Breaking down barriers on the yoga mat and in the marketplace

Fei Wade is a young, Black female entrepreneur who’s on a wellness journey. Wade is connecting her community to yoga while introducing them to her own drink: Calbucha Kombucha. "I started my business because I was inspired to contribute to my community in a healthy way and I wanted to share a wellness practice," she said. A University of California, Berkeley graduate who holds an MBA from Texas A&M, Wade recently earned a yoga certification at College of the Desert where she was so inspired by the local landscape that she made it her brand’s artwork. "The photo is from Mountain Center which is in the high desert," she said. "It’s of the beautiful San Jacinto sunset and the mountains." While Black women like Wade are the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs in the United States, according to a recent study by GoDaddy, they do face several unique challenges. "It hits me in the heart, especially being in the valley and being a Black female," said Mary Eden, coordinator of COD’s Black Student Success Center. Eden says Wade is inspirational to her community and coeds. "There’s not a lot of representation of Black females in the valley but being part of that it brings it out and lets everyone else know that there’s time for them as well," she said. "They can do the same thing." From breaking down barriers on the yoga mat to the marketplace, Wade is continuing her wellness journey with hopes of creating up new opportunities for her community. To learn more about this project, visit https://calbucha.com/ This story is written and reported by Kai Beech.