Positively Africana By Aimee at Thornes Marketplace
Positively Africana By Aimee exists because of a gap—between what the world often assumes about Africa and what is actually true; between the women building brilliant things in Congo and the people in America who deserve to know they exist; between two worlds that should be connected, yet too often remain separated.
This brand was built to close that gap.
Positively Africana By Aimee is a founder-led Africana retail and wellness brand that helps you gift with meaning while investing 25 percent of profits directly into women entrepreneurs in the Congo.
It is not about elevating one person’s story. It is about creating a space where two worlds meet with respect, authenticity, and shared purpose.
Is This For You?
Positively Africana By Aimee serves different people in different ways, but the throughline is always the same: culture is honored, learning is welcomed, and community is real.
You may feel at home with us if you are looking for meaningful gifts that are handmade, authentic, and rooted in story and impact. You may also be part of the African diaspora and seeking connection to home, heritage, and beauty that feels familiar.
Many people find us because they care about wellness and belonging, not just shopping or workouts. Others arrive as educators, parents, or organization leaders who want children to experience cultural identity and pride through tangible, respectful representation.
And some people come because they are curious in the best way. They want diverse experiences. They want to learn about Africa through someone who has lived it. They want to engage with culture thoughtfully, accurately, and with care.
If you are looking for cheap, mass-produced “African-inspired” items, we are not the place. If you want real story, real craft, and real impact—welcome.
Congo: Where It Started
To understand Positively Africana By Aimee, you have to understand Congo.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the most naturally wealthy places on earth. Yet for generations, our resources have been extracted while communities have been left behind. My own region has experienced war, and I have lived that reality firsthand.
But what the world does not always see is the creativity, the resilience, and the women who build every single day.
I grew up watching women carry families, businesses, and entire communities with strength and grace. I saw beauty and ingenuity everywhere—in fashion, in music, in language, in celebration, and in the everyday problem-solving that turns limited resources into possibility. Where I am from, entrepreneurship is not a buzzword. It is a way of life.
I watched women cook meals with whatever was available and still make it taste like love. I watched people make a home—clean, welcoming, dignified—without the resources many assume are required for comfort or stability. I watched families keep going through political instability, uncertainty, and loss, because life does not pause just because circumstances are hard.
That kind of daily creativity is a form of intelligence. It is design. It is leadership. It is the ability to look at what you have, imagine what it could become, and then make it happen.
Things that can break most people, I saw my community survive. And not only survive, but still find ways to laugh, to dance, to create, to serve, and to rebuild.
That is why Congolese people inspire me every day. We are builders.
Tate Bikuwe: The Spirit That Keeps Me Going
There is one phrase and one spirit that inspires me every single day: Tate Bikuwe.
It is the reminder I grew up with: we keep going. We build anyway. We create anyway. We find a way anyway.
Tate Bikuwe is entrepreneurship in its purest form. It is turning challenge into possibility, refusing to be defined by circumstances, and choosing to lead with courage even when the path is not easy.
I learned this spirit from my grandmother, also named Tate Bikuwe, who built multiple businesses in Congo despite every obstacle. I watched her negotiate with suppliers, make decisions that affected her community, hire and mentor other women, and move forward with conviction even when the outcome was uncertain. She did not wait for permission or perfect conditions. She saw a need, she saw her ability to meet it, and she built.
My grandmother’s legacy is not just in the businesses she created. It is in the way she showed me that women from Congo do not need rescue or pity. We need opportunity, respect, and partnership.
That spirit—her spirit—lives in the women I watched growing up. It lives in the makers and artisans we work with today. And it lives in every step we take as we build Positively Africana By Aimee.
The Gap That Sparked Everything
When I moved to the United States 11 years ago, I carried that mindset with me. I also encountered something that challenged me: the way Africa, and Congo specifically, was represented in media and popular culture.
Over and over, I saw one narrow story repeated—crisis, suffering, and despair.
I remember Googling Congo and seeing images that reduced my home to only pain. I remember thinking, where is the rest of us?
Where is the beauty? Where is the culture? Where is the creativity? Where are the brilliant women I grew up with?
That gap between what I lived and what the world was shown did not just make me sad. It made me determined.
