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When Venita Cooper opened Silhouette Sneakers & Art in 2019, she was already thinking about what was next.
“We were hopeful that we could build something that would resonate with the community,” Cooper said. “And if you can actually have some success, you can follow in the footsteps of the Black entrepreneurs who came before you and use that to pass the torch to another entrepreneur.”
For Cooper, the time has come. On Monday, she announced that Kellen James, a third-generation Tulsan native, will be purchasing the store.
This decision took a long time, partly because of the location. The store is located in the Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma, also known as Black Wall Street. Because of that history, Cooper wanted to be intentional about who he sold his business to.
“I’m a Tulsa transplant,” Cooper said. “And, you know, it was important to me that a certain type of figure take over the silhouette. And for me, that’s someone who’s from Tulsa, from north Tulsa, who has roots here.”
Although Cooper doesn’t own a brick-and-mortar sneaker store, he’s still part of the sneaker world. She plans to continue running her technology startup, Arbit, which uses AI to model sneaker resale prices. She also plans to stay in Tulsa.
“I love this place,” Cooper said. “Tulsa can’t kick me out.”
To hear Venita Cooper’s full story, use the media player above.
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