Meet Keva Wegman | Photographer & Entrepreneur

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

Hi Keva, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
At the moment I have to two start up businesses. Jewlu, a bath and body company, was created by my mother in 2008. I currently assist her with visuals, promotion and product development. Photography was a passtime that turned into a business unexpectedly. I was the “go to guy” for friends selfies when out and a photography trail at a friend’s event led to my start as a photographer. Both of these ventures I use to highlight my love for black people–particularly black women! In the years going forward we need positive representation of our people and our women need to be championed as they are the backbone of our community.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
This question is loaded for me. I am an artist but also own a business. The creation of a start up is fun and exciting. The maintaince of a start up is full of sacrifices, sleeples nights, and debt! Though Jewlu has a long way to go we have made great strides to create products that are not only beautiful but beneficial for the skin. Our products contain no parabens, sulfates or harsh chemcials and each item is made by hand. We promoted Jewlu early on by using Youtube videos/influencers, gifting celebrities and word of mouth. After months of promotion we began to recieve orders from Europe, Australia, Hawaii and Canada. Lessons learned along the way are that giving up is utter foolishness! Age matters not, keep going. Time will go on no matter what–so should you! The fulfillment we feel anytime a new order comes in is euphoric and we want to feel this for many years to come. We hope Jewlu can inspire black business owners to strike out on their own and take a chance.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If a friend was visiting I would take them to a few museums! I feel museums are great opportunities to not only learn but have fun because one can get great images inside them. Restaurants that I love would be TAO, Fushimi in Williamsburg and maybe Caribbean spots. I would take a friend to Wall Street and photograph them for fun, travel to Central Park for a picnic, go to 5th Ave in the city to window shop–AND WOODBURY shopping mall in West Nyack FOR THE SALE PRICE (laughs). Interesting things in New York to check out are the various restaurants (we have over 3,000), the architecture/atmosphere near Central Park, in Soho, Williamsburg and Harlem is mesmerizing. New York is so full of culture there is absolutely no time to be bored. Get out the house–but wear a mask!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate this shoutout to Denise A. Mitchell, my mother. She gave up her life to care for my beautiful grandmother, Lucille Benfield, when she developed Alzheimer’s disease. During this time she also started a business and continues to push herself daily to achieve success. I hope one to repay her for her sacrifices and make her proud through my art.

Website: Www.jewlu.com
Instagram: Instragram.com/pharaohkeev

Image Credits
Taken by Keva Wegman