A Truth About Congo the World Often Avoids
Despite instability and hardship, Congolese women work. They build. They recover. They start over. They push back. They build organizations. They start businesses. They find ways to serve.
This is not a performance. It is survival. It is genius.
And it is a foundation worth investing in.
Education as a Tool for Leadership
I graduated from Mount Holyoke College in May 2023 with a B.A. in Psychology and Education and a minor in Entrepreneurship, Organizations and Society.
That education was not only about content. It was about learning how to think critically about systems, how to question the single story, and how to build organizations that serve communities.
Mount Holyoke shaped me by demanding rigor and giving me language for leadership. It trained me to think critically and question narratives, solve problems strategically, communicate with clarity, hold multiple perspectives without losing my values, and treat learning as a lifelong practice.
In a women’s college environment, I did not only learn what leadership is. I learned what it looks like when women are expected to lead.
That changed me.
Aimee at Mount Holyoke College graduation
From Classroom to Action
My entrepreneurship studies were not only about understanding business. They were about understanding how organizations serve communities and how entrepreneurs can build with purpose.
So I did not wait for the right time. I started building Positively Africana By Aimee because I had a clear vision, and I trusted it.
That decision taught me something essential: you do not need permission to start. You need clarity, courage, and a commitment to something bigger than yourself.
Aimee’s Mount Holyoke community and sisterhood
Aimee celebrating Mount Holyoke achievement
From Vision to Action
Eight years ago, Positively Africana By Aimee was formalized.
But the vision started long before that, in the gap I saw between what the world thought it knew about Africa and what was actually true.
I did not start this brand because I had all the answers. I started it because I had a clear purpose. I did not want Africa to be treated like a trend or a costume. I wanted people to experience the truth: Africa is vast, diverse, and full of brilliance, and the makers behind the beauty deserve to be honored.
When I look at the artisans and makers we work with across Africa, I see the same daily creativity I witnessed growing up. I see women who turn handmade brass into jewelry that carries meaning. I see weavers who create patterns passed down for generations. I see people who understand that every piece they make holds story.
So when we built Positively Africana By Aimee, we made a choice. We do not source from artisans and pay them as if we are doing them a favor. We partner with them because we know them, we trust them, and we believe in their work.
Passion and Commitment: Why This Brand Will Always Be Personal
Positively Africana By Aimee is not a hobby. It is not a phase. It is not something I do when it is convenient.
This brand is my commitment to truth, to culture, and to the women who deserve to be seen as builders—not as a single story.
I show up because I believe in what happens when people feel represented. I show up because I have watched what a lack of opportunity can do, and I have also watched what partnership can unlock.
And I show up because Positively Africana By Aimee is bigger than me. It is a bridge that keeps moving forward—one product, one class, one conversation, and one community moment at a time.
Aimee building with intention an purpose
What Makes Positively Africana By Aimee Different
In a marketplace crowded with retailers claiming authenticity and impact, Positively Africana By Aimee stands apart because of three things that cannot be copied: founder-led curation rooted in lived experience, direct relationships with makers across Africa, and a commitment to putting 25 percent of profits back into women entrepreneurs in the Congo.
This is not a marketing tagline. This is how we operate.
Founder-led curation means every product on our shelves reflects a personal decision about what matters. We do not source based on trends or algorithms. We source based on relationships, quality, and story. When you walk into Positively Africana By Aimee, you are seeing what we believe in—not what a committee decided would sell. You get intentional curation, personal styling support, and direct connection to the story behind each piece.
Direct relationships with makers mean we know the women creating our products. We know their names, their families, their challenges, and their dreams. We do not work through middlemen or supply chains that obscure the maker’s story. This direct model means your purchase supports real livelihoods, strengthens women-led workshops, and grows a network of makers whose work deserves to be seen, respected, and sustained.
Our 25 percent profit commitment is not charity. It is partnership rooted in Ubuntu. When we say 25 percent of profits support women entrepreneurs in the Congo, we mean real reinvestment: equipment purchases that expand production capacity, consistent fair wages, training and mentorship for emerging makers, and stability that allows women to invest in their families’ education and futures.
Positively Africana By Aimee exists to honor the spirit of Tate Bikuwe—the entrepreneurial resilience, the refusal to accept limitations, and the commitment to building something that lasts. That spirit is embedded in every decision we make, every product we carry, and every relationship we build.
Community at Positively Africana By Aimee
Ubuntu: The Philosophy That Guides Us
Ubuntu is often translated as I am because we are.
But for Positively Africana By Aimee, Ubuntu is not a quote. It is a practice.
Ubuntu is how we survive. It is how we celebrate. It is how we raise children, share food, and carry one another through hard seasons. It is the belief that your life is tied to mine, and that dignity is something we protect together.
That is why Positively Africana By Aimee will never be just a store. Ubuntu makes the brand bigger than a transaction.
Ubuntu means that when you buy something handmade, you are honoring a maker’s skill and livelihood. When you shop with us, you are joining a gathering rooted in culture, truth, and impact. When we give 25 percent of profits to women entrepreneurs in the Congo, we are investing in our shared future. And when we host fitness classes and community nights, we are building belonging, not just attendance.
Ubuntu is the reason we lead with shared joy, even when the world tells small businesses to lead with scarcity.
Because we do not believe in building alone.
What We Offer: Three Ways to Connect
Positively Africana By Aimee is more than a shop. We offer a place where culture is respected, where movement becomes healing, and where people from different backgrounds can connect through something real.
Shop meaningful gifts online with nationwide shipping. Browse handmade jewelry (hammered brass earrings, necklaces, bracelets), sisal basket bags from Kenya, bold kitenge blazers, The Aimee Doll collection, Baoule fabric, mudcloth textiles, and seasonal pieces—all curated for story and impact.
Visit in-store at Level 2, Thornes Marketplace, Northampton, Massachusetts for personal styling, intentional curation, and the energy of a space designed to feel like a gathering.
Join fitness classes in person or virtually to move with joy, build consistency, and feel connected to a supportive community.
The In-Store Experience: Founder-Curated, Not Algorithmic
Walking into Positively Africana By Aimee at Thornes Marketplace is not like browsing a generic boutique.
Every piece on the floor has been personally selected. Every product carries meaning. Every corner reflects a decision about what matters.
This is founder-curated retail. You are not seeing what an algorithm thinks you should buy. You are seeing what we believe in.
When you visit, you will experience intentional curation, personal styling support, the energy of a space designed to feel like a gathering, and direct connection to the story behind each piece.
This is what sets us apart from competitors who copy an aesthetic but miss the soul.
Gifts with Meaning
Our curated collection includes handmade jewelry in brass, copper, and silver; bags and accessories such as sisal basket bags from Kenya, kitenge tote bags, and handwoven pieces; fashion and cultural wear including bold kitenge blazers, activewear, head wraps, and scarves; The Aimee Doll collection for personal purchase or sponsorship; and home décor and seasonal items such as Baoule fabric, mudcloth, olive wood hearts, soapstone sculptures, beaded ornaments, and Kwanzaa kits.
Handmade and rooted in African culture, each piece is selected to help you gift with meaning, whether it is for a partner, a friend, or your own self-love moment. Twenty-five percent of profits support women entrepreneurs in the Congo. Shop online with nationwide shipping or visit in-store at Thornes Marketplace, Level 2, Northampton, Massachusetts.
If it is your first time shopping with us, we will help you find something that matches your story.
Aimee in founder-curated retail space
Loyalty Program
Members receive 10 percent off all retail purchases, plus priority access to new collections and exclusive events.
Community and Fitness Programs: Where Belonging Becomes Real
Positively Africana By Aimee is also a wellness community.
Our fitness programs are built for real people with real lives—people who want to move, sweat, laugh, and feel stronger, but also want to feel safe, seen, and supported.
This is not a “perfect body” culture. This is a “keep going” culture.
We dance. We train. We build stamina. We protect mental health. We show up for each other.
Fitness community at Positively Africana By Aimee
Drop-in classes are 20 dollars. Monthly membership is 115 dollars. Six-month membership is 650 dollars. Annual membership is 1200 dollars.
Members also receive 10 percent off all retail purchases and priority access to events.
