Lorielle and Brandon Broussard, 29 and 33
Barackawear Inc.
Los Angeles
In August 2007, the sibling duo quit their day jobs to go full force with their clothing line, Barackawear Inc. The company aggressively touted t-shirts and other apparel with the ’90s-inspired slogan Barack the Vote, in support of the then-Illinois senator and presidential candidate who became the nation’s first black president. Their risk-taking teamwork paid off and the popular t-shirt line generated $600,000 in revenue in 2008.
“Every end product that you see is something that we both completely agreed upon,†Brandon told Black Enterprise about his and his sister’s business strategy. “What makes the product extra great is that, if one of us doesn’t like something, we won’t put it out.â€
And betting on President Barack Obama was just the beginning. Business-savvy and ready to expand, the two went on to launch YOTOWN, a line of nonpolitical shirts featuring personalized maps of any U.S. city. They’d also made plans to launch Qreative Jeanius, a fashion company and denim line using high-end raw, salvaged denim.