Meet the Women Dreaming Bigger with the 2023 Jordan Women’s Collective
Where (HER)itage can start with a dream.
CNK vibes with the ladies of the 2023 Jordan Women’s Collective who are not only pursuing their own dreams, but inspiring new ones through impactful change. 💫
There’s one specific lesson today’s world has taught all of us, we can not do this alone. Your community, your day ones (and day twos) are there for you to go through all of the trials, tribulations, ups and downs with you. The importance of community weighs heavily for us at CNK and with the women of the Jordan Women’s Collective.
Earlier this year, Jordan Brand introduced the next iteration of its North America Women’s Collective focused on community over competition, societal advancement, and evolving the Jumpman to represent a brand that is for, with, and by women. We met up with three members of the 2023 Collective to get some insights into their personal experiences building in lonely spaces, how those experiences influenced their paths forward, overcoming challenges in pursuit of community growth, and what they hope to see from the next generation of women and beyond.
“There have always been these touch points where community guides me through, and when I’m unsure, I can always tap back in with my community for reassurance and support.”
“You can’t go far alone,” says Christyna Pourhabib, writer, editor, and author of The First Pair and The First Pair+ | The Next Pair. “My first book wouldn’t have been possible without my community. There have always been these touch points where community guides me through, and when I’m unsure, I can always tap back in with my community for reassurance and support.”
For a strong community to thrive, you have to have alignment with the people around you. They have to have the same or similar values as you do in order to continue the dreams, plans, and drive in your community. Bianca Richards, licensed esthetician, content creator, and social media manager, gave her perspective on community in the beauty world and how she is able to educate her community in beauty and sneaker culture.
“You can’t go far alone.”
“With Jordan Brand, we’re in the space of embracing our multifaceted identities,” says Richards. “We often find ourselves being seen as one-dimensional individuals, especially in beauty. It’s always based on skincare and makeup, but there are so many other aspects of [beauty], whether it comes from a wellness perspective or a fashion perspective. I have a personal mission to overlap between beauty and sneaker culture, and I hope to relay this same message to the community around me.”
“With Jordan Brand, we’re in the space of embracing our multifaceted identities...”
Today’s generation of women is unstoppable. The more we can break those glass ceilings the better we can see that the sky is not the limit, it’s just a view. However, with that does come some challenges we will face on our journey. Elyse Fox, mental health activist, and director spoke on her personal challenges in her journey that created a pivotal moment in her work.
“I started a nonprofit before the conversation of wellness was trendy and before it was cool to talk about these things, and I really had to prove myself ten times more than my white counterparts who were doing similar work. So, instead of beating myself up about not having anyone here and not having anyone to talk to, I used it as an opportunity to say ‘Hey, there aren’t many of us in this space. So if you want a Black Woman’s perspective on mental health I can provide that to you.’ I was able to leverage the support of my community just from my unique perspective.”
“Hey, there aren’t many of us in this space. So if you want a Black Woman’s perspective on mental health I can provide that to you.’ I was able to leverage the support of my community just from my unique perspective.”
As we continue to celebrate the 2023 Jordan Women’s Collective as they continue to build their community for like-minded women through their stories and personal experiences, we also want to acknowledge the aspect of self-belief and striving for our own dreams. We have to give ourselves grace on those days when it feels a little tougher to get through, and listening to our bodies when it’s time to take a break.
It’s a marathon and we all have our own seasons, but we should never give up on our dreams or the dreams of the women in our communities.