Welcome to Blue Room's Weekend Update. Each week, we're sharing what companies we're researching and the what, the who and the how that we think makes the companies interesting and unique. This roundup is brought to you weekly by a group of interns, creative minds, artists and investors who believe that through best in class investing along with the democratization of financial education we can do great things together. Enjoy, Explore and Share.

TAXES, DEBT, 🪵 & 🐶🪙

Markets drop as Biden proposes
43.4% capital gains tax for the wealthy —
looks like big money is selling off.

The Federal Debt Load is projected to reach 107% of GDP, which is the highest in the nation's history by 2030. Debt is already at 100% of GDP and nearly at the highest level in history!

— INTERESTING HISTORICAL REFERENCE—

Lumber prices reached new highs of $1,327 per 1,000 board length earlier this week (4.19), owing to the surge in housing demand, shortages at US saw mills and tariffs on Canadian imports.

— .42 / 4.20 🐶🪙 —

Reddit community rallies to push DOGECOIN:DOGE-USD to $.69… $1… lands on $.42 on 4.20.

[ We are in it for the memes ]

2021 04 28 — BLUE ROOM Investment Team Bullpen

Wednesday
April 28, 2021
9:30 AMBLUE ROOM
Investment Team Bullpen
__________ __________

Two Economic Club of Colorado Spotlights

— NOT TO BE MISSED —

Member Spotlight on Hal Haddon

Thursday
April 8, 2021
2 PM

Hal is a long time member of Economic Club, with a sharp mind for defense and soft heart for contemporary art. He is also a lifelong civil rights activist. Please enjoy our conversation with one of the most famous and accomplished lawyers in our state.

Member Spotlight with Steve Rogers

Thursday
April 22, 2021
2 PM

Steve Rogers, born a Hawkeye, dreamt of California in his youth, then packed his bags and drove West as soon as he earned his degree from the University of Iowa. He found work in Sales with 3M and Xerox before serendipity took him to north the Bay Area, where we eventually joined forces with his friend, mentor and father-in-law. While earning his MBA from the University of California Berkeley Haas School of Business, he doubled down on Shelton Capital Management, which has now grown to 32 employees and $3.8+ billion in AUM. Steve shared with us with his company's culture, philosophies and practices which he hopes will contribute to sustained organizational growth.

A

R

T

EXPEDICIONES

by Eduardo Sarabia

At Galería Javier López & Fer Francés, opens at their space in the south of Spain. @galeriajavierlopezferfrances
@fincacortesin 
Image: Contraluz, 2020
Acrylic on paper
76 cm x 76 cm
Painting is inspired by a photograph Eduardo took last year in the sea of Cortez.

Mario Lorentz is a friend of mine, who I made on LinkedIn. He is an avid personal blogger and self taught social media hack. He can generate thousands of English speaking page views for pennies.

Two years ago, when I was in transition from my last job, Mario reached out and gave me a platform on his Facebook and YouTube pages to allow me to tell my story. I’m forever indebted to him. Last month, Mario’s brother (wearing black mask) was in a plane crush off Hawaii, but was rescued due to the heroic actions of others. Mario and I had a lunch planned, which he canceled to be with his brother. The rescue made the news and it is worth sharing.

+
PERFORMANCE AND FLAVOR
+

WELCOME CROISSANTS

__________

After diligent testing

DRY STORAGE BAKERY HAS LAUNCHED CROISSANTS.

Only a chef-led flour brand could perform like this.

Made with 🌾 San Luis Valley Yecora Rojo 🌾 that we have nurtured through from soil to seed to cleaning to milling.

REGENERATIVE PRACTICES FOR THE WIN.

These local heirloom grains add even more buttery, malty goodness to the flavor of these organic gems.

P L E A S E E N J O Y T H E

—WEEKLY—

company updates
from the BR intern team.

