Malika Demings

Femiune | San Francisco , CA

Malika Demings uses her art to empower through fashion

When Malika Demings graduated from college, she knew she wanted to start a business. But as the Sky’s the Limit community knows all too well, wanting to do it and actually doing it aren’t the same thing. She didn’t believe in herself and kept putting off her business. 

Refining her vision 

Malika had always been interested in art and used drawing as therapy when she was in high school. Starting a clothing line was a natural extension of that, but she struggled with who the clothing line was for. Eventually she realized that starting a business shouldn’t be only about “chasing money.” Now she is turning her passion for art into a passion for empowering women who experience low self-esteem like she did. Fashion is about how people present themselves to the world, and that makes it an obvious vehicle for empowerment. Malika put her own designs on clothes, and thus, Femuine was born. 

Getting support

After Malika realized the key to her success was to use her own experience to empower other women like her, she faced more challenges—namely, financially. Businesses, especially brand new ones, have a lot of moving parts, and it’s hard to know which ones to prioritize. 

“I am still struggling with investing in my business, there are a lot of things I need to invest in to make my business thrive.”

Malika struggled with where to invest her time and limited financial resources. When she started working with volunteers from Sky’s the Limit, these challenges became more manageable. Jilu Jolly, Accenture Business and Integration Analyst, and Kate Eakin have been willing to help with anything Malika needed, no matter how seemingly small or large. 

“Malika told me this morning that she made her first sale while I was away. We’ve spent most of our time talking about brand identity as she makes decisions about the look of her fashion line. We have a ways to go yet, but she’s been fun to work with.” - Kate Eakin, Accenture Consulting Senior Analyst

The consistency of the support has been important to Malika. She appreciates that her volunteers reach out just to see how she’s doing. 

“I'm so glad I found [Sky’s the Limit]! Jilu and Kate have both been so helpful. Kate actually just texted a few minutes ago to check in.” 

Giving support

Now that Femuine has a website for selling its clothes, Malika is looking to the future. She’s adding new products and updating her company’s Instagram. She also wants to expand her reach beyond the wardrobes of her audience. She plans to use some of the proceeds from Femuine to either start a women’s focused charity or support one that already exists.

Are you ready to take that first step in launching or growing your business?

Or, are you interested in mentoring or advising entrepreneurs like Malika?