Shea'd Inc.

Directing your purchases into causes and
communities you care about.

Conscious consumerism revolves around shopping with brands that align with causes and communities you care for. Shea’d was a suite of tools designed to make it simple for consumers to do just that. Starting with a focus on Black-owned businesses, it was a mobile app that gained over 3,000 downloads, and a browser extension that included over 9,800 Black-owned products.

The mobile app provided a directory of Black-owned business located throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. We compiled information on the businesses such as operating hours and social media accounts, but also images and descriptions of the founders or operators.

The browser extension was unique in that it ran an image search algorithm over the product image currently being shopped for and surfaced Black-owned alternatives. Pharrell’s Black Ambition Prize also awarded us a cash prize for our work.

However, the proudest moments came from the anecdotes and stories of the business owners we connected with along our journey. We created initiatives to provide businesses affected by COVID-19 a boost amidst the shutdowns, with donations from the sale of Black-owned product gift boxes. We also provided decals that marked "This is a Black-owned Business" around the Bay Area in the wake of George Floyd’s death, so Black-owned business would not only avoid being looted but be elevated and celebrated within the community.