*Amanda Wilson, owner and CEO of A+X Puzzles, has become the first Black-owned puzzle company sold in Target.
Wilson was inspired to create the brand in 2019 after giving birth to twins Adric and Xola. Her babies were born ten weeks early, and during their NICU stay, Wilson created the sketches of the widely popular Spaceship puzzle, per Because of Them We Can.
Here’s more from the outlet:
The bright, colorful puzzles help young children develop fine motor skills and allow them to see themselves positively represented by characters that look like them. Target contacted Wilson in 2020 about the opportunity to sell her puzzles in stores.
“I never saw myself as someone who would make history, but I did. I am proud to say that I am the first Black puzzle company in a major retail store. It is an amazing feeling,” she told Because Of Them We Can.
READ MORE: Two Black Owned Banks Combine to Create the Largest Minority Depository Institution in the U.S.
The Kansas Children’s Discovery Center is very excited to start offering A+X Puzzles in the Discovery Shop. Amanda Wilson, founder and Chief of Innovation at A+X Puzzles, shares her inspiration for the company… https://t.co/MQKZQs5sDT pic.twitter.com/aM9qfTtFS9
— Kansas Children’s Discovery Center (@kansasdiscovery) May 19, 2019
Wilson was supported throughout the process by her mentor, Ana Rodriguez.
“She always reminds me to stay tenacious and to clearly ask for what I want and need,” Wilson said. “I didn’t think people cared about who is behind the business, but they do. You are your biggest marketing tool.”
The mother of two said one of the biggest challenges “has been being a one-woman show,” she said.
“I don’t have any staff at this time. Since the pandemic, I have been balancing a full-time job, twin toddlers at home with me, and my business scaling so quickly. I’ve had to become extremely disciplined,” she said.
“One thing that has been painfully obvious to me is that ‘start up’ companies don’t need more mentors, we need more upfront capital, and that is something that I’ve become extremely passionate about, and I’m currently working to help small businesses navigate their way through the different processes,” Wilson told BOTWC.
“I hope my company inspires other burgeoning Black businesses to keep striving towards their goal. Being the first and only carries weight, and I hope to bring along more businesses in the gaming industry with me. The main advice I will give is to stay prepared. There will be a lot of questions, and people will doubt you but stay the course. No one is you, and that is your power.”
