A Hub for Holistic Healers of Color

As a Black person who's experienced medical racism, herbalism helped me take back my health. When I started attending events for other healers of color, it was clear that my story was not unique. 

Historically, people of color have used medicinal plants to manage our health both for cultural reasons and due to  lack of access to conventional medicine.

Recently, COVID has made conventional medicine even less accessible and home remedies all the more important. 

Plus, more people are reconnecting to their indigenous ancestral practices than ever, using plant medicine for their spiritual as well as physical healing. And yet popular herbalism brands still haven't adapted to meet this growing market. 

So, what if there was an herbal brand that empowered the next generation of herbalists, by providing herbs, business education and community? 

And that's how Ilera Market was born.

Ilera Market is a membership-based platform providing medicinal plants at wholesale rates.

It's not just another herb shop; it's a lifestyle brand designed specifically with Gen Z, Millennials and people of color in mind.  

Ilera means good health in the Yoruba language, and my mission is help young, diverse healers thrive.

For an annual subscription fee Ilera Market provides high quality herbs at 30-50% off retail prices. We will be using Shopify to host the store so it can be easily integrated with shipping platforms like Shipsi for fast, easy shipping.

But Ilera is more than an herb wholesaler. It's a platform where culturally specific healers can connect. At all subscription levels, people can connect via a Facebook group, and access our 3 Office Hours a month via Zoom.

The total US herbalism market is 9.6 Billion USD annually and with Gen Z & Millenials being 65% of all consumers, our Servicable Addressable Market is at least 6.24 Billion USD. And with at least 44% of this population being people of color, our serviceable obtainable market could be worth up to $2.68 billion annually.

Because our competitors grow much of their stock, once they're out, they're out. And some take FOREVER to ship. Not to throw shade but their branding and content really don't appeal to diverse audiences or young people for that matter. 
We're not frumpy or crunchy, we're elevated and cosmopolitan.

Right now, I'm working with a coach to create an online event to commemorate the spring equinox. At the end of this summit, we will be offering a special package that includes replays of the talks and a one year subscription to Ilera Market. 

Plus we will be repurposing the summit content through various social media channels.

Currently I'm raising money for inventory, marketing operations and labor costs.

If you don't have any money to give, I could still use your help!  Any introductions to Black and brown herb farmers, or folks with experience in supply chain management and wholesaling would be greatly appreciated!