After learning her 10-year-old sister was being bullied at school for her dark skin, UCR alumna Taylor Pollard tweeted a photo of her younger sister with the hashtag #flexininmycomplexion. The photo and phrase went viral, with positive messages flooding in from around the world, including support from celebrities Alicia Keys, Lena Waithe, and Lupita Nyong’o.

And just like that: a business was born, launching with a t-shirt line made in their garage that sold out in 10 minutes.

Under the leadership of Taylor and her sister, Kheris Rogers, Flexin’ In My Complexion has evolved from t-shirts emblazoned with the phrase once used by their grandmother to encourage their confidence into a non-profit aimed at empowering youth against bullying.

Taylor now splits time between managing business operations and her younger sister’s exploding fashion career as a model and designer, the youngest to ever show during Fashion Week, as well as speaking engagements, media appearances, and partnerships with LeBron James and Nike.

Join us for a conversation with Taylor Pollard about using social media savvy to launch a business (and a movement), and learn how a major change at UCR aligned perfectly to prepare her for the future she couldn’t even imagine.