Puff Daddy, Salesforce team up to promote Black-owned brands
A rap mogul is helping launch a new curated digital marketplace dedicated to products created and sold by Black entrepreneurs.
Combs Enterprises, a portfolio of businesses and investments owned by rapper/entrepreneur Sean Combs (also known as “Puff Daddy” and “Diddy”) and Salesforce are creating Shop Circulate. This new online marketplace is designed to provide Black-owned businesses with a global platform. Featured product categories will include beauty, fashion, art, health, wellness, and home.
Set to officially launch in fall 2021, Shop Circulate is offering an early access mailing list. Deloitte Digital is designing and building the platform, which will run on Marketplacer online marketplace technology. Shop Circulate was developed by a team of engineers, storytellers, brand marketers and product specialists across Salesforce, Deloitte Digital, and Combs Enterprises.
Shop Circulate has also acquired The Nile List, a digital community that connects consumers with Black-owned brands. With the acquisition, Combs Enterprises has appointed The Nile List founder Khadijah Robinson to head of product, where she will oversee development and spearhead all Shop Circulate global efforts. Additionally, Shop Circulate is partnering with Official Black Wall Street, a directory to discover Black-owned businesses, with its founder Mandy Bowman joining as an advisor.
"Building Black wealth starts with investing in Black-owned businesses and giving entrepreneurs access to the consumers needed to build sustainable companies that can thrive," said Sean Combs, chairman of Combs Enterprises. "I'm excited to partner with Salesforce to create a platform that will advance our collective pursuit of economic justice."
"Salesforce is honored to collaborate with Sean Combs and Combs Enterprises to help close the unjust wealth gap that prevents too many Black Americans from achieving economic equality," said Marc Benioff, chair and CEO of Salesforce. "Shop Circulate will empower us all — as individuals, communities and companies — to support Black-owned businesses, amplify the talent of Black entrepreneurs and move us closer to true equality."
"Deloitte's purpose is to make an impact that matters. As the largest professional services organization in the world, we have a responsibility to help level the playing field and advance opportunities for the Black community in business," said Punit Renjen, Deloitte Global CEO. "This is one of the most effective ways for organizations like ours to do our part in ending systemic bias, racial injustice, and unequal treatment in all its forms."