LA LENGUA Travel, and VELA NEGRA. Through Hey Dr. Cort!, I run the VIVA LA LENGUA™ Spanish language courses and cultural immersion tours in Havana, Cuba, Oaxaca, Mexico, Barcelona, and Tulum. VIVA LA LENGUA Travel is a culturally-based, recreational branch of Hey Dr. Cort! and VIVA LA LENGUA™. I’m also the co-host of the new podcast, Negrometraje, where we explore films by and about Afro-Latinos. I’m most proud of the fact that I’m able to honor and celebrate my Afro-Cuban and Guyanese heritage in all the different arenas of my life.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Integrity and loyalty. Because I move in so many different directions and have many projects running at once, I am very deliberate about everything that I say ‘yes’ to and things that are not for me. I work very hard to ensure that I don’t take on too much and that I can devote the energy and focus to each project that it fully deserves. I approach each project and venture with integrity. It is easier than you think to not operate with integrity and cut corners or shortchange a project, so I make a conscious effort in everything that I commit myself to, to do so with full focused purpose and integrity.
Pricing:
- Ashé – starting at $22.50
- Morena – starting at $20
- VELA LOVERS set – $85
Contact Info:
- Email: pr@thevelanegra.com
- Website: www.thevelanegra.com
- Instagram: @thevelanegra
- Facebook: @Thevelanegra
Image Credits
Jonathan Pitts-Wiley VELA NEGRA
