Having entered puberty and adolescence at the early age of nine, Nicole Joseph-Chin constantly struggled with comfort and confidence as a young girl. As a woman in the corporate world, these challenges only amplified as she got older.
Understanding that self-confidence, wellbeing, and dignity were important attributes for every woman and girl, Nicole realized the critical need to address breasts from a social impact perspective. She founded Ms. Brafit, a social enterprise dedicated to empowering girls, women, and communities; that uses the bra as a catalyst for these attributes.
Ms. Brafit offers educational programming on bra fittings, breast care consultations, post-surgical bra fittings, retail solutions, educational programming, professional consultancy, advocacy towards policy development and design. The company’s specialty post-mastectomy care products and solutions have empowered thousands of women in the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia. Its retail solutions, educational programs, and professional consultant services support breast health interventions, human capital development, individual wellness, and overall body confidence and breast esteem of women and girls.
Ms. Brafit’s work cuts across diverse social sectors and catalyzes human capital development. It has been embraced by medical professionals, who see the value of the company’s work in the recovery process of their patient care regimens. International educational institutions of higher learning have also embraced her business model to influence their academic curriculum and support student capacity building, and corporate organizations continue to embrace her business to enhance support for their employee wellness interventions.
To provide an example of the company’s impact, Spelman College of Atlanta included Ms. Brafit as part of their medical students’ study-abroad curriculum, where students traveled overseas to visit Ms. Brafit as part of their academic development. The interaction, feedback, and participant engagement involved in the program emphasized the high value of the company’s innovation, solutions, and impact beyond the physical classroom.
Nicole uses her potential as a woman entrepreneur and leader to change the narrative for her village, her community, her family, and her nation. Ms. Brafit is continuing to develop global education components and has begun building customized grassroots education programs, curricula, and toolkits that are being prepared for licensing worldwide. In developing programs that aim to engage women and girls on a grassroots level, Nicole aims to complement and enhance the effectiveness of mainstream women’s health interventions.
Nicole was a part of the 2019 VV GROW Fellowship and has also participated in numerous Vital Voices programs including VV100 (2016 – 2021), 2020 Virtual Community Gatherings, 2020 VV100 Wellness & Leadership, Global Mentoring Walks (2016 – 2021), and VVLead 2015.
Learn more about Nicole and her purpose-driven business:
Facebook: Ms. Brafit
LinkedIn: Ms. Brafit
Twitter: @msbrafit
Instagram: @msbrafit
Website: www.msbrafit.com