Kenyatta Forbes was a middle school teacher in Chicago when she realized that the traditional Black History curriculum was not fully covering the cultural and historical impact of Black history. To enhance her lessons, she created a unique deck of index cards that mixed historical figures with modern-day celebrities. The game, called “Trading Races,” aimed to educate students about the diversity of Black culture.

After testing the game with friends and receiving positive feedback, Forbes launched a crowd-funding campaign and raised $5,500 to start her own business. She sold the game at Black culture festivals for several years before the pandemic forced her to halt all in-person events. As a new business owner with limited marketing experience, Forbes knew she needed help to develop her ideas further.

That’s when she heard about Verizon Small Business Digital Ready and signed up for live 1:1 reviews to discuss social media marketing and strategy. The one-on-one sessions proved incredibly helpful as they allowed Forbes to focus on actionable goals and get into the details of her business.

With expert advice from Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, Forbes refined her promotional ideas into a comprehensive marketing calendar with a tailored social media strategy that reached her target audience effectively. Creating engaging content and scheduling it out resulted in a surge in followers and sales for Trading Races. Today, the business has thousands of followers on social media and has formed partnerships with influencers, thanks to Forbes’ hard work and dedication to creating an innovative product that bridges cultural divides.