School is almost back in session, and this year, you could be laced up with some of the most creative school supplies that anyone in your lecture class has ever seen!

Innovative Supplies, a black-owned, online retail store is owned and operated by 27-year-old mom and soon to be college student, Nneka. With the hopes of becoming a history teacher in her local area, she began Innovative Supplies as the first step to a bigger vision of “being a positive change in her community.” Innovative Supplies includes notebooks and apparel that showcase black art by black artists and weave together elements of black culture from the past and the present. Her goals for Innovative Solutions are just as impactful as the business itself, which includes depositing profits into a black-owned bank, hiring local minority youth and using environmentally sourced materials.

If you browse through the Innovative Supplies website, you’ll soon understand why products sold out in less than 24 hours. Some of her handmade school supplies include a notebook with an image of Tupac Shakur wearing a t-shirt with the words, “I Am Sandra Bland,”  drawn by artist, @Raheim81art. Another notebook that is slated to be coming soon has the iconic Michael Jordan crying meme in various sizes all over it, which is sure to make your classmates and maybe even a few professors laugh out loud.

Photo: InnovativeSupplies.net
Photo: InnovativeSupplies.net/Notebook Artwork by: @Raheim81art
Photo: Innovative Supplies Notebook Artwork by: @ZolaArtsFactory
Photo: Innovative Supplies/Notebook Artwork by: @ZolaArtsFactory

With over 8550 orders to ship out before she can take on new orders, Nneka and Innovative Supplies are off to an amazing start! Along with the dope designs that Nneka offers on her site, customers can even request custom designs making her business one that is sure to represent all that encompasses black culture and excellence. There’s no question that Innovative Supplies is living up to it’s motto of being a company that “stands to bridge the gaps between minority owned business and helping to foster more group economics.”

When the order forms are back up and running, Innovative Supplies can look forward to an order from me and a large number of folks who are already itching to have these amazing products in their hands. Shout out to Nneka and her team who are definitely moving the culture forward and doing their part to sustain the wealth of black businesses.

UPDATE: Nneka has recently launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds to purchase machines that’ll enable her to sell Innovative Supplies in larger quantities and at a faster rate. Feel free to donate to this black-owned business if you want to see more from her and the Innovative Supplies brand.

Photo: tumblr
Photo: Tumblr

Which Innovative Supplies notebook would you like to have? Share your favorite designs in the comments.


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