Build Ecosystems, Not Empires
Formerly Brown CEO Letters / Written by Gelaine Santiago
If capitalism is white rice, is representation just the soy sauce?
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Hi Reader, kamusta? How are you?
Since the US elections, I’ve been checking in with folks and having insightful conversations. There’s a renewed urgency—many of us are waking up to how broken our systems really are. We may elect new leaders, but are the systems actually changing?
Audre Lorde’s quote has been circulating: “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.” Elections alone aren’t enough to dismantle systems that concentrate power and wealth into the hands of a few.
As business owners committed to social impact, we need to ask: Are we truly serving our communities, or just replicating old power structures?
If capitalism is white rice, is representation just the soy sauce—adding flavor without changing the dish?
An Instagram creator I admire recently said Trump’s re-election shows why we need more Black women and marginalized folks to build successful businesses so we can beat them at their own game.
I get it— and I’m ALL for marginalized folks making more money. BUT we have to take a step back and ask: does representation alone truly mean more empowerment for our communities?
Just take Palestine as an example —so many high profile creators, celebrities, and BIPOC-owned businesses have stayed silent when their voices were needed most. And there are so many factors why, including risks to safety and livelihood.
It's just further proof that representation is important, but it can’t be the end goal.
- Representation changes who is at the table.
- Transformation changes what happens at the table.
- Liberation is realizing maybe we didn’t need the table at all, but just a space to gather and speak.
We need Representation < Transformation < Liberation
If we want to build businesses that are truly loving and empowering and rooted in community, then we need to be willing to do things differently. I definitely don’t have all the answers, but here are ways I’ve been trying to embody transformation as a business owner:
- Using my privilege to advocate and activate in certain spaces
- Saying no to opportunities that don’t align with my values
- Saying yes to soul-filling invitations, even if they “don’t make sense” from a profit perspective
- Re-evaluating our suppliers and collaborators, and boycotting where we can
- Raising funds for mutual aid and finding sustainable ways to donate
- Embracing collaboration over competition, focusing on “building with” instead of “building against”
Since shifting my focus beyond representation, it’s been challenging. I’m often out of my comfort zone, but I’ve come to accept that it’s okay. We’re in new waters, daring to dream and build something we haven’t seen before.
What about you, Reader? How are you challenging old systems and beliefs in your own business? What does going beyond representation look like for you today?
I’d love to hear your thoughts—hit reply and let me know.
Sending a big hug!
Gelaine
P.S. If this resonated with you, please share it with a friend who’s also on this journey. Let’s build ecosystems, not empires, together.
Thoughtful Finds 🌸
“For the master’s tool will never dismantle the master’s house. They may allow us temporarily to beat him at his own game, but they will never enable us to bring about genuine change. And this fact is only threatening to those women who still define the master’s house as their only source of support.” - Audre Lorde
