[MUSIC PLAYING]
SHERIKA WYNTER: It's a privilege to be
a Black business in a city that I've grown to love.
Being the first generation here from the West Indies,
it's important for us to be a part of the historical impact
that comes with DC.
I'm Sherika Wynter.
SHALLON THOMAS: I'm Shallon Thomas.
And we're the founders of T|W Tote.
I was headed to work in a full suit and tie,
and I caught my reflection in the mirror
and realized I had a silly paper bag full of lunch in my hand.
[LAUGHTER]
And that's when the T|W Tote was born.
One of the issues we had as a business
is just understanding what happens next.
SHERIKA WYNTER: We knew there was a market out there.
But unfortunately, nobody really knew us.
SHALLON THOMAS: Attending Grow With Google workshops
helped us learn smarter ways to optimize our business,
as well as be found online.
SHERIKA WYNTER: They drop a lot of nuggets on us,
from trends to insights.
It really helps us to better understand our customers
in a competitive space.
JOHNNY BAILEY: The mission of our program
is to level the playing field for Black and Latinx
small business owners within local communities.
We want to help them grow their business
and reach more customers online.
Integrating that product into the culture
is why people love the brand.
SHALLON THOMAS: It's really a community
where people are supporting each other openly and honestly.
That's really important to us, because we
developed other people around us and pushed them to be great.
And in return, your company ends up being great.
SHERIKA WYNTER: I mean, as a minority woman, it's scary,
because we're laying the concrete, and it's not dry yet.
But knowing that this could be the beginning of something
for other people--
it makes us keep going.
We're not going to stop.
[MUSIC PLAYING]