A 50-mile race and a goal: Workout gear for all body types
When Charlotte Bowens was hospitalized because of a health scare and told she had to make changes to her life, she didn’t immediately think that change would involve running ultramarathons. But she started small.
“The whole experience shook me to my core,” Bowens said. “I knew I had to make a change or the next time I might not wake up.”
Charlotte Bowens
Less than a year and a half later, the same woman who had been diagnosed as morbidly obese would cross the finish line of a 50-mile race. And when she did, she would come away with a perspective that set things in motion for Conscious Gear, a brand of outdoor wear she founded to accommodate larger bodies.
“It’s something I never imagined myself doing,” Bowens said of the race. “It was bittersweet though, because I struggled to find gear to wear.”
The only hydration vests she could find would rub, leave friction burns and sometimes draw blood because they fit so poorly. When Bowens looked around during races, she knew she wasn’t the only runner enduring that experience.
Hydration vests are light backpacks that hold water, snacks and other essentials to keep distance runners going.
“There’s plenty of us at the back of the pack who are fat, and we buy this gear that a lot of the time doesn’t fit us,” Bowens said. “I felt called to just maybe try.”
Friday nights with a glass of wine and her computer
Conscious Gear also sells clothing suitable for workouts and everyday fashion with clever taglines like “Outdoor-ish”
What began as at-home tinkering on store-bought gear, with the help of a sewing machine she checked out of the library, turned into an all-out effort to transition her idea into a business to “celebrate body diversity in the outdoors.”
Bowens submitted application after application to find support for her “VestaPak” venture, joking that she had a standing Friday night date with a glass of wine and her idea at her computer.
“I got so many rejection letters,” she said.
But Bowens knew she was onto something. She learned that 68% of Americans wear larger sizes, but only 20% of outdoor apparel is available in plus sizes. And often the larger sizes aren’t designed well, she said.
Local First Arizona’s We Rise was the first program to accept her.
The fee-free, six-month, Black-owned business accelerator provides business owners with instruction and mentorship to advance their entrepreneurial journey.
Conscious Gear wins first place in We Rise pitch competition
In July, We Rise hosted its first Shark Tank-style event to award $17,500 in seed funding to graduates of the program. The money was provided by Growth Partners Arizona, a community-focused lender to small businesses.
Gaining access to capital is the most significant barrier faced by entrepreneurs, and that struggle is compounded for Black business owners, who typically launch businesses with less than a third of the capital utilized by their white peers.
The We Rise “Demo Day” competition aimed to combat that challenge.
After the competitors presented their business plans to a roomful of judges and attendees, Bowens took home the $10,000 top prize.
Bowens with We Rise and Growth Partners Arizona staff after winning the pitch competition
Trades of Brit, an all-natural, handmade body care brand created by Brittny Johnson after searching for gentle cleansers for her daughter, took home second place and $5,000.
EstiBlack Aesthetics, a skincare company for people of color owned by Yolanda Robinson, came in third, winning $2,500.
“For me, that was a full circle moment,” Bowens said. “As a Black business owner going into a white business space, (We Rise) helped me build and get ready for what was ahead. It was the perfect program for me at that time.”
ASU, REI and Target take notice
Graduating from We Rise inspired Bowens to seek involvement in other business incubators, such as Arizona State University’s Venture Devils and an initiative at REI for underrepresented communities. Each program awarded her $10,000 in addition to invaluable guidance. Plus she was able to let REI customers try on her VestaPak at pop-up events inside stores.
Conscious Gear also was selected as a recipient of a $20,000 micro-manufacturing grant through the City of Tempe.
A display of Conscious Gear products at REI
And Target, as part of a corporate diversity initiative, brought Bowens into a design program that provided manufacturing guidance and coveted samples that allowed her to fine-tune her product.
“All of a sudden, I had options,” Bowens said. “It allowed me to develop iterations, and then I had a product.”
The VestaPak is stretchy, antimicrobial and moisture-wicking. It has a large back pocket and adjustable straps, is made of recycled fabric and comes in sizes XL to 8X.
Bowens also started selling Conscious Gear clothing with clever taglines like “Outdoor-ish” and “Black Birder.”
“There are a lot of great entrepreneurs in this community,” Bowens said. “I really took what We Rise gave me, and I used it. I leveraged it on everything I’ve done on my journey. I hope I’ve made We Rise proud of the investment they’ve made in me.”
Try on Conscious Gear’s hydration vests at these upcoming events in 2023:
Aug. 19, Sept. 2, Oct. 7, Oct. 21, Nov. 14 and Dec. 2 at Archwood Exchange, 1145 E. Washington St., Phoenix.
Oct. 8, Nov. 12 and Dec. 10 at the Mill Avenue Second Sunday Market, between 3rd Street and University Drive in Tempe.
Are you a Black entrepreneur looking to boost your business? Apply to Local First’s We Rise program at localfirstaz.com/we-rise.
