Summary
On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Madia Willis, Jasmine Hudson and J’Aaron Merchant, the Co-founders of Black Paper Party, where Madia fulfills the role of CEO, Jasmine serves as the Chief Merchant and J’Aaron completes the trio as the Chief Creative Officer. With a combined fifteen years of retail experience, this dream team started Black Paper Party to spread joy through culturally relevant products by combining award-winning illustrations with trendy prints and patterns to create unique wrapping paper designs. Throughout the episode, James, Madia, Jasmine and J’Aaron discuss Black Paper Party’s mission, the struggles they have faced as Black women entrepreneurs and how Bentonville’s culture has helped accelerate Black Paper Party’s growth.

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‍Show Notes
(0:52) Introduction to Madia, Jasmine and J’Aaron
(1:49) About Madia
(2:40) About Jasmine
(3:38) About J’Aaron
(4:31) Black Paper Party’s Backstory
(6:43) The Inspiration behind Black Paper Party
(9:40) Black Paper Party’s Journey So Far
(13:45) Challenges Building Black Paper Party
(17:37) The Value of Combined Experiences
(20:26) Challenges Faced as Black Entrepreneurs
(24:15) Obtaining Funding
(29:07) How Bentonville Can Help Women Entrepreneurs
(34:57) Bentonville’s Culture
(38:00) Advice to Entrepreneurs
(40:00) #BecauseBentonville Stories
(45:36) Closing Questions
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‍Links
JAMES BELL‍‍
‍BENTONVILLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT‍‍‍
‍MADIA WILLIS
JASMINE HUDSON
J’AARON MERCHANT
BLACK PAPER PARTY
BLACK OWNED NWA
JAZZYJAENWA
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Quotes
“…there was a real sadness, almost a palpable feeling of fed upness in the Black community, and it was really a catalyst for change. So we thought this is the perfect time for us to really cement what our idea is…and what we saw was a kind of white space opportunity, which was visual representation of Black families during the holidays.” – Madia Willis, (7:03)

“I would say it’s very easy to be underestimated as Black women entrepreneurs in this industry. And then of course we’re leading with Black-focused characters, so everyone’s like, ‘Are you sure you want to do that?’ And we’re convincing people there’s a need for it. People want to see it, and it is truly accepted.” – J’Aaron Merchant, (13:45)

“It’s kind of pushing and standing on the integrity of why we were founded and what we’re here to do. So making sure that we’re still putting that most authentic foot forward when it comes to our brand is something the customer is really resonating with.” – Jasmine Hudson, (22:33)

“It’s crazy the amount of culture you’ve taken into this little place. I try to explain [Bentonville] to people and it almost feels like it’s not real. Some of the things that you do, some of the people that you meet and it’s just actually a very welcoming community.” – J’Aaron Merchant, (39:10)

Sharing Black Culture and Joy with Black Paper Party
On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Madia Willis, Jasmine Hudson and J’Aaron Merchant, the Co-founders of Black Paper Party, where Madia fulfills the role of CEO, Jasmine serves as the Chief Merchant and J’Aaron completes the trio as the Chief Creative Officer. With a combined fifteen years of retail experience, this dream team started Black Paper Party to spread joy through culturally relevant products by combining award-winning illustrations with trendy prints and patterns to create unique wrapping paper designs. Throughout the episode, James, Madia, Jasmine and J’Aaron discuss Black Paper Party’s mission, the struggles they have faced as Black women entrepreneurs and how Bentonville’s culture has helped accelerate Black Paper Party’s growth.‍‍‍
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Making Holidays More Diverse
Black Paper Party is a Black women-owned company that provides gift wrap and ornaments with nods to the African diaspora in an effort to celebrate Black families. After conducting extensive research, Black Paper Party realized it was difficult to find authentic Black representation in common holiday objects like Santas, angels, elves and Easter bunnies. This inspired Madia, Jasmine and J’Aaron to ideate how they could make Black figurines less rare and more accessible.

As a result, Black Paper Party was formulated to develop culturally relevant decorations and be a catalyst for celebrating Black pride throughout the holiday season. To date, all of Black Paper Party’s designs have been manufactured in the United States and are now being sold in large nationwide retailers including Macy’s, Walmart and Family Dollar. Black Paper Party has also been featured over twenty-three times in renowned programs like The Kelly Clarkson Show, Essence Magazine and the Today Show.
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“…there was a real sadness, almost a palpable feeling of fed upness in the Black community, and it was really a catalyst for change. So we thought this is the perfect time for us to really cement what our idea is…and what we saw was a kind of white space opportunity, which was visual representation of Black families during the holidays.” – Madia Willis, (7:03)
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Overcoming Obstacles
One of the most challenging aspects of building Black Paper Party was being underestimated as Black women entrepreneurs, making it increasingly difficult to secure capital. However, with persistence and determination, Black Paper Party has been able to receive funding from opportunities available in Northwest Arkansas, like Startup Junkie’s online lending platform Kiva.
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“I would say it’s very easy to be underestimated as Black women entrepreneurs in this industry. And then of course we’re leading with Black-focused characters, so everyone’s like, ‘Are you sure you want to do that?’ And we’re convincing people there’s a need for it. People want to see it, and it is truly accepted.” – J’Aaron Merchant, (13:45)

The biggest mindset shift that has benefited Black Paper Party has been expecting challenges every single day as opposed to being disappointed or surprised when they inevitably happen. Black Paper Party approaches every day with a problem-solving attitude, and it’s helped greatly with everything from obtaining funding to understanding how to best represent the brand.

“It’s kind of pushing and standing on the integrity of why we were founded and what we’re here to do. So making sure that we’re still putting that most authentic foot forward when it comes to our brand is something the customer is really resonating with.” – Jasmine Hudson, (22:33)
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Get Connected!
‍Thanks for tuning in to this episode of The Bentonville Beacon! Join us weekly for more stories from entrepreneurs and business leaders who are making a positive impact on Bentonville’s culture, community and lifestyle. Don’t forget, Bentonville is a place where you can have more of what you want and less of what you don’t! You may reach James at JBELL@GREATERBENTONVILLE.COM or (479) 273-2841.