Meet the team!
Elise
Director of The Black Card Company
Elise is the owner of the prolific and empowering greeting card brand Cinnamon & Brown, which is featured on this platform. Elise wanted to create contemporary Afrocentric greeting cards that represent the urban diasporah. The Black Card Company is Elise's brain child, her passion for creativity and ideas is the reason it exists today!
Tanya
Director of The Black Card Company
Tanya is the owner of the beautiful handmade greeting card brand Colourshot, which is showcased on this platform. After seeing a lack of representation for African inspired cards Tanya created greeting cards with diverse silhouettes adorned with striking African fabrics. Tanya is passionate about diverse representation.
Our Story
Hello from Elise and Tanya!
We are both solopreneurs who have our own Afrocentric greeting card and gift brands with products we design ourselves. We are passionate about the authentic representation of our community and the celebration of our culture and heritage.
We met on the circuit a few years ago when often selling our products at the same cultural craft markets. Our respective customers always gave us the same feedback: ‘We love these products!’, ‘You don’t see anything like this anywhere!’, ‘Where will you be next?’
So, we knew first hand that there was a demand for what we, and other creators like us, had to offer. There was just a lack of exposure and visibility. Our customers are drawn to our products because they don’t often see themselves reflected in the world around them. Having authentic diverse imagery or designs on products marketed for and by the same community is also important to them, as they know the designers are not jumping on a trend or exploiting them.
The Black Card Company, was born from the idea of addressing the lack of diverse representation within visual arts and graphic design by bringing diverse creators together so they could be found in the same place. Many diverse creators use the greeting card and gifting industry to express their creativity due to its relative accessibility and affordability. Our products showcase and share our culture and community in a way that encourages connection, appreciation and inclusivity.
Established in 2020, The Black Card Company is a black owned, UK based, online marketplace for diverse greeting cards, gifts, stationery and gift wrap. We are the largest platform of its kind in the UK and still growing. All of the products are authentically designed, by independent black owned brands, for a multi-cultural customer base. The mediums our creators use on their products include paintings, drawings, digital art, illustrations, printmaking, mosaic art, paper crafts, textile art and typography.
Our mission is to provide a space for unique, well designed products, where diverse representation, both customer facing and behind the scenes, is centred.
Why the Black Card Company?
Diverse world
We live in a diverse world but historically, diverse communities have been underrepresented or misrepresented in the visual arts and design space. By prioritising the authentic representation and unique cultural experiences and identities of underrepresented groups, we aim to challenge and disrupt the status quo. Everybody deserves to see themselves represented in all aspects of life. Representation matters because it not only reflects reality, it also shapes and impacts it.
Diverse creators
Diverse creators want to express their creativity authentically and without barriers to entry or design. Many outlets only accept a narrow and limited range of products with diverse designs, if any at all. The Black Card Company amplifies under-represented black visual artists and designers and supports their creativity and cultural expression. By making space for authentic representation, we provide opportunities for diverse artists and creators to have their voices heard, their creativity appreciated, and their narratives shared, ultimately enriching the artistic and creative space as a whole.
Diverse customers
The demand for a comprehensive range and style of authentically designed visually diverse products hasn’t been filled, until now. The Black Card Company connects customers with brands who can authentically represent diverse people and cultures. A match made in heaven.
Why our prices may be higher
We want to take a moment to explain why our products may cost more than what you might find with similar but larger multinational companies. We are not a single company, we are a marketplace hosting small, under-represented, independent businesses who pride themselves in creating unique products that are produced in-house. Unlike large companies that dominate the market and curate items mainly with the widest appeal, in mass quantities, often overseas; our small businesses only have the spending power to produce their specialist designs in small batches, locally. Small businesses can offer unique creativity and process each order with a personal touch, but they don’t have the economies of scale that big multinationals have. The ability of a large multinational company to print, automate, process and source products cheaply and at a large scale, resulting in lower costs that they can pass on to consumers, simply can’t be matched by micro businesses.
We believe in supporting local, under-represented artisans and production, giving them an opportunity to enter the market, showcasing specialised products not offered by large companies; prioritising niche designs over mass appeal. While this might mean their prices are a bit higher, you can be confident that each item is unique and exclusive, not generic or mass-produced. When you purchase something from this marketplace you are shopping small and supporting micro businesses. Thank you for supporting the small under-represented businesses on this platform!
The Black Card Company – because everyone deserves to be seen and celebrated!
