Community Highlights: Meet Zaina of Girl Com

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zaina.

Hi Zaina, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I am a Nigerian American entrepreneur, senior publicist, brand strategist, and the founder of Girl Com, a national organization created to support women of color in e-commerce and product-based businesses. I also serve as President of Girl Com Global Corporation, our 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm, which focuses on entrepreneurship education, leadership development, access to funding, retail readiness, global sourcing, and supply-chain opportunities.

Before launching Girl Com, I spent years working in public relations, brand development, retail programming, and entrepreneurship. Most recently, I served as a Program Director for retail initiatives supporting Black-owned brands through Target and Walmart. In that role, I worked closely with founders who had incredible products and powerful stories but often lacked the resources, connections, funding, and infrastructure needed to grow.

When many of those programs were discontinued, I saw firsthand how quickly opportunities could disappear for Black entrepreneurs. Instead of walking away from the work, I made the decision to invest in and build my own programming. That experience became a major turning point for me and strengthened my commitment to creating platforms that our community could own and sustain.

Through Girl Com, we have supported hundreds of women-owned brands across the country by connecting founders to education, visibility, product placement, funding resources, strategic partnerships, and global business opportunities. Our work has expanded into chapters in Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington, D.C., Dallas, and Houston, and we are currently producing a five-city tour that highlights Black-owned businesses while creating meaningful opportunities for networking, commerce, sisterhood, and community impact.

We also launched the Brand Builders Fund through Girl Com Global Corporation to provide grants, scholarships, business education, retail-readiness support, and global supply-chain training to entrepreneurs who may not otherwise have access to those resources.

Today, my work sits at the intersection of public relations, retail, entrepreneurship, community development, and global supply chain. As one of the few Black people working within the global supply-chain space, I am especially passionate about helping our founders understand sourcing, distribution, manufacturing, and international opportunities.

I did not arrive here through a perfectly planned path. I arrived here by recognizing gaps, listening to the needs of entrepreneurs, and being willing to build what I believe our community deserves. What began as a desire to connect women in business has grown into a national and global movement focused on helping founders build sustainable brands, create generational wealth, and gain access to opportunities that can transform their businesses and communities.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Not at all. The road has been rewarding, but it has also come with many challenges. One of the biggest struggles has been building impactful programming without access to the large budgets that many established organizations have. Securing well-known talent, recognized brand founders, venues, transportation, marketing, and other resources can be difficult when you are largely self-funded or operating with limited sponsorship support.

Another challenge has been navigating the changing political and corporate climate. Under the current administration, some organizations have reduced or limited their support for minority-led initiatives and programs focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. As a result, many Black founders and community-based organizations have lost access to funding, partnerships, and opportunities that were previously available.

There have also been moments when I have felt that the vision was understood but not fully supported. It can be discouraging to see the value of the work while still having to repeatedly prove why investing in Black women entrepreneurs and minority-owned businesses matters.

Despite those challenges, I have continued to move forward. I have learned how to be resourceful, build meaningful partnerships, and create opportunities even when the resources were limited. The struggles have strengthened my commitment to building sustainable programs and platforms that are not entirely dependent on changing corporate priorities. They have also reminded me why this work is necessary.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Girl Com?
Girl Com is a national organization created to support women of color in e-commerce and product-based businesses. We specialize in helping founders gain access to the resources, relationships, visibility, and education needed to build sustainable and scalable brands.

Our work focuses on retail readiness, product placement, public relations, branding, funding opportunities, global sourcing, supply-chain education, strategic partnerships, and community development. We connect entrepreneurs with industry professionals, retailers, corporate partners, investors, media opportunities, and other founders who understand the realities of building a product-based business.

Girl Com Global Corporation is our 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm. Through the nonprofit, we provide entrepreneurship education, leadership development, scholarships, grants, accelerator programs, and access to global business opportunities. We also recently launched the Brand Builders Fund to support founders who have been affected by the reduction of corporate diversity initiatives and retail programs.

What sets Girl Com apart is that we are not only focused on inspiration or networking. We are focused on creating tangible opportunities. Our founders need more than motivational conversations. They need access to funding, manufacturing, distribution, retail buyers, media exposure, product placement, global sourcing, and long-term business relationships. We design our programs around those needs.

A major part of our long-term vision is preparing brands to build sourcing relationships and business partnerships throughout Africa. We want to help founders understand manufacturing, distribution, trade, and global supply-chain opportunities so they can scale their businesses, reduce limitations, and become competitive global suppliers. I am especially passionate about helping bridge the gap between African American and African business communities by creating relationships that can lead to sustainable commerce, investment, and shared economic growth.

We are also known for creating unique experiences that combine business development, community, commerce, and culture. Our 50 Shades of Pink Bus Tour Experience highlights Black women-owned businesses through curated shopping experiences, tastings, networking, brand activations, and storytelling. We are currently producing a five-city tour across Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington, D.C., Dallas, and Houston.

I am most proud that Girl Com has grown from an idea into a platform that has supported hundreds of women-owned brands across the country. I am also proud that we have continued to build despite limited resources and changing corporate priorities. When the retail programs I managed for Black-owned brands through Target and Walmart ended, I made the decision to fund and create my own programming rather than abandon the community I had been serving.

I want readers to know that Girl Com is building more than events. We are building an ecosystem. Our goal is to help women of color create profitable, scalable, and globally competitive businesses while building generational wealth within our communities. We want founders to understand that they do not have to build alone, and that they deserve access to the same resources, relationships, and opportunities available to larger brands.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Atlanta made me. I have lived here since I was seven years old, attended Atlanta Public Schools, and grew up surrounded by people who went on to become successful entrepreneurs, leaders, and pillars of the community. Seeing their journeys has always encouraged me and reminded me of what is possible.

What I love most about Atlanta is its sense of community, cultural awareness, and deep history of Black excellence. This city has produced generations of leaders, business owners, creatives, and changemakers. There is a spirit of ambition, resilience, and collaboration here that is difficult to find anywhere else. In my opinion, there is no other city in the country quite like Atlanta.

What I like least is the traffic. Atlanta’s growth has brought so many new people, businesses, and opportunities to the city, but the congestion can be exhausting. Still, I understand that the traffic is partly a reflection of how many people have recognized Atlanta’s value and want to be a part of what the city is becoming.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://girlcom.org
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/girlcombrand
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/girlcombrand