Cherry Co. is an athletic apparel and accessories brand founded by Thalia Cherry in 2012. As a lifelong athlete, Thalia noted the absence of clothing that celebrates the strength of women, so she created her own. Now Cherry Co. sells thousands of designs, and works with dozens of teams to create officially licensed gear, all while staying rooted in Kansas City and giving back to the community.

What is your background?

I was born in Kansas City, Kansas, attended Bishop Ward High School, and received my MBA from Stephens College. Prior to launching the company, I was the director of Civic and Community Engagement of the City of Kansas City (in the city manager’s office). I have played sports since the age of 5 and I am the youngest of eight children. I started Cherry in 2012. My parents, Admiral and Mary Ann Flunder, were instrumental in impacting the Kansas City, Kansas community and were a huge influence on how I approach and impact the community. Both my parents and grandfather were entrepreneurs.

How did your experiences as an athlete prepare you for your career?

I played sports in high school and college. I was named an All-American athlete in volleyball and softball while I attended Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas.

How did sports play an important role in your life?

Sports teach incredible leadership skills. The skills that I learned as a team captain are transferable and remain my guiding principles for leading my company today. The guiding principles are integrity, power and legacy.

What was your journey to found CHERRY?

I have always been led to operate through purpose and this was the driver to start the Cherry company. One of the driving principles of our company is to impact the world through our foundation, which donates 10% of our annual revenues to sports and education initiatives. Additionally, I wanted to create a company that would make consumers feel valued and create a platform to impact the lives of others. Sports have historically impacted societal changes and influence change in a transformative way and we hope our company plays a small part in contributing to changing the world.

What did you want to add to the market that you felt it was missing?

Our niche is built around the absence of sporty clothing specific to highlighting the strength of women. We know that women love the feeling of being a part of a winning team and want to wear clothing that represents the culture of winning.

How did you develop your brand aesthetic?

The initial step of building our brand was ideation. The first leg of the process was thinking about what we wanted our customers to feel and translating those thoughts and feelings into visual cues that resonated with our brand personality (sports, fashion and fun). Based on our relationships with professional athletes we knew we could integrate influential figures in association with our brand. The next step was developing a persona in relation to our values and specific look; fully comprehending our design style and personality in reference to our brand. We also wanted to select a color palette and designs that grabbed the attention of our customers. Additionally, we also considered what emotion we wanted to evoke from our audience and created designs that elicited the desired response when you come across them.

What’s your favorite part of the design process?

We love the process of ideation and when a customer allows us the latitude to design the entire process inclusive of product, style and the design.

What’s something that surprised you on your small business ownership journey?

The degree of support we receive from the community leaders is a wonderful surprise and touches our heart.

What’s an achievement you’re proud of?

The greatest achievement is contributing philanthropically through a multitude of community initiatives and Entrepreneurship KC. The goal of Entrepreneurship KC is to develop and create the next generation of entrepreneurs of color.

How does being based in Kansas City impact your business?

Who doesn't love sports in Kansas City. As a company that believes in sports, fashion and fun, the KC community is the best place to thrive and grow.

Congratulations on your 2020 EBONY Power 100 list honor as a Community Crusader! What inspires you to give back to the community?

I was blessed to witness parents that heavily contributed to the community, as such it is part of the fabric of our business. It is our mission to connect students to resources that have the ability to transform their lives. We leverage our contacts and resources in the hopes to grant students access to experiences both athletically and educationally so they can achieve their greatest potential.

What advice would you give those looking to invest more in their own communities?

Investing in community not only changes others, it changes one's own perspective and purpose.