Woodbury Woman Works To Support BIPOC Moms And Moms-To-Be

WOODBURY, MN — Woodbury native Monica Jones is working to increase understanding of maternal wellness and mortality in the BIPOC community through her business Melanated Mamas.

According to Melanated Mamas' website, the company is "A space dedicated to providing a dose of inspiration and guidance to new and expecting BIPOC mamas." The website also states that the company aims to increase awareness on issues that impact the BIPOC community.

Jones was recently accepted into the FINNOVATION Fellowship Program, a leading social impact program in the Twin Cities, to help push her business forward, FINNOVATION Institute said.

The program supports entrepreneurs as they build their business and become leaders, with each fellow of the program receiving a $50,000 living stipend and a $3,000 health care stipend, the institute said. The program also connects the entrepreneurs with advisors, mentors and workspace in downtown Minneapolis, the institute said.

Nine entrepreneurs were selected for this year's program, which will run from September 2021-May 2022, the institute said.

The majority of founders of the fellowship are women and/or people of color, which helps the program continue its support of entrepreneurs with personal experience in the issues that the program aims to solve, the institute said.

You can learn more about the fellowship program here.