User:Aquel-frazier/sandbox

Ramona Ferreyra

Early Life: Ramona Ferrerya’s life began at an early age. She was a Dominican-American and she was born in Manhattan, New York and her family had a strong commitment to make sure she and her siblings are connected with and uphold their dominican culture. Ramona would participate in Heritage festivals and parades, she performed in crowds, and took dance classes at requests of her mother.

Personal Life: When Ramona was growing up she was immersed in her dominican culture and she went to school in the Dominican Republic for 4 years and she spent her summers there as well. Ramona went to John Jay college and she went there for her undergraduate degree. Then she left New York and she went to Hawaii and she lived there for ten years and while she was there Ramona completed her graduate degree at Hawaii Pacific University and she worked with the FBI and the Department of Defense for a time.

About Ojala Threads Ramona Ferreyra founder and owner of Ojala Threads company that produces infant bodysuits with feature designs inspired by Caribbean American heritage, colloquialisms, language, and experiences. The mission Ojala Threads embraces the values of community, individualism, resilience, and authenticity. Through these Ramona develop items that trigger nostalgia and validate the importance of heritage. Ojala Threads domine legacies by providing wardrobe pieces that trigger emotional connections and overcome generational divisions (MSN.,2016). “ We look at baby clothing, not only as fashion, but as parenting tools that will allow parents and babies to either get to know a different culture, or express their pride as a member of that community,” - Ramona Ferreyra The Product Ojala Threads selected a white, cotton and spandex blend, making the pieces softer than comparable offerings, water-based inks. Ferreyra is committed to working with partners that utilize less harmful materials, therefore, decreasing the negative impact on the environment. Ojala Threads allows artisans from various Hispanic and Caribbean countries to sell their heritage-inspired pieces through the organization. Customers are able to pre-order the items, after which the artist can then make the item, and sell it through the Ojala Threads website (Toussaint.,2019)

Awards & Recognition In the few months since Ojala Threads launched, Ferreyra has entered several pitch competitions to gain more exposure and aid with funding. On Nov. 8, 2018, Ferreyra was named the grand prize winner of the 2018 Latina SmallBiz Expo & Pitch Competition, held at Hudson County Community College in New Jersey. The expo featured more than 70 Latina and minority-owned small businesses, as well as supporters and sponsors.

References

MSN., 2016, All Good': Ojala Threads Creates Baby Clothing Inspired by Hispanic Heritage, MSN retrieved from https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/all-good-ojala-threads-creates-baby-clothing-inspired-by-hispanic-heritage/vp-AAI1Ltc

Toussiant, J., 2019, ‘Ramona Ferreyra: The Latina entrepreneur promoting Hispanic heritage and culture through micro-fashion’, Al Dia Entrepreneurs retrieved from https://aldianews.com/articles/leaders/entrepreneurs/ramona-ferreyra-latina-entrepreneur-promoting-hispanic-heritage-and