AIDAN FETTERLY

Ticker: APPL
Name: Apple, Inc.
Number of Shares Outstanding: 16.94
Market Capitalization: $2.25T

Stock Price History

April 12, 2021 $131.24

April 13, 2021 $134.43

April 14, 2021 $132.03

April 15, 2021 $134.50

April 16, 2021 $134.16

This week, Apple, Inc. announced the launch of the Restore Fund, a first-of-its-kind carbon removal project that aims for both environmental and financial returns. Created as a partnership between Apple, Conservation International, and Goldman Sachs, the $200M fund will look to remove at least 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year. Contributing to Apple's larger goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030, the Restore Fund hopes to serve as a scalable, replicable model that will increase restorative forestry investments in the environment. Beyond the announcement of the Restore Fund, which was published by the company on April 15, AAPL posted another strong week of gains on the back of a flourishing market as a whole. With the S&P 500 continuing to reach even greater all-time highs after incredibly promising labor and consumer spending metrics were released, it is unsurprising that a blue-chip like AAPL would follow suit. 

Ticker: TTWO
Name: Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.
Number of Shares Outstanding: 115.11M
Market Capitalization: $20.59B

Stock Price History

April 5, 2021 $183.38

April 6, 2021 $184.00

April 7, 2021 $183.65

April 8, 2021 $183.60

April 9, 2021 $184.02

April 12, 2021 $182.76

April 13, 2021 $182.66

April 14, 2021 $181.44

April 15, 2021 $182.50

April 16, 2021 $178.80

This week, Take-Two's share price ran relatively flat during the early days of the week before experiencing a notable decline on April 16. The largest news of the week broke early Friday morning, when it was announced that on April 13, CEO Strauss Zelnick and Ppresident Karl Slatoff each sold 270,984 shares of TTWO at an average price of $182.90, accumulating $49.6M each in the process. Accordingly, TTWO fell 2.03% to close the trading week. That being said, on April 14, it was announced that Private Division (a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive Software) and Roll7 will launch the next installment of their OlliOlli skateboarding series this winter, titled OlliOlli World, on all major platforms. While this represents a noticeable pivot for Private Division, who are known for their Kerbal Space Program franchise, the label's commitment to incubate and produce indie-developed games presents promise as the content base of the interactive software industry continues to grow and diversify.

Kelley Jiang

Ticker: LB
Name: L Brands Inc
Number of Shares Outstanding: 278.9M
Market Capitalization: $18.62 B

Stock Price History 

April 12, 2021 $66.61

April 13, 2021 $65.76

April 14, 2021 $66.80

April 15, 2021 $66.77

April 16, 2021 $66.84

April 19, 2021 $65.90

April 20, 2021 $64.12

April 21, 2021 $65.31

April 22, 2021 $66.07

L Brands, Inc is a segment retailer focused on personal care goods, women’s intimate and other apparel, beauty and fragrance products. Based in Columbus, Ohio, L Brands hosts the flagship brands of Victoria Secret, PINK and Bath & Body Works under its name. With more than over 3,000 stores across the globe, the company is focused on inspiring an aspirational lifestyle by making their customers feel bold and powerful. 

L Brands, Inc briefly hit a 52-Week high of $67.91 on April 16, 2021. This was swiftly followed by a low of $64.12 or a 5.58% drop on Tuesday, April 20, 2021. The stock has since recovered and is maintaining its valuation at around $66. With the possibility of more stimulus checks and a return to normalcy as vaccination rates rise across the US,  L Brands has the potential to further drive its sales up and continue its strong growth shown over the past year. LB’s Q1 earnings call for the fiscal year 2021 is scheduled for May 20th.

Emma Leary

Ticker: MSFT
Name: Microsoft Corporation
Shares Outstanding: 7.542B
Market Cap: $1.957T

Stock Price History

April 1, 2021 $238.47

April 5, 2021 $243.76

April 6, 2021 $248.84

April 7, 2021 $249.85

April 8, 2021 $253.25

April 9, 2021 $253.86

April 12, 2021 $254.71

April 13, 2021 $257.26

April 14, 2021 $257.48

April 15, 2021 $257.93

April 16, 2021 $259.47

Microsoft Corporation develops, licenses and supports software, services, devices and solutions worldwide. MSFT has been a notable leader in the technology industry for decades now since the company was founded when the era of personal computing was emerging in 1975. The company currently offers three main segments: Productivity and Business Processes, Intelligent Cloud and More Personal Computing. MSFT is continuing to increase its market price and is trading at $259.47 as of April 16 which is, again, a record high. 

MSFT has had a lot of news in the past couple weeks involving acquisitions and security. This March, MSFT has had security breach issues which first surfaced in January but have recently come back into the news as MSFT is finding it difficult to patch all of its software weaknesses. The hacks have been very sophisticated and damaging to the point where the government has taken action to disconnect products. A big way to avoid these types of breaches is the transition to cloud computing which, as mentioned, MSFT is working toward and has been very successful as shown in the stock prices and general public’s allegiance to the company. Despite the security breach news, the government clearly still trusts MSFT as displayed through their recent contract. 

Some other recent news is that the company is working to acquire Discord, a communication and digital distribution platform, after failing to acquire Pinterest and TikTok. While MSFT’s competitors have successfully acquired these community-based platforms such as Google with Youtube, Amazon with Twitch and Facebook with Instagram, MSFT realized it needed a similar platform that engendered its own community, which Discord would provide them. The $10 billion deal is expected to take place sometime this month and with MSFT’s recent success it seems likely to happen. On April 13, however, MSFT acquired Nuance, which combines solutions and expertise to deliver new cloud and AI capabilities across healthcare and other industries. This acquisition indicates the direction toward the healthcare industry that technology companies are moving toward as a result of the pandemic and makes the Discord deal seem less likely.

Julian Martelly

Ticker: AMGN
Name: Amgen, Inc. 
Number of Shares Outstanding: 577.57M
Market Capitalization: $147.837B

Stock Price History

April 1, 2021 $249.16

April 5, 2021 $252.02

April 6, 2021 $249.10

April 7, 2021 $248.21

April 8, 2021 $246.02

April 9, 2021 $248.95

April 12, 2021 $248.94

April 13, 2021 $249.95

April 16, 2021 $255.71

April 19, 2021 $255.97

April 20, 2021 $259.14

April 21, 2021 $258.78

April 22, 2021 $256.69

Amgen, Inc. Executive Summary (4/24/21)

A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen is a values-based company dedicated to delivering innovative human therapeutics to areas of highly unmet medical need. These areas include: cardiovascular disease, oncology, bone health, neuroscience, nephrology and inflammation. Over the years, they have grown into one of the world’s leading independent biotechnology companies, reaching millions of patients around the globe. Most recently, Amgen launched a new program called Biomarker Assist, designed to help more patients with non-small cell lung cancer gain access to biomarker testing. “Approximately half of all patients with non-small cell lung cancer have oncogene biomarkers, yet despite the integral role that biomarkers play in lung cancer to identify patients who may benefit from targeted therapies, many patients are not tested,” said Darryl Sleep, M.D., chief medical officer and senior vice president of Global Medical at Amgen. This biomarker testing is a clinical first step in getting patients the right treatment. Thus, Biomarker Assist, aims to close the gap in testing rates and allow eligible patients to save on biomarker testing. 

In other news, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Amgen’s bemarituzumab, a first-in-class investigational targeted antibody acquired through Amgen’s acquisition of Five Prime Therapeutics back in early March 2021. Bemarituzumab will be used as treatment for patients with fibroblast growth factor 2b (FGFR2b) overexpressing and human epidermal growth growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative metastatic and locally advanced gastric and gastroesophageal (GEJ) adenocarcinoma in combination with modified FOLFOX6 (fluoropyrimidine, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin). Overall, this is a great step forward in their Oncology portfolio, and it will be interesting to see what comes next. 

Julia Martin

Ticker: TSLA
Name: Tesla, Inc.
Number of Shares Outstanding: 959.85 M 
Market Capitalization: $684.366B

Stock Price History

April 1, 2021 $661.75

April 5, 2021 $691.05

April 6, 2021 $691.62

April 7, 2021 $670.97

April 8, 2021 $681.85

April 9, 2021 $677.02

April 12, 2021 $701.98

April 13, 2021 $762.32 

April 14, 2021 $732.23

April 15, 2021 $738.85 

April 16, 2021 $739.78 

April 19, 2021 $714.63 

April 20, 2021 $718.99  

April 21, 2021 $744.12

April 22, 2021 $719.69

Tesla, Inc. produces electric vehicles and clean energy generation, storage, and consumption solutions. Tesla is focused on accelerating the integration of clean energy transportation and production into society in order to more quickly achieve a zero-emission future. Additionally, all of the new Automotive products include self-driving capabilities, and continuing to develop this Autopilot capability is at the core of Tesla. 

This past 10-day data for Tesla’s stock is significant as this is the longest time it has stayed above $700.00 since late February 2021, despite news updates this week. On Saturday, April 17, 2021, two individuals were killed in a driverless Tesla 2019 Model S in Texas. One was in the passenger seat and the other was in the backseat as the car went off the road at a high speed and crashed into a tree. Initial comments from Tesla share that reports determined that Autopilot - Tesla’s self-driving capability - was not engaged during the drive and that the technology requires active supervision by a rider in the driver’s seat. However, on Thursday, Consumer Reports shared that upon testing a 2020 Model Y vehicle, it was able to operate in Autopilot with no one in the driver’s seat. While investigations are still ongoing, this accident highlights the need to further discuss self-driving capabilities and autonomous cars, as well as Tesla’s technology but does not completely discredit it as it is still an evolving technology. 

Asher Nyhoff

Ticker: NKE
Name: NIKE, Inc.
Number of Shares Outstanding: 1.27B
Market Capitalization: 204.1B

Stock Price History

April 12, 2021 $136.64

April 13, 2021 $133.54

April 14, 2021 $132.26

April 15, 2021 $133.67

April 16, 2021 $134.31

April 19, 2021 $132.57

April 20, 2021 $127.11

April 21, 2021 $129.90

April 22, 2021          $129.18

NIKE, Inc. has experienced two weeks of nearly continuous stock price decline. Supply chain issues, in addition to what insiders consider the surprising severance of the NIKE and Kobe Bryant contract are possible explanations. Kobe Bryant’s NIKE signature shoes have been a long running and widely popular staple in the NBA. However, following his passing in 2020, the Bryant estate expressed frustrations over a lack of availability to purchase Kobe models. Ongoing negotiations are likely and will have a definite impact on professional basketball footwear moving forward. 

Additionally, the athletic footwear and apparel industry has been particularly affected by ongoing shipping container shortages and port congestion, which has continued to contribute to negative market sentiment. Likewise, the growth in sales that defined the overall industry during the Covid-19 pandemic was largely tied to stimulus payments. As such, it remains to be seen if NIKE and other other athletic apparel and footwear companies will continue to see revenues comparable to the past year moving forward.

Elizabeth Orecchia

Ticker: HLT
Name: Hilton
Shares Outstanding = 277.45M
Market Cap = $34.52B

Stock Price History

April 12, 2021 $125.28

April 13, 2021 $126.11

April 14, 2021 $126.52

April 15, 2021 $127.26

April 16, 2021 $128.05

April 19, 2021 $125.93

April 20, 2021 $122.22

April 21, 2021 $123.91

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in McLean, Virginia. They own, lease, manage, develop, and franchise hotels and resorts. It operates through two segments, Management and Franchise, and Ownership. The company engages in the hotel management and licensing of its brands. As of December 31, 2020, the company had approximately 6,478 properties operating under the Hilton label, with over 1,000,000 rooms in 119 countries and territories.

Number of hotel rooms = 1,019,287

Market capitalization of the company at 52 week high stock price = 35,768,854,000 

Market capitalization of the company at 52 week low stock price = 17,332,301,500

Market capitalization of the company at 52 week high stock price / Number of hotel rooms = 35,092

Market capitalization of the company at 52 week low stock price / Number of hotel rooms = 17,004

Number of hotel rooms = 1,019,287

Market capitalization of the company at 52-week high stock price = 35,768,854,000 

Market capitalization of the company at 52-week low stock price = 17,332,301,500

Market capitalization of the company at 52-week high stock price / Number of hotel rooms = 35,092

Market capitalization of the company at 52-week low stock price / Number of hotel rooms = 17,004

This Week at HLT: Hilton released their 2020 ESG report on Tuesday, reinforcing their commitment to positive global impact

• Through Hilton’s Travel with Purpose program, the company continues to take important steps to integrate positive social impact and environmental stewardship throughout its operations, communities and supply chain.

• Named the 2020 Global Industry Leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices, the most prestigious ranking for corporate responsibility and sustainability performance, for the second consecutive year’

• Recognized just last week as one of the Best Companies to Work For in the U.S. by Great Place to Work and Fortune for the sixth consecutive year, including earning the #1 spot in 2020 and #3 in 2021 – as well as being ranked the #3 World’s Best Workplace and achieving a #1 ranking in seven countries around the world in 2020

• Ranked #2 on DiversityInc’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity list; and

• Named to the 100 Best Corporate Citizens of 2020 list, the only global hotel brand recognized.

Q1 2021 Earnings Release Date: Pre-Market on 5th May 2021

Kat Paradise

Ticker: NTRS
Name: Northern Trust Corporation
Number of Shares Outstanding: 208.22M 
Market Capitalization: $22.53B

Stock Price History

April 1, 2021 $105.63

April 5, 2021 $106.87

April 6, 2021 $105.71

April 7, 2021 $106.83

April 8, 2021 $106.51

April 9, 2021 $107.45

April 12, 2021 $109.96

April 13, 2021 $108.76

April 14, 2021 $110.09

April 15, 2021 $108.53

April 16, 2021      $106.91

April 19, 2021 $106.23

April 20, 2021 $107.37

April 21, 2021 $106.74

April 22, 2021 $106.76

The Northern Trust Corporation is a preeminent global financial institution that provides asset servicing, investment management and wealth management services for institutions along with, high-net-worth individuals and families. In recent news, The Northern Trust released their 2021 Q1 earnings report, beating analysts’ predictions of quarterly earnings per share of $1.50 with an actual earnings per share of $1.70. Some other highlights include: Total Revenue for Q1 amounted to $1,590.0 M (flat from 2020, but up 4% sequentially), Net Income was $375.1 M (up 4% YoY and 56% sequentially), and Total Other Noninterest Income amounted to $ 179.6 M (up 2% YoY and 11% sequentially). Northern Trust is focusing on greater efficiencies while interest rates remain low interest rates, refining front office solutions, retaining existing clients, and technological advancements. Specifically, they have partnered with Standard Chartered in a venture titled Zodia, which will provide crypto custody. In addition, they are looking forward to maintaining their commitment to diversification regarding clients, assets, and portfolios. 

Max Pumilia

Ticker: LOW
Name: Lowe’s Companies Inc
Number of Shares Outstanding: 731M
Market Capitalization: $139.298B

Stock Price History

April 12th, 2021 $200.65

April 13th, 2021 $199.72

April 14th, 2021 $201.52

April 15th, 2021 $204.57

April 16th, 2021 $208.25

April 19th, 2021 $203.41

April 20th, 2021 $202.77

April 21st, 2021 $203.91

April 22nd, 2021 $201.30

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. is an American retailer specializing in home improvement products. With almost 2,200 locations and over 300,000 employees across the U.S. and Canada, Lowe’s has firmly established itself as the second largest retailer in its industry, trailing only Home Depot. In 2020, Lowe’s posted its most successful year ever, servicing approximately 20 million customers weekly and generating $90 billion in annual sales. These sales, a product of the consumer’s increased interest in home improvement through the COVID-19 pandemic, represent an almost 24% increase in revenue year over year. Comparatively, between 2016 and 2019, revenue saw under 3% annualized growth. Valuations have reflected the operational success of this period: stock prices have grown more than 50% since the start of 2020 and more than tripled since the low-point of the pandemic.

On Thursday (4/22), Lowe’s announced its acquisition of STAINMASTER, a leading carpet manufacturer, from its former parent company Invista. While Lowe’s has long been the only national home improvement retailer to carry STAINMASTER products, this acquisition gives Lowe’s rights to the intellectual property associated with the carpeting and its manufacturing processes. Lowe’s management hopes that this increased access will allow the retailer to “extend the STAINMASTER brand into other product areas.” As a private label, brands like STAINMASTER are a crucial element of Lowe’s broader efforts to differentiate itself from competitors like Home Depot. Moreover, this acquisition allows Lowe’s to further pursue its Total Home strategy, a sales campaign aimed to elevate Lowe’s to the consumer’s top choice for all home related products. 

The market did not respond optimistically to this acquisition, for following this announcement, Lowe’s stock quickly lost more than a percentage point of value. While this reaction is not overwhelmingly negative, it does suggest that investors have some reservations concerning the acquisition. When combined with turbulent market conditions towards the beginning of the week, Lowe’s has lost more than 3% of its value since last Friday’s closing. 

Taurus Samuels

Ticker: TGT
Name: Target Corporation
Number of Shares Outstanding: 498.62 M
Market Capitalization: 102.5 B

Stock Price History 

April 01, 2021 $200.07

April 05, 2021 $205.35

April 06, 2021 $205.43

April 07, 2021 $204.45

April 08, 2021 $203.46

April 09, 2021 $205.36

April 09, 2021 $205.36

April 12, 2021 $205.10

April 13, 2021 $204.94

April 14, 2021 $205.71

April 15, 2021 $205.76

April 16, 2021 $208.55

April 19, 2021 $208.65

April 20, 2021 $207.27

April 21, 2021 $206.77

April 22, 2021 $205.57

On April 19, 2021, Target announced the new installment of designer dress collections, which feature three celebrated, yet up-and-coming designers. The designers are Alexis, Christopher John Rogers, and RIXO. There will be 70 different, original dress designs, all offered between $40 and $60. The dresses will be offered in select Target stores across the country, on Target.com, and available for same-day pickup & DriveUp. 

About the Designers: 

Alexis: 

• Founded by the Mother-Daughter duo of Alexis Barbara and Ana Barbara. 

• They design for women that embrace all aspects of femininity, sophistication, and elegant ease. 

Christopher John Roger: 

• Designs with focus on artful dressings. 

• 2019 Council of Fashion Designers of America/Vogue fashion fund winner and 2020 CFDA American Emergencing

Rixo: 

• Founded by Orlagh McClosky and Henrietta Rix

• Mission is to invoke feelings of wanderlust and free spirit through designs 

This partnership with the 3 different designers continues to show that Target is not complacent with its strong growth in 2020. The fact that they are partnering with established, yet still up and coming, dress designers shows that they are trying to earn more traction through their stores and enter into a new market. They have continually been looking for ways to gain new customers and grow their company to continue building on last year's growth, through multiple different partnerships they have made, as well as launching new brands. This is a prime example of that, as their partnership with these designers are now allowing them to compete with fashion retailers. 

My name is Julian Martelly—intern at Blue Room this Spring and a sophomore at Dartmouth College, majoring in Economics with a possible minor in philosophy or film studies. I am originally from Westchester, NY; however, both of my parents are from the Caribbean and came to America in their early twenties. In addition to being a first-generation American, I am also a first-generation college student. Outside of the classroom at Dartmouth, I am involved in Dartmouth’s Investment and Philanthropy Program, an undergraduate investment group, and am also a part of Dartmouth’s Men’s Track & Field team, which I walked onto early in my freshman year. At Blue Room now, it has been amazing to work alongside such intelligent peers and coworkers in what can be described as a truly collaborative and entrepreneurial culture. I’ve focused my research on the emerging field of gene-editing, as I believe it has tremendous potential to change the way scientists tackle genetic diseases like blood disorders, cancer, and even blindness. Despite not having a STEM background, it has been extremely exciting to immerse myself in the biotechnology industry, learning everything from the intricate process of obtaining FDA approval for a product to the overall industry success during the pandemic. In the weeks to come, I look forward to building upon this knowledge, as well as further contributing to the overall success of Blue Room!

Togetherism™ is Blue Room™’s nonprofit arm and The Helping Hand Initiative is our first partner. Helping Hand was started by Blue Room analyst Ian Carter and Intern Julian Smith to support minority-owned businesses.

The Helping Hand Initiative
is honored to support and
provide awareness around
Brownish Books.

Brownish Books is a Black-owned business. Recognizing the importance of children seeing themselves in the books they read, Brownish Books was created with the goal of adding books to the shelves of children who need to see themselves represented in a story to feel connected, validated, heard and seen, and to foster a love for reading.

Brownish Books sells gifts bundles

FOR ALL CHILDREN

of all ages.

SEE BUNDLES

Shakira Jonhson conceived the idea for Brownish Books during the pandemic in an effort to get diverse books in front of young children. Her service curates an offering of specialty children’s books that represent black and brown kids because, in her words, “it is important for kids to connect deeper to the story” and allowing children of color to read diverse books helps them better enjoy and understand what they read. So far she has gained tons of traction on social media and has grown her instagram follower base to nearly 1,500 in just two months of full operation! Please watch the video to learn more about Shakira and her new online storefront, Brownish Books!

PLEASE ENJOY

Helping Hand’s interview with owner/founder

— Shakira Johnson —

10% OF ALL BLUE ROOM REVENUES GO DIRECTLY TO FUND OUR NON PROFIT TOGETHERISM.
WE CAN ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING TOGETHER.