When Toyin Omisore was ramping up her workouts around 2017, she didn’t give much thought to what she was wearing.
“But I knew that I didn’t like it,” she said of her activewear at the time. “It just never crossed my mind.”
That changed when a friend who worked for an activewear brand invited her to a sample sale event, and Omisore noticed a striking difference when she tried on sets that not only got the job done but felt good to wear.
Omisore was no stranger to entrepreneurship – as a University of Rhode Island student, she had already launched a vending machine business with her sister, a photo booth company with her cousin and over the years took on freelance design and marketing work – but “it was in that moment at the gym that I knew that I was going to do activewear,” she said.
Since that time, Omisore has launched a nationally reaching business, Roam Loud, that focuses on elevating women of color through its activewear and athleisure products.
The brand, which is formally operated under The Ansani Group LLC, promotes “a lifestyle where brown-skinned women are shown, are platformed, and we want to do that unapologetically,” said Omisore, Roam Loud’s founder, CEO and “wanderer in chief.”
In doing so, “the brand focuses a lot on the boxes and limitations as women in our world, and then as Black women in our world,” across a range of lifestyles, Omisore said – a message that has resonated with Roam Loud’s customers.
“I’m looking to disrupt it,” Omisore said of these limitations, “to spotlight that there are more people here, and I want to speak to people and let them know there’s space for you, there’s space for us all.”
The Rhode Island-based business has expanded well beyond the Ocean State’s borders since its founding in March 2020: Omisore, who was born and raised in South Providence, sold Roam Loud products through Kohl’s Corp. in 2022, has partnered with about 70 CorePower Yoga studios across the U.S., and, most recently, started selling through six Recreational Equipment Inc. – or REI – stores nationally, including in Cranston.
Omisore plans to continue building partnerships throughout the U.S. and internationally.
“I want Rhode Islanders to be connected to this brand, but I want this to be a global friend where a friend in Nigeria can say, ‘I love this. I want to purchase these leggings,’ ” Omisore said.
Like her aspirations for the company, the name “Roam Loud” also carries personal and broad connotations. Roam Loud means “the act of navigating the world boldly,” Omisore said, and it also honors her family and her Liberian-Nigerian American heritage.
The business name reflects the initials of Omisore’s mother and late uncle, she said, and embodies her grandmother’s values.
“I never met [my grandmother], but from the storytelling through my mom, her sacrifices, her hard work, and her love for her family and community … those are aspects that are the DNA of the brand,” Omisore said.
And “when I wrote out ‘Roam Loud’ and then saw [my mother’s] name within that, I knew that this is the right path,” Omisore said. “Ancestrally, I feel like I’ve always received messages throughout my time of how it’s supposed to be … [that] you’re on the right path, and you’re moving in alignment.”
1. Do you believe racism is keeping minorities from starting businesses in the Ocean State or succeeding when they do? I have spent my life around Black and brown people and spaces. These are communities of determined dreamers, innovators and creative brilliance all while being impacted by institutional racism in their everyday lives. Regardless of these barriers, BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, people of color] people will continue to create, launch and scale businesses.
2. How dependent is your business on the support of other minority groups? Is that a sustainable business model? The essence of Roam Loud is that we are unapologetically creating a lifestyle where brown skin is at the forefront and not an afterthought. Our wanderers consist of not only Black and brown women but also non-Black women who support brands that uplift women who are often overlooked and love our brand and its messaging without being centered. Creating safe spaces, meeting the needs of ignored groups, and allyship are sustainable business models.
3. What one thing could Rhode Island do to boost the odds for minority-owned business success? Provide access to funding to BIPOC entrepreneurs without oversight disguised as mentorship.
4. Have you had to turn somewhere other than a bank for a loan? Do you believe the state’s lending institutions generally treat minorities fairly? Absolutely. I learned very quickly that larger banks like Bank of America [Corp.] or Santander [Bank N.A.] didn’t have many options for business loans as a new small-business owner. HarborOne Bank was the first bank that presented accessible small-business loan funding opportunities.
[According to the Federal Reserve], Black-owned firms were the most likely to have applied for bank financing, [and] less than 47% of these applications were fully funded. Even when Black business owners get approved, their rate of failure to receive full financing is the highest among all categories by more than 10%. Unfair treatment from lending institutions is ever-present.
5. If another minority entrepreneur asked you where they could turn to for support for their business, where would you direct them? For someone just starting out and local to the area, I would suggest they look into the following organizations: RIHub, the Rhode Island Black Business Association, the Center for Women & Enterprise, Social Enterprise [Greenhouse], Venture Cafe, and 401 Tech Bridge. I also have an online resource hub of local and national resources on my website toyinomisore.com. I noticed I was often being asked the same questions about resources related to entrepreneurship. I began compiling newsletters, books and tools that I was using and created a library of tools and education for entrepreneurs that I update monthly.