The Aimee Doll Initiative
The Aimee Doll is more than a product. It is a movement.
Each handmade doll represents African culture, identity, and pride. Beyond personal purchases, Positively Africana By Aimee offers The Aimee Doll Sponsorship Program.
Schools, organizations, and individuals can sponsor dolls for children in need in the United States or internationally.
Pricing is 45 dollars per doll for 25 to 100 dolls, including shipping. For 101 to 500 dolls, pricing is 40 dollars per doll, including shipping. Bundled sets for classrooms, grade levels, or schools are available.
When you sponsor dolls, you are giving children a tangible connection to culture and identity. You are also supporting the artisans who make them and the mission of Positively Africana By Aimee.
How We Connect Two Worlds
In the American community, especially in places where African culture is often misunderstood or reduced to stereotypes, Positively Africana By Aimee creates a different experience.
We make African culture visible in a way that is joyful, accurate, and welcoming.
People do not just buy something African. They learn what it is, where it comes from, and why it matters. Customers who are African or part of the diaspora feel seen and represented. Customers who are not African learn how to engage respectfully, without appropriation.
This is how bridge-building happens, not through marketing campaigns, but through everyday experiences that feel real.
Retail: Shopping with Intention
Our retail space is designed for people who want to shop with intention.
For many customers, Positively Africana By Aimee becomes their go-to place for meaningful gifts, self-love moments that feel grounded, and cultural celebration for birthdays, graduations, weddings, and holidays.
Because we offer both in-store and online shopping with nationwide shipping, it is easy to stay connected no matter where you live.
Aimee wearing Authentic African fashion and style proudly handmade and crafted in the Congo
What Our Community Says
“Aimee is so customer-centric. She knew exactly what I was looking for and the fit that I wanted. Service is unparalleled at Positively Africana. This is a one-of-a-kind shop in western Massachusetts that serves all kinds of customers. The owner is smart, friendly, and focused on you enjoying the shopping experience. You do not need an occasion to visit the store, and it is a great place to pick up a unique gift for a holiday or special occasion.”
— Yves Salomon, customer
Dr. Yves Salomon, loyal customer and current president of the Urban College of Boston (UCB)
Other testimonials
Shopping at Positively Africana By Aimee feels like coming home. Every piece tells a story, and I know my money is going directly to women who deserve it.
~Queen Tina Lee-Jones, loyal customer
I ordered a stunning necklace online and it arrived within days. The packaging was beautiful, and the quality is incredible. Shipping nationwide makes it so easy to support this mission from anywhere.
~ Jacqui, online customer
The fitness classes changed my life. It is not just about the workout. It is about the community. Aimee creates a space where you feel seen and celebrated.
~ Christine, fitness member
I have never felt more connected to my culture. This is what authentic African retail looks like.
~ Lily, customer and community member
Congo Partners: Real Impact
The heart of Positively Africana By Aimee’s impact is rooted in direct relationships with women entrepreneurs and artisans across Africa.
From Struggle to Leadership
One of our valued partners is a workshop leader in the Democratic Republic of the Congo who has become a living example of what partnership and investment can create.
This partner came to Positively Africana By Aimee facing a familiar challenge: limited access to materials, equipment, and stable income. Like many women in her community, she had the skill and the vision, but not the resources to scale.
Through our direct partnership model, things changed.
Access to quality materials and equipment expanded her workshop. Consistent, fair-wage orders created predictable income. She was able to hire and train other women from her community. Over time, she built a path to economic independence and leadership.
Today, she leads a workshop where multiple women work together, creating handmade pieces that reach customers across the United States. She is not only a maker. She is an employer, a mentor, and proof that when you invest in women, they do not only change their own lives. They change their communities.
In her words: Working with Positively Africana By Aimee has changed my life. I went from struggling to find work to leading a workshop where I employ other women. My dream is to keep building, to create more jobs, more opportunity, and more dignity for women in my community.
Artist Spotlight: Rosine
Rosine is one of the women artists in our trusted network in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She is a maker with vision—someone who turns skill into opportunity and creativity into livelihood.
Through our partnership, Rosine is able to access consistent orders, fair pay, and the stability that helps her keep building. Her work represents what Positively Africana By Aimee stands for: handmade excellence, cultural pride, and women-led economic power.
Rosine’s dedication to her craft and her community inspires us every day. She is proof that when women have the resources, the respect, and the partnership they deserve, they become unstoppable leaders.
Rosine, Congolese partner, maker and artist
What 25 Percent of Profits Means
When we say 25 percent of profits support women entrepreneurs in the Congo, we mean real reinvestment: equipment purchases that expand production capacity, consistent fair wages, training and mentorship for emerging makers, and stability that allows women to invest in their families’ education and futures.
This is not charity. It is partnership rooted in Ubuntu.
Why Direct Relationships Matter
Positively Africana By Aimee does not work through middlemen or supply chains that obscure the maker’s story. We work directly with women we know and trust.
This direct model means your purchase supports real livelihoods, strengthens women-led workshops, and grows a network of makers whose work deserves to be seen, respected, and sustained.
Community in America
Beyond retail and fitness, Positively Africana By Aimee hosts experiences that bring people together: community nights, gatherings, and cultural moments that remind people they are not alone.
Community gathering at Positively Africana By Aimee
Community Nights take place on the last Friday of every month from 6 to 8 p.m. at our Thornes Marketplace location.
This is Ubuntu in action. Not a quote. A practice.
What Our Diverse Community Experiences
One of the things we are most proud of is that our community is diverse and genuinely connected.
Positively Africana By Aimee serves people who grew up with African culture and want a piece of home, people who are learning and want to engage respectfully, customers who care about handmade craftsmanship and ethical buying, and people who want wellness that feels human rather than intimidating.
In a time when many people feel disconnected, our brand gives people a reason to gather, whether that is in-store, online, or in a fitness class.
Positively Africana By Aimee community moment
Why Positively Africana By Aimee: Quick Trust Stack
Eight years in business and founder-led from day one. Based at Thornes Marketplace, Level 2, Northampton, Massachusetts. Nationwide shipping on all orders. Monthly Community Night on the last Friday, 6 to 8 p.m. Twenty-five percent of profits reinvested directly into women entrepreneurs in the Congo. Loyalty members receive 10 percent off retail and priority access to new collections and events.
Where to Start
Not sure where to begin? Here is your entry point.
If you love meaningful gifts: Browse our best sellers online or visit in-store. Every piece comes with story and direct impact.
If you want the in-store experience: Visit us at Level 2, Thornes Marketplace, Northampton, Massachusetts. We will help you find something that matches your story.
If you want community and wellness: Try a drop-in fitness class in person or virtually. One class will show you why people keep coming back.
The Bridge Continues
Positively Africana By Aimee exists to close a gap.
A gap between what the world sees and what is true.
We are founder-led, mission-driven, nationwide, and deeply committed. We are building something that lasts, something rooted in Ubuntu, designed to honor makers, and created to change lives on both sides of the ocean.
Whether you are joining us in-store in Northampton, taking a virtual fitness class from home, or shopping online from anywhere in the United States, you are part of this bridge.
Ready? Let’s Go
Shop Now at positivelyafricana.com
Quick links: Visit in-store at Level 2, Thornes Marketplace, Northampton, Massachusetts | Join fitness classes | Sponsor dolls | Join loyalty program
Positively Africana By Aimee
Founder-led. Mission-driven. Nationwide.
In-store: Level 2, Thornes Marketplace, Northampton, Massachusetts
Online: positivelyafricana.com
Fitness: Drop-in $20 | Monthly $115 | Annual $1200
Community: Last Friday of every month, 6–8 p.m.
Impact: 25% of profits support women entrepreneurs in the Congo.
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Join the Positively Africana community and stay connected to culture, wellness, and impact. Be the first to discover new handmade African arrivals, read Aimee’s monthly blog stories, receive fitness class updates, and get invited to community events — all delivered straight to your inbox.
Newsletter Signup
Stay Connected. Stay Inspired.
Join the Positively Africana community and stay connected to culture, wellness, and impact. Be the first to discover new handmade African arrivals, read Aimee’s monthly blog stories, receive fitness class updates, and get invited to community events — all delivered straight to your inbox.
