JennCole Design School Inc. is a Non-Profit Organization founded by Jennifer Cole, owner of JennCole Designs Inc. in NYC and a Partner of The Taste of Afrika in Ghana as Director of Fashion and Modeling. Jennifer is better known in the industry as a “Jenn”. She partnered with The Taste of Afrika to empower young Afrikan female interested in the Fashion Industry. Jenn has been in the Fashion and Modeling Industry for over 2 decades now and opened the first African American Bridal Salon in her native state, Mississippi.
Working with Tengol K Kplemani, Founder of TTOA, Jenn has already been mentoring and helping young African women in Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria. She even adopted a 9 year old daughter, Aminata Foday Kamara, from Sierra Leone, took her from the school she was in and put her in a better school because of her talent. Jenn fell in love with Aminata just from seeing pics of her sewing. Said it reminded her so much of her own childhood, growing up sewing with a big dream of designing but no support to do it.
Jenn wants to show those young women who think it is impossible to achieve their dreams, that no matter what your circumstances are, if you can DREAM IT, you can BE IT! Her passion and love for Afrika, the Fashion Industry, and giving back is undeniable, so she decided to do even more!
Jenn is now building the first JennCole Design School Inc. in Ghana, Africa with a projection to finish it before the end of 2021, then she will target other areas of Afrika. This school will be a 2-year training program for young Afrikan women with the option to train for 3 months in New York before graduating. This program will be free for those that are accepted, giving them all the tools and support they need to achieve their dreams and be successful.
“Dream It With JennCole Designs”
Through this program Jenn is targeting underprivileged Afrikan women from ages 15-27 that have raw talent in sewing, designing, or modeling and desire to become a designer and business owner. This will include young women from poor families, women on the streets of Afrika, women with disabilities, etc. No matter what their circumstances may be, Jenn is giving them a platform and the resources to dream bigger than they have ever dreamed before.
This program will nurture, educate, mentor, coach, and help them to achieve their dream! It will help them take their skills and crafts and become successful business owners for themselves and their families and create jobs for those generations to come. They will be taught on an international level, combining the cultures of Afrika and America, giving them the confidence to showcase and sell their products worldwide. It will teach them to be strong black women, to believe in themselves, to rise above their circumstances, and to lead the next generation to come.
Jenn’s story of her childhood life growing up in Mississippi and later becoming a single mother of 2 sons and running a successful business for 14 years in Mississippi is why she is determined to help young Afrikan women to achieve their dreams in the Fashion Industry by giving them the financial support she never had growing up and the training they need to achieve it. Growing up she only had her dream of becoming a Fashion Designer and her faith in God. She now has her own brand, her own wedding gown collection, and many other great achievements.
Jenn has traveled all over the world as a Designer/Tailor and impacted the lives of many along the way. Designing, teaching, and helping others is not just a job for Jenn, it is her passion, it is her whole life. Her love for the Fashion Industry and others is what makes her great at what she does.
Jenn is part of The Knot Wedding Organization and awarded “Best Of Weddings 2020” and in The Knot NY magazine since 2018, she is part of The Wedding Salon Bridal Showcase in NY and she is a 2019/2020 Influencer with IAW-International Association of Women.