Christina Duren founded the Beautiful Brown Girls Brunch Club in March of 2010.

Over the last 11 years, Beautiful Brown Girls™ has blossomed into so much more than a brunch club. It is a community made up of 29 chapters. Each one is a sister circle.

Christina believes that in order to build a strong nation, that’s what we need – sister circles and other strong communities.

Beautiful Brown Girls is proof of what can happen when you find your people. Not only can you bond over a delicious meal, but you can also become an agent for change in your community.

Q: What's your background, and what are you working on?

My background is in Marketing. I've worked in marketing management roles for the last 13 years. Currently I am now the CEO + Founder of Beautiful Brown Girls™.

Beautiful Brown Girls™ is a virtual and IRL community for women of color with access to hours of life-changing discussions curated to help women glow up in every aspect of life, create genuine friendships, build a support system and above all thrive.

Q: What motivated you to get started with Beautiful Brown Girls?

I am originally from Miami, FL, but spent most of my early adult years in New York City. I formed my core group of friends there. We had a blast every weekend enjoying brunch and different events around the city, and in 2009 I decided to move back to Miami. It really felt like a “starting over” moment for me. I was in a new city “in my eyes” and really missed the friendship and sisterhood bonds I created while in NYC. So that started me on my quest of how do I find like-minded friends. I frequented Meetup often in NYC being new to the city there and finding my tribe that way. Moving back to Miami led me back to Meetup. I searched through a few groups and could not find a good fit for me. I needed a space where I could just fully be me, find some good girlfriends who had similar interests, and as a new mom, I just needed a day off! So that day I decided to create my own group doing all the fun things I loved to do with friends back in NYC and the Beautiful Brown Girls Brunch Club was created.

Q: How have you attracted members and grown your community?

We've grown our community through digital media. Our social networks has been a driving force to attract members. We have weekly live streamed shows that keeps members engaged and up to date with our events and more. Our Facebook group also keeps members connected on news, events, and trends that effect the Black and brown community.

Q: What are your goals for the future?

I know firsthand how it feels to find your voice and your support system in a world that feels against you at every turn. Sisterhood is self-care. Having a tribe of sisters has helped me to identify qualities in myself that I would not have noticed if I didn’t have that encouraging friend or that safe space where I can show up as myself 100 percent. Beautiful Brown Girls™ has become an extension of my struggles as a woman of color and has helped me create an environment for other women of color to know they are loved, valued, accepted, and has a sisterhood of supportive women behind them rooting for them to win.

I believe that in order to build a strong nation, that’s what we need – sister circles and other strong communities.

Beautiful Brown Girls is proof of what can happen when you find your people. Not only can you bond over a delicious meal, but you can also become an agent for change in your community. Our goal is to provide more opportunities for Black women to find their tribe.

Q: What are the biggest challenges you've faced and obstacles you've overcome?

There were several obstacles and challenges along the way that were unexpected. One major obstacle that we overcame early on was how we would turn what essentially was a hobby into a business. Beautiful Brown Girls at the core was a fun monthly event that created a movement for women of color. As we began to grow we needed processes and procedures in place so that we had a solid foundation to scale up.

At times, we get so focused on the result that we forget about the work that is needed to yield the results we want. That work is not always “pretty”. I learned early on the importance of strategizing and putting the right team members in place to help us create a business that benefited women of color and grew the Beautiful Brown Girls brand.

Q: What's your advice for female founders who are just starting out?

Make sure to have a strong support system. Becoming a CEO of a thriving company can sometimes feel like a lonely role and has many peaks and valleys. Finding the right tribe of mentors, and supporters will help you during those low and lonely points. They will help you stay motivated!