United People Apparel (UPA)
Owners: Tani Boateng and Emmanuel Boateng
Business champion: Lara Dreier
Type of business: Retail store featuring handmade jewelry, artwork, apparel, and wood carvings.
Website: www.unitedpeopleapparel.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/unitedpeopleapparel
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/unitedpeopleapp
Telephone: 612-457-7000
When Tani and Emmanuel Boateng opened United People Apparel (UPA) in the Mall of America in 2021, they sought to celebrate families and cultures through various apparel and unique accessories. “Our designs are centered on bringing cultures together,” says Tani. “They embody a spirit of community.”
Inspired by their experiences growing up in Jamaica and Ghana, respectively, Tani and Emmanuel have introduced clothing, jewelry, and artwork influenced by their native countries and other nations including Senegal and Venezuela. Their UPA brand celebrates diversity and cultures while uplifting fashion. Their Ahenfo brand focuses on African cultures with handmade jewelry, wood carvings, and other items. As a husband-and-wife team, they share a passion for embracing culture as a way to bring people together. Feedback indicates they are achieving their goal. “People come into our store and say they feel at home,” says Tani.
The company is also proactive in giving back to the community, using profit and foot traffic to support the United Negro College Fund. They have also partnered with the Love Foundation Club, a charity organization dedicated to alleviating hunger, streetism, and poverty, especially among children in Africa.
Quotes on the MBGA Experience:
“MBGA has been an amazing door that was opened for us, and we are so appreciative! Lara’s presence has been amazing. I could not ask for a better business champion. She has become a force of organization in working with us to get a business plan done. I’ve had the core values of the business in my mind, but now we have them on paper. We’ve grown a lot through this experience.”
— Tani Boateng
“Every time we meet, I get super inspired. I approach things in a practical, linear way. Tani is the creative dreamer. I’ve learned a lot about retail and seeing how retail can lead to social impact. With UPA, the brand itself tells a message; it has a lot of power for positive impact. When working on the business plan and other items, I provide templates and ask questions. If there are ways to help with tangible support, I can do that as well. I also sometimes reach out to others at MBGA for additional expertise.”
—Lara Dreier
What’s next:
“We want our business to be more than a household name. We’re hoping to expand to include other cultures. We are also launching a non-profit called Urban Pillars to work together with philanthropists, local community organizations across the Twin Cities, and other parts of the world to bring more awareness to helping people achieve their full potential.”
— Tani Boateng
