As the month of August kicks off, so does Black Owned Business Month! It is a time to honor, celebrate and support Black owned businesses across the United States and show solidarity with and among the business community . It is also a way for the Black community to share their gifts and talents with others while simultaneously building wealth and legacies in our community. As Black Owned Business month takes off, NUMedia would like to highlight one of Northeastern’s very own students. Colleen Hall is not only a Husky: a Fellow studying at the Northeastern Lab for Inclusive Entrepreneurship, but also the founder of Jamoji App LLC, and an author. She is an accomplished Black businesswoman that NUMedia would like to highlight for this month. She is eager to share her Jamaican roots and Black culture through her entrepreneurial spirit and strong business acumen.
One of Hall’s business ventures, Jamoji App, LLC, is an app that bridges the use of emojis and Jamaican culture. She describes the app as “emoji and lifestyle keyboard mobile application that includes Jamaican cultural expressions, phrases, food and places”. The app features many animations of people using cultural hand gestures and facial expressions, ginger beer, authentic Jamaican currency, the historical Devon House and many other cultural references. When asked about the purpose of this app, Hall explains the app is for people outside of the Jamaican community to get a glimpse of what the culture is really like. She emphasizes that the app is not actually for Jamaicans but for others who want to learn and expand their understanding of the country and its people rather than just seeing the location as a tropical vacation getaway.
Another one of Hall’s ventures is Jamoji, a memoir that documents her life in Jamaica and immigrating to the United States through the form of essays. In each chapter, she outlines her experiences growing up and shares everything from memories with loved ones, historical information about the island, even growing pains and mishaps. Her inspiration to share her memories with others is to show “how the culture, teachings, habits, rituals, and media culminated in a better understanding and appreciation for our multifaceted identity”, Hall explains. “It is also my goal for the young diaspora to learn about home and to be seen and understood by their peers.” The proceeds from the book will go towards Colleen’s mission to build a playground back home. Seeing playgrounds everywhere was not something that she had experienced until she came to America. However, Hall believes it is important to share the joys of having a local playground for to play in with children in Jamaica. It’s part of her goal to continue investing in her beloved country.
Colleen Hall is not only a fellow Husky but also an accomplished businesswoman who is dedicated to sharing her culture with the world. Through her app and her memoir, her work can build a bridge to the intersection of the Black immigrant experience and educate others on authentic Jamaican culture.
