MyHBCUBox.com
PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (March 19, 2020) – When Prairie View A&M University alumni Derreka Shelton ’06 and Danielle Simmons ’09 saw a lack of themed products for Historically Black Colleges/Universities (HBCU) students and alumni, they saw a business opportunity and created My HBCU Box.
The two co-founders and chief operating officers got the idea for the service when they were brainstorming business ideas after graduating with degrees in business administration (Simmons) and education (Shelton).
“The idea came about because we were tired of looking for original, different things for HBCUs, beyond Spelman, Howard, Morehouse, etc.,” Simmons said. “HBCUs often get overlooked, and we wanted to be able to offer items for all of these schools, customized with their colors, mascots, and themes.”
Launched in June 2019, My HBCU Box is the first and only quarterly subscription service for students and alumni of HBCUs. The customized, themed boxes each contain four items, such as crew-neck sweaters and t-shirts, as well as mementos like bling clips, bow ties, and soft enamel pins. Common themes include homecoming and graduation; the most recent theme was “HBCUish.”
MyHBCUBox.com
Simmons noted that the business has had a good response so far, especially after being featured by the international, online magazine Madame Noire, which helped to broaden awareness of the brand and gain more outside interest.
March is also I Love My HBCU Month, which makes it especially appropriate to highlight this service.
“Growing up in California, I always knew I wanted to go to a black college, and everyone I know from PVAMU is productive, successful, and making strides in whatever industry they’re in,” Simmons said. “My experience there opened my eyes to our culture and the possibilities I had ahead of me.”
MyHBCUBox.com
Subscriptions for the My HBCU Box are $49.99, and a non-subscription cost to try it out is $59.99. Customers can choose between feminine and masculine items.
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By Emilia Benton