Starting a business is never easy task, especially for young entrepreneurs. However, with passion, determination and hard work anything is possible.
Meet 23-year-old, Marissa Foster, a multi-award winning changemaker, writer, social worker and entrepreneur who is making her mark in her community and the country.
Marissa has made a name for herself through her writing and makeup/skincare business.
Foster’s humanitarian work started at age 16, where she was selected to represent Guyana on the Youth Ambassadors Program, an initiative of the United States (U.S) Embassy.
By facilitating suicide-prevention workshops and other outreaches as a Youth Ambassador, she has helped hundreds of students across Guyana.
At age 17, Marissa became the Guyana Chronicle’s youngest columnist writer and for the past four years, she has used her column section; Youth Perspective to write on topical issues of interest amongst the youth of Guyana.
She utilises her social work skills, to discuss trending issues on social media and even the opinions of other young people. As a writer, she crafts together pieces that invite young readers to engage in meaningful discussions and raise awareness of undebated topics.
Marissa graduated with a bachelor’s degree in social work with a GPA of 4.0 and was also awarded with the Council of the University Prize. She has helped countless students through the University of Guyana Students’ Society, by executing projects to help better their overall lives and experience on campus.
The meaningful work done thus far, by Marissa, reflects that she is quite passionate about community work, gender equality and youth development. She is also a recipient of the 25 Influential Women leaders award.
Passion for Entrepreneurship
Aside from her social and humanitarian work, Marissa is also a serial entrepreneur, she owns MArt and MArt’s Giftery.
MArt is a successful makeup and skincare retail business while MArt’s Giftery is Berbice’s first collaborative space for women in business. Marissa utilizes MArt’s platform to a create and foster a safe space for both women and men with insecurities that resulted from toxic, Euro-centric beauty standards in Guyana. Her business celebrates different skin tones, textures, acne, scarring and every other normal “imperfections” that makes us human.
MArt’s Giftery comprises of women-led businesses from across Guyana.
Marissa Foster, Her mom Saintalene and MArt’s Social Media assistant, Raquel Meenkum (The team behind MArt)
Marissa was employed with the University of Guyana as a part-time student interim on the Work on Campus Project, under the Office of the Vice Chancellor. This young stalwart works to help bridge the communication gap between the students and the administration of the UOG at their student help desk. In both entrepreneurship and customer service, she eloquently ties in her social work knowledge and skills.
Marissa is an inspiration to young girls from rural Guyana, who dare to dream and accomplish BIG, as she did. She is an outstanding role model for the youth of this nation, and it is evident in the work she has done thus far.
She is also currently a Probation and Social Security Officer at the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security
When asked, what made her opt to launch MArt, the young entrepreneur said, “It started off as a passion I had for the arts. I was inspired by my mother firstly because she was a makeup enthusiast who wore makeup and was fearless about it. She wore it and had no problem with me dabbling with it either from a young age. I’ve also grown to love the artistry that goes behind makeup looks. Apart from your regular makeup; I was also trying to become familiarized with face painting and body art.”
She continued by adding, “Eventually, I developed my own style and started the business MArt. Initially, it was a makeup application and face painting business but as I progressed in the industry, I realised there’s a need for a business that retails quality makeup products for affordable prices in Berbice. I’ve rebranded MArt into the makeup retailer it is today with the hope of always being more than just another makeup store.”
With her social work skills, she managed to incorporate MArt into various social campaigns and advocacy to allow men and women to express themselves freely with the use of makeup. We create a judgment-free space to shop. “There are many makeup stores but none like MArt. We take our time with customers; to ensure they’re comfortable with the products they purchase, and we offer tips and advice on how to use the products for optimal performance of them. We’ve also worked to promote self-care through the use of makeup and skin care products—continuously encouraging customers to always take good care of themselves,” Marissa told this publication.
She launched Mart’s store was launched in the year 2020, amidst the pandemic.
Marissa noted that it was difficult at the time but she made it happen, with the help of my parents and closest friends— she managed to transform her mom’s salon into a store + salon space.
To date, MArt has seen many well-known makeup artists, as well as, occasional makeup wearers using our products. She has also developed a community of customers that are encouraging to us and to others on their social media pages.
“Business has been growing but it does not come without its challenges. Every time I feel like giving up, I always remind myself of why we started the storefront to begin with. In a way, many people depend on us not only for products but as an information source for reliable information and assistance on makeup, skincare and self care.
We’ve accomplished a store front, and we also extended our reach to Georgetown customers by opening a section at the Sach Store on 100 Carmichael Street. We’re proud of extending our reach because it means people beyond the boundaries of Berbice also trust us to deliver quality services and goods to them. Mart is also known for its store events, which include pop-up shops for other businesses, makeup competitions, and in-store informational sessions,” Marissa mentioned.
