Meet India Brown | Scientist & Founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with India Brown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi India, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Business is something that has been encouraged since I was a child. My mother and grandfather always encouraged us to start a business from childhood, so it’s something I always knew I would do at some point. When I was around 12, my mom put my brother and I in an Entrepreneurship Summer Camp at Fort Valley State University. That is where we learned the basics of starting a business. We were tasked with creating a business name, logo, jingle and a description of what we would be selling. I loved fashion growing up so the business I created at camp was a clothing store called “Unique Boutique”.
The thought process behind my current STEM-based business “Chic Geeks” centered around changing the image of what a scientist looks like. After I graduated from Thee Fort Valley State University with my BS and MSc degrees in Biotechnology, I noticed how shocked people were and still are when I say that I’m a scientist. One of the biggest responses I get is “I’ve never seen a black scientist before” and my response is “yes, we exist”. Since I was always interested in fashion, it wasn’t hard to start putting together a vision for my business. Merging my love for fashion and my passion for science was very exciting. I wanted to show my community that we can be anything we want to be by creating custom inspirational message t-shirts highlighting/promoting black people in STEM.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My professional career started in 2016, working for a pharmaceutical company that manufactures an immunotherapy drug used to treat late-stage prostate cancer. In 2018, I transitioned to a medical device company manufacturing red cell products for automated diagnostic equipment. What set me apart was that I was the only black female scientist on the team. I’m most proud of how much I grew and excelled in my role during my 5 years there. I entered that company as an entry-level scientist and left in a leadership role, teaching and training others on skillsets and techniques that someone else taught me to succeed. I got to where I am today professionally by the grace of God. He strategically put me in spaces and places I never thought I’d be to cultivate the skills and gifts he’d placed inside me. Networking and my eagerness to learn also played a significant role in my career progression. The first two things my college advisor taught me were to not work for free and to network. He believed in compensation for your work and the famous saying, “It’s not what you know, but who you know .”The “who you know” has opened many doors for me, and I’m forever grateful for them. It’s never easy being the “only,” but my graduate and undergraduate studies prepared me to be in rooms where I was the only person who looked like me. The biggest tool to overcome the challenges of being the “only” is reminding yourself that you deserve to be in those spaces and knowing your “why .”
In 2023, I transitioned out of corporate America and began running my business full-time. I am the owner, secretary, shipping department, manager, customer service rep, marketing director, and finance manager of Chic Geeks. Being a one-woman machine is difficult, but I know all my hard work will pay off. In addition to the Chic Geeks online boutique, I also have a mentorship program for young girls who want to enter the STEM field, and in 2024, I began my speaking career on panels about diversity in the STEM field. I had the pleasure of speaking at Spelman College on a panel sponsored by a nonprofit organization called STEM Gems. We spoke to girls aged 7-17 about our backgrounds, careers, and experiences. I have big dreams for where I see Chic Geeks going. Chic Geeks aims to open doors for minorities in the STEM field. We are disruptors driven to shake up the cultural norm of what it means and what it looks like to be a scientist, technologist, engineer, or mathematician. Our mission is to promote diversity and inclusion in STEM, and I am committed to advocating for this cause.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
A week long girls trip to Atlanta would look a little something like:
Monday-Tupelo Honey, Ponce City Market Skyview Park, I love Pinky Cole so we’d have to check out Bar Vegan followed by Mojave for $5 Sangria
Tuesday-iPic, Urabanwok (black-owned), The Blue Room at Politan Row
Wednesday-Botica, The Painted Duck, Negril Village, The James Room and or Turkey on the loose
Thursday-Bamboo forest, Lunch at Velvet Taco, 26Thai, Spaceman Bar
Friday-Toast on Lenox, Poor Calvin’s, Frequency Friday at the High Museum of Art is always a vibe
Saturday-Breakfast at Le Bon Nosh (one of my favorite places to get a beautifully crafted drink, delicious pastry and a chill vibe), Walk the Beltline, Ice cream at Jeni’s and dinner at Rocksteady
Sunday-Church at House of Hope Atlanta, Brunch at Busy Bee and Soul Sunday at Reverb *Falcons Game if it’s football season

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my mother and grandfather for instilling the importance of entrepreneurship into me, and giving me the support, love and confidence to chase my dreams. I’d also like to dedicate my shoutout to my pastor for keeping me spiritually grounded and anyone who has ever supported Chic Geeks.

Website: https://shopchicgeekboutique.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheischicgeek

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/indiacbrown/

Twitter: https://x.com/indiabrown88

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJxkmHbYo6xfrRNCkKX95fw

Image Credits
Testaments In Motion