Mompreneurs: Afro Unicorn Founder, April Showers

Mompreneurs: April Showers — Source: April Showers

April Showers is the magical mompreneur behind Afro Unicorn—the first Black-owned, woman-founded business to sell a licensed character in major retail. With Afro Unicorn products featured in Walmart, Target, HomeGoods, CVS, and more, the mother of two is doing exactly what she set out to do: creating more than a character, but sparking a movement.

Offering everything from haircare to apparel, bedding, toys, and books, Afro Unicorn began with a bold vision. Showers’ goal: to leave a lasting legacy for her two sons. On this episode of Mompreneurs, Showers sat down with host Nancy Redd to shed light on how she built a household brand from the ground up.

‘I started Afro Unicorn not as a brand but as a movement’

Showers created Afro Unicorn with a bold vision. “I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit,” she told Redd. “I started Afro Unicorn seeing that it would be a household name and a worldwide brand, and then I went to work.”

She started selling Afro Unicorn print-on-demand (POD) merchandise through her own e-commerce website. Ever the savvy entrepreneur with a natural flair for marketing, she put in work laying a solid foundation for the brand. She was determined to sow a movement, focused on a long-term vision.

“I started Afro Unicorn not as a brand but as a movement. And it was to help other moms, other entrepreneurial women, for them to see the unicorn within themselves and to help push them along,” she said.

The groundwork she laid made it possible for Afro Unicorn to take off at the right moment. Until then, she would be in the comments section, spreading the word about Afro Unicorn online. “I would have a goal to connect on social media with 50 people to tell them about this movement that I’m building, and I did that everyday,” she said.

One Video Sparked a Movement

It was a viral video that helped Afro Unicorn take off. “There was a video of a little girl,” Showers recalled. “Someone walked by her and said, ‘I love your hair.’ And the response was, ‘Thank you, it’s an afro.’ She happened to be wearing an Afro Unicorn shirt.”

The community she had nurtured came to life in the overwhelming response to the Afro Unicorn brand featured in the video. “The viral moment only happened because there was a movement behind it,” she said.

The video captured the attention of retail giant Walmart and opened the door to a game-changing partnership. The company had recognized “how this brand was affecting people, and then reached out to me.”

Afro Unicorn Became a Household Name

The Afro Unicorn brand has since expanded to other major retailers like Target, JCPenney, and more, offering products across more than 25 categories in thousands of stores nationwide.

Showers explained how she licensed her registered trademark to expand the brand. “I remain 100% owner of the intellectual property (IP) … but I’m able to ‘lease’ out the usage for someone to produce products like haircare or apparel.”

As the owner of the Afro Unicorn IP, Showers exercises full control over quality and concept. Today, Afro Unicorn products sit on store shelves next to iconic characters like Mickey Mouse and Disney Princesses.

“Wherever you’re looking for your favorite character, that’s where you will find Afro Unicorn,” said Showers.

It’s all about spreading love.

The movement driving Afro Unicorn is about uplifting and empowering one another.

“We are all beautiful, we all come in different shades,” said Showers.

Through Afro Unicorn books and multimedia presence—including the popular web series Ms. April’s Crown and Bookstore on the Afro Unicorn YouTube channel—Showers is spreading love across her ever-growing platform.

Believing in yourself is the greatest superpower of all.
April Showers, Afro Unicorn®

‘There is no secret sauce or secret formula. I show up every single day.’

Showers is living out her vision of building a legacy driven by purpose, one that she can pass down to her boys, who have been involved in the business since day one.

“My oldest son…he’s the Chief Operating Officer of Afro Unicorn. He knows everything I know, if not more. He’s 17 years old but he’s been on this journey with me from day one,” Showers shared.

Get the full conversation. Watch or listen to this episode of Mompreneurs below.

Catch new episodes of Mompreneurs every week

Every week, we celebrate beautiful Black entrepreneurs who are simultaneously amazing business moguls and awesome moms. Join host and New York Times bestselling author Nancy Redd as these mompreneurs share their life stories and inspiring advice.

Watch Mompreneurs on MadameNoire’s YouTube channel or below. Or listen to the podcast online on the Urban One Podcast Network.

Categories: Entrepreneurship