MORE ABOUT THE
OWNER BIOS
Learn More About The Co-Owners and Entrepreneurs
DEANNA ALLEN
DeAnna Allen, originally from Columbus Ohio, has lived in Charlotte for over 10 years. A former Educator, DeAnna was always an entrepreneur at heart. Opening her first business in Charlotte in 2010, she experienced great success as the owner of Tease Fitness Boutique, and a few years later, opened a second business, My Chic Party Boutique, a full service event venue for children’s parties.
After taking a small break from entrepreneurship to travel the world, DeAnna returned to what she loved, and opened The Brown Sugar Collab, a retail boutique of hand crafted home fragrances, natural bath and body products, and small artisan gifts in 2020. The Brown Sugar Collab has been her passion project to help support other small business owners by curating their products within her boutique, and co-producing a monthly pop-up market series with business partner Jekia Benson. Their goal is to help local merchants gain a broader audience and more exposure through their Bop Around The Block pop-up market.
The Coterie Concept is an extension of DeAnna’s mission to help other small business owners who may face challenges and want to grow their presence from online to brick-and-mortar storefronts.
Originally from Huntsville, AL and now residing in Charlotte, NC,
Jekia has always been a lover of all things fashion. Throughout the years,
her love of fashion shifted to a passion which first manifested itself
through wardrobe styling. While styling clients, she would tell anyone
who would listen about her grandiose dreams of owning a boutique
and in 2013, Jekia finally took a leap of faith and launched Five13 Studio.
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Six months after launching online, she relocated Five13 Studio to her
Styling Studio in the Dilworth Community of Charlotte. In addition to
professionally styling clients, customers were now able to schedule an
appointment to touch, feel and try on the styles that they loved online. Five 13 Studio since moved into their Southend flagship location and it has been their boutique home since August 2020.
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Since their 2013 launch, Jekia has participated in and hosted close to 100 popup events. Because popups are near and dear to her heart, she now co-hosts a monthly popup event series called Bop Around the Block with business partner DeAnna Allen. Bop Around the Block is aimed to support and uplift our fellow small business owners in the South End Community and has now laid the path for the innovative retail concept known as The Coterie Concept.
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JEKIA BENSON
