Melissa Carnegie is the visionary founder of Kicks and Fros, a vibrant community and brand dedicated to celebrating the intersection of sneaker culture, black culture, and the empowerment of women. During a dynamic panel at the Essence Hollywood House, Carnegie shared her expertise on content monetization in the content creator space. Following the panel, she hosted an engaging event “Kicks, Grails & Cocktails,” in partnership with Her Grails and Uncle Funky’s Daughter.

“Connecting with the local sneaker community in New Orleans was big for us, so collaborating with Sneaker Politics to bring our event to life was a no-brainer!” said Carnegie. “Women sneakerheads are at Essence Festival, and we wanted to create an event to celebrate Black culture, the style and edginess we as women bring to sneak culture and our beauty! We’re all about sisterhhood, community and sneakers. We were able to share that in NOLA by collaborating with Her Grails and Uncle Funky’s Daughter to bring Kicks, Grails & Cocktails to life.”

The event highlighted the unique contributions of women to the sneaker community, emphasizing the importance of sisterhood and community. The collaboration with Sneaker Politics, Her Grails, and Uncle Funky’s Daughter brought together sneaker enthusiasts from all over to celebrate their shared passion in an environment that also celebrated Black culture and style.

Check out some photos and a video recap of the panel and the Kicks, Grails & Cocktails event below. For more information about Melissa Carnegie and Kicks and Fros, visit https://www.kicksandfros.com/ and follow them on social media [@kicksandfros].