Today we’d like to introduce you to LyriQ LaShay.
Thanks for sharing your story with us LyriQ. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
A year ago, I took a trip that changed my life. I went to Ghana to impact the lives of children at Teshie Children’s Home. When I embarked on this journey I had no idea what blessings would come from it but that is what happens when you serve. I spent one week at the children’s home. I facilitated a workshop I created called The Power of I Am, I gave a motivational speech, a concert, and gave each child a care package full of necessities. The Teshie Childrens’ Home Community taught me a lot of things while I was there with them as well. They taught me how to cook some Ghanian food, their language, Ghanian games and dances. I was completely engulfed in the culture.
While I was there, I got to go to the beach and while there I started to sketch my first bag design that was not for sell just something I wanted sewed for me. I shared my sketch and talked to host at the time Nana Kojo Adumaha who is the co-founder of Afro LyriQ. He gifted me some fabric and connected me to a contact for a seamstress who sewed me 15 of my designs. Before leaving Ghana Nana encouraged me because of my passion for helping displaced and shelterless women, children, and men to start my own shelter. I thought that it was an amazing idea so we founded LyriQ LaShay Love Foundation. The purpose of the foundation is to build a community that is self-sufficient, self-sustaining, where you will not just survive but thrive. The goal is to purchase land in Ghana and build the community there.
When I came back to the states, everywhere I wore my bag people inquired about the fanny bag, I mean everywhere I went people offered to buy the bags off me. I actually brought bookbags and skirts back with me that were gifted to me by Nana Kojo for my performance at the Chale Wote. I intend on selling those bags but not my fanny-packs, however the fanny-packs were getting so much attention, I decided along with the founder to go ahead and get more made to sell. From then on Afro LyriQ was birthed September 2018 with a mission to give back through the sales of our product. For every bag or product we sell, we put together events to give back to women, children, and men in need. It is also a way we invest into our nonprofit, the LyriQ LaShay Love’s Foundation community.
Great, 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?
It has not been a smooth road at all. Some of the struggles along the way were distance and time zones when it comes to producing bags and having meetings with the production team and co-founder. The production of the Afro LyriQ bags are created there. Another challenge would be finances. Of course, anybody who starts a business have to understand that you must invest in that business and find resources that help finance that business. The finance struggle makes it difficult at times to keep up with demand of having bags produced.
Afro LyriQ and LyriQ LaShay Love Foundation – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Afro LyriQ is a bag and apparel company, for every product we sell we give back to women, children, and men in need. We are most known for our amazing fanny packs, book bags, and laptop bags. We also have giveback and charity events that promote social and emotional learning as well as giving necessities like hygiene products, clothes, underclothes, etc. to individuals in need. We don’t just provide service but an experience that makes displaced and shelterless individuals feel worthy, loved, and cared about. The business consists of two women and we are looking to expand our team. The key players of Afro Lyriq is LyriQ LaShay and Erica Preston and the co-founder is Nana Kojo Adummah.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
One of Afro LyriQ’s proudest moments have been sending Ghana Clothes donation in the Volta Region facilitated by the co-founder Nana Kojo Adummah. And most recently, Afro LyriQ gave a Surprise Spa Day go 22 homeless women at the Salvation Army, upon completion of the S.H.E Workshop: facilitated by another partnership. I have with a young woman name Brittaney Harden. Together we are InspiHer’d.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.afrolyriq@gmail.com
- Phone: 612-222-9144
- Email: afrolyriq@gmail.com
- Instagram: @afrolyriq @lyriqlashay@gmail.com @lyriqlashay
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