Today we’d like to introduce you to Elisa Molina. They and their team shared their story with us below:
Elisa Molina is a dynamic multi-passionate 2x entrepreneur, non-profit director, and the Founder and CEO of COVEDOZA, an Afro-Latina feminist lifestyle brand. COVEDOZA stands as a beacon for communities of color, empowering them to unleash their talent, co-create collaboratively, dream big, and amplify their voices through lifestyle products, knowledge-sharing, and transformative experiences. Using her experience as a Returned Peace Corps volunteer, Molina harnessed design thinking to forge a platform that connects potential customers with women artists globally through digital art.
Her contributions and visionary leadership have not gone unnoticed. Her contributions and visionary leadership have not gone unnoticed. In 2020, Molina was honored with the Latino Small Business Resilience Award by the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and received the Hispanic Young Professionals & Entrepreneurs Award. November of the same year marked her selection for the prestigious American Express and IFundWomen 100 for 100 ‘Founders of Change’ Grant Program, earning her recognition as ‘The Most Engaged Entrepreneur’ by the R.J. Pierce Law Group. The accolades continued in 2021 with her selection for the Elevate Together Program and her victory in the Jefes del Futuro Contest, sponsored by Cricket Wireless. In 2022, her relentless innovation earned her a nomination for the Entrepreneur of the Year award by the Latin American Association, culminating in 2023 with the distinguished Entreprenista 100 Award.
Elisa Molina currently excels as the Director of Operations at the Junior Achievement Discovery Center in Gwinnett, where her resilience and dedication were recognized with the “Onward and Upward Employee Award” in 2014. She has also played a vital role on the Executive Board of the Atlanta Professional Chapter of Omega Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, an organization dedicated to nurturing the next wave of leaders and career-oriented women through a supportive sisterhood. She is a board member of Because One Matters – a nonprofit dedicated to creating lasting memories for Georgia’s foster children.
Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Elisa pursued higher education in the United States, earning her bachelor’s degree in international business from Buffalo State College, Buffalo, New York, in 2008. Her career began at the Pan American Health Organization in Washington, D.C., where her interest in international affairs flourished. Driven by her dreams, she joined the Peace Corps in 2010, serving as a Community Economic Development Volunteer in Costa Rica. Over nearly three years, Elisa engaged with the artisan community of Guaitil de Santa Cruz, confronting firsthand the challenges these artisans faced, including limited access to capital, language barriers, and a scarcity of business training opportunities. In 2012, Elisa collaborated with the local Parent-Teacher Association, the elementary school, and community members to secure $15,000 through private foundation grants and local fundraising efforts. This initiative successfully established the community’s first computer lab, aiming to bridge the technology literacy gap that existed among children, youth, and adults.
These pivotal experiences, coupled with her unwavering feminist principles, planted the foundation for COVEDOZA’s creation. Elisa’s transition from addressing the needs of artisans in Costa Rica to leading an Afro-Latina feminist lifestyle brand is a testament to her deep-seated commitment to uplifting underrepresented communities and fostering a more equitable society.
Currently, she is channeling her entrepreneurial spirit into her second venture, Jefa Mom Podcast. This initiative aims to complement COVEDOZA by serving as its service arm, specifically addressing the language barriers that women entrepreneurs encounter in the U.S. when seeking capital and applying for small business loans. Through business education, digital products, local partnerships, and a podcast, Jefa Mom is poised to empower and enable women entrepreneurs, reinforcing Elisa’s dedication to making a significant impact on underrepresented groups.
She is an avid salsa dancer, mother of an incredible 6-year-old, and happily married, living in Atlanta, GA.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As a child of an immigrant single mother of 5, I never imagined being able to achieve higher education, let alone build a business that uplifts underrepresented and underpaid artists of color in our community. I became a small business owner because I want to build a legacy of resilience for myself, my family, and my community. After moving to the U.S., I had to learn how to navigate my bi-culturalism in the workplace, develop business acumen in male-dominated spaces, and lead with passion even during the darkest days. Doing this took grit and resilience, and that’s the legacy I want to leave as a business owner. COVEDOZA was birthed as a result of my Peace Corps service in rural Costa Rica (2010-2012) in a community called Guaitil de Santa Cruz in Guanacaste, where I saw first-hand the struggles the artisans faced due to lack of access to capital, language barriers, and lack of business training opportunities.
During my three-year service, I also saw how the competition that existed among the artisans kept them and their families apart for many years. They all started to steal customers from each other, yet I was able to show them how collaboration instead of competition would get them further via community projects. This is where my idea to create a platform for artist collaborations was born. I came across barriers to launching this idea twice and it wasn’t until the third time I tried in 2019 that I decided to rebrand as COVEDOZA and change my business model to digital art and print-on-demand that we started to grow in revenue and customer base. I would not change this journey for anything! I strongly believe that through the power of e-commerce, COVEDOZA can unite artists and consumers in unapologetic and authentic ways while removing barriers to access for non-established creators.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about COVEDOZA?
COVEDOZA is an Afro-Latina-led, mom-fueled, and minority-owned lifestyle brand in Atlanta, GA. Our mission is to inspire communities of color to unleash their talent, dream big, co-create collaboratively, and raise their voices. Through our lifestyle products, knowledge-sharing, and experiences, we give a voice to the voiceless. We proudly partner with Black, Indigenous, and/or Women of Color visual artists, fashion designers, and creatives. Together, we design inspiring lifestyle products for passionate feminists. Our product range includes apparel, drinkware, accessories, stickers, and home art. Each item showcases unique print collaborations that celebrate women of all shapes, sizes, and colors.
The idea for COVEDOZA was born from my 3-year Peace Corps service in rural Costa Rica in 2010. During this time, I witnessed firsthand the struggles faced by local artisans due to limited resources and fierce competition. I was deeply inspired by their craftsmanship and determined to create a platform that would provide them with sustainable economic opportunities.
Our mission is twofold. Firstly, we aim to empower creatives of color by providing them with access to capital through sales of their products on our platform. This financial support allows them to invest in their businesses, expand their reach, and secure a more stable future for themselves and their families. Additionally, we aim to offer business training and mentorship programs to help artisans enhance their entrepreneurial skills and navigate the challenges of the market.
Secondly, COVEDOZA is committed to promoting inclusivity and celebrating diversity. We intentionally collaborate with Black, Indigenous, and/or Women of Color artists and designers to create our product range. Each piece showcases unique print collaborations that celebrate women of all shapes, sizes, and colors. By doing so, we aim to challenge the lack of representation in the fashion and lifestyle industry and give a voice to the voiceless.
As a founder of color, I take immense pride in the journey and accomplishments COVEDOZA has made despite the rising number of small businesses closing their doors in 2024 and the intersectional challenges women in business face daily. First, I pride myself on starting this idea with $400 in my pocket, failing to launch twice, relaunching as COVEDOZA in 2019, becoming a registered business in 2020, and earning a wide range of accolades in the e-commerce space during this time.
Second, being a mother has fueled my passion to create a brand that inspires and uplifts my community, including my toddler, to dream big and embrace their uniqueness. For example, on November 11, 2022, I received an email from a California customer that read, “I hope this email finds you all well. My name is Brenda Campos. Please let me tell you how powerful, proud, and beautiful your brand makes me feel. I love your energy, personality & business. I am a huge fan!” This sense of connection and support among our customers and supporters has been a testament to the impact of our brand.
Lastly, collaborating with talented women artists and creatives has been the highlight of my journey. These collaborations have resulted in the birth of beautifully designed lifestyle products and supported minority-owned businesses and underrepresented artists, generating over $3,000 in profits for women artists from net sales and investing over $10,000 for special projects. Successes like these are a reminder of the journey we’ve embarked on and the progress we’ve made in achieving our mission, which has been worth every tear-and-sleepless night. As we continue to grow and approach our 5th year in 2025, I am excited about the future and the opportunities to further empower and inspire communities of color through COVEDOZA with the support of grants like yours.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I’d like your readers to know that entrepreneurship is not easy; it’s true. But it doesn’t have to feel lonely. There are people and organizations out there that are ready to cheer you up and support you when you need it. Let them know that the confidence gap, particularly as it relates to women in leadership and entrepreneurship, embodies the gap between potential and realization due to a lack of self-belief. My journey as a Latina founder in the business and for-profit sector has made me intimately familiar with this phenomenon.
In my opinion, confidence is not just about self-assurance; it’s the foundation upon which ambitions are built and realized. It influences how we navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and, ultimately, how we view our capacity for impact. However, the road to cultivating this confidence is often fraught with systemic barriers, cultural stereotypes, and self-doubt, especially for women of color. So, you got this!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://covedoza.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/covedoza/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/covedoza
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/covedoza
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9vJSFMGJOCJjLHKXBHk_zg
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@covedoza
Image Credits
COVEDOZA LLC
Wild and Soul Photography
