Colgate University’s Kerschner Family Series Global Leaders hosted actress and entrepreneur Tracee Ellis Ross as part of this year’s Arts, Creativity and Innovation Weekend on Friday, April 10. Ross is a nine-time NAACP award-winning actress, notable for her roles as Joann on “Girlfriends” and Dr. Rainbow on “black-ish.” She is also the founder, CEO and co-owner of Pattern Beauty, a cosmetics company specializing in products for textured hair and centering on the celebration of Black beauty and joy. Ross is also the producer and star of an original Roku television show, “Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross.”
The Friday discussion, held in the Memorial Chapel, was an informal discussion between Ross and Colgate Vice President and Chief of Staff to the President, L. Hazel Jack.
Jack gave a short introduction to Ross and their following discussion, touching on the impact that the arts have on students, faculty members and alumni at a university that prioritizes a multifaceted education.
“Students here rarely have only one interest. They can study physics and art because both subjects inform one another,” Jack said.
As the audience digested Jack’s remarks on the interaction between academics and art at Colgate, Tracee Ellis Ross took the stage to begin her keynote Q&A.
Jack began the conversation by asking Ross about her affinity for solo traveling. Ross acknowledged the group of students that engaged with her in an intimate student panel moderated by Assistant Professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Dominique Hill just a few minutes prior to her session in the Memorial Chapel, stating that the story she would tell would be important for them to remember as they grow into adulthood.
“Like what I told my group before, I solo travel to wander, ponder and be,” Ross said. “I think of [solo traveling] in its literal sense and as a metaphor for life because it can help explore the richest, juiciest part of yourself.”
Jack then asked Ross to consider how her curiosity has informed her career as an actress and entrepreneur. Ross reflected on how her curiosity influenced her childhood explorations, her scholarship at Brown University and beyond.
“I came out of the womb curious, honestly,” Ross said. “Starting from my journey as a model, to an actress, to a business owner, I think my curiosity allowed me to lily pad my way across different interests.”
Jack resonated with Ross’s emphasis on exposing oneself to diverse experiences and asked her to dive deeper into how Ross’s creativity has shaped her haircare brand, Pattern Beauty. Ross replied by illustrating the arduous 11-year journey she undertook to bring her products from boardrooms to shelves.
“I heard a lot of no’s because executives didn’t believe there would be a market for curly, coily and tight textured hair,” she said. “I wanted innovation, though. I kept imagining a world where my natural hair was accommodated by amazing products.”
Ross went on to explain that she had to get creative with her marketing, describing how she avoided traditional advertising methods to bring her company to the forefront of investors’ minds. Jack underscored Ross’s conflicts in the business sector and informed the audience that Black women receive less than 1% of venture capital funding, prompting Ross to reflect on the administrative and financial aspects of her entrepreneurial journey.
“I was building the plane as I was flying it. I came to investors with a fully fledged plan and a retail partner, but I still struggled to convince them that my target audience was profitable,” Ross said.
Although many people tried to convince Ross to pivot her products to a wider audience for greater profitability, she wanted to stay true to her company’s purpose of celebrating Blackness.
Ross encouraged her audience to remain steadfast in their values throughout life, especially in their career development.
“Being small doesn’t serve anyone,” Ross said. “The biggest gift you can give the world is yourself.”
Ross concluded the Q&A session with three key pieces of advice to the scholars, entrepreneurs and creatives in the audience. First, she distinguished the difference between being ‘happy’ and being ‘joyful,’ expressing that joy can be built and should be celebrated. Then, she outlined the importance of putting effort into one’s activities despite setbacks.
“Finally, I just want everyone to prioritize rest,” she said. “I give myself so many treats. I love telling myself ‘Good job, Tracee!’ after a long day. I take a bubble bath in between my Zoom meetings. Those are all forms of rest.”
First-year Travion Kirk, a student invited to the panel with Ross before the keynote Q&A and the VIP dinner reception afterward, noted the two things that stood out to him during his time with Ross.
“She mentioned that it’s important to take breaks, and it’s okay to not finish everything on your list because you’re not a machine,” Kirk said. “She also said it was important to find joy. She described happiness as little moments in your life, and I found that really special.”
