Candis Bellamy

Representative Apparel

Representative Apparel is an urban lifestyle brand that allows individuals to state without speaking what and where they represent. With every shirt, jacket or coat we ask, "who's the Rep?" ...the Rep is you.

• Startup type: Competition Entry
• Status: Active
• Stage: Prototyping

I graduated Brandeis University in 2006 with a BA and no sense of a career path to follow. What I knew was that I wanted to make uncountable amounts of money. I dreamt that my friends and I would study separate fields and create a mafia-like organization to build an empire from; supporting one another through our individual expertise and knowledge. My friends didn't see the vision unfortunately… (Story of my life.)!

A few years later while in the real world I was asked to join the team at EMBARC, a minority and women's incubator, in the startup phase of business. The company had about 10 employees with 4 (including me) active, daily members. My experience there was beautiful, painful, easy, difficult and turbulent as I played a leadership role and witnessed firsthand how to build a business model into actuality.

What I learned at EMBARC set me ablaze. I was fascinated and vested in everything I learned. EMBARC was the integral, requisite link that helped me identify my career path: entrepreneurship. EMBARC taught me everything I needed to know about how to plan, research, create, sustain and grow a business.

We went out of business in 2010 due to the recession as did many other companies. Even so, my experience working with EMBARC was INVALUABLE because it gave me the tools necessary for evolving into the person I want to be – an entrepreneur who will build successful businesses, creates jobs, motivate people, gives back to the world and empower others.

At my young age I feel prepared, blessed and ready to overcome all the challenges on the path ahead. I know quite a bit – but not everything – and I look forward to learning more along the road.