Madia Willis has built a career by following opportunity. A textile designer by training, she has moved from Minneapolis to Northwest Arkansas to Philadelphia for roles at some of the country’s biggest retailers. This summer, she brought her own company to Toledo.
Willis is co-founder and CEO of Black Paper Party, a holiday brand that puts Black families at the center of wrapping paper, gift bags, and décor sold at Walmart, Macy’s, and Family Dollar.
Within weeks of arriving in Ohio, Willis attended Black Tech Week, a national conference for tech founders, investors, and innovators. It was an introduction to JobsOhio, to a statewide network of resources and support, and to an entrepreneurial community she says keeps surprising her.
A Seasonal Blind Spot
Willis met co-founders Jasmine Hudson and J’Aaron Merchant while working at Walmart in Northwest Arkansas. Willis designed prints and patterns; Hudson was a financial planner and buyer; and Merchant was an illustrator and animator who worked with PBS and “Sesame Street.”
Together, they wondered: On holiday wrapping paper, why did families, Santa Claus, and elves always look the same? Their research confirmed that Black families were underrepresented on holiday products.
Paper was inexpensive to produce, making it relatively easy to test their concept of holiday decorations and wrapping paper that authentically represented diverse communities. The group piloted designs through a print-on-demand site in 2019, incorporated their company in 2020, and generated about $50,000 in sales during their first year.
Walmart and Target soon came calling. The company, Black Paper Party, went on to win the first Macy’s Workshop pitch competition (along with its $100,000 prize), and later landed a deal with Barbara Corcoran on “Shark Tank.”
This season, Black Paper Party’s 2026 holiday collection rolls out to more than 2,300 stores nationwide, plus online.
Finding Community at Black Tech Week
Willis relocated to Toledo in June with her daughter to be closer to family. In July, Hudson, a Cincinnati native, pointed Willis to a conference that focuses on closing the funding gap for underrepresented founders. Presented by JobsOhio and held in Cincinnati each summer since 2022, Black Tech Week brings together thousands of entrepreneurs, investors, corporate leaders, and creators from across the country.
The timing was ideal. Black Paper Party needed a developer to help design an app to expand representation in printed paper goods. (Willis also hoped to meet people working in AI, which is central to how the company runs its business.) At the conference, Willis found what she needed: an Ohio-based developer who has since joined the team. Just a few months later, they’re building a first version of the app.
We’re working toward a Minimum Viable Product and finalizing how to bring it to market quickly,” Willis said. “I have Black Tech Week to thank for that.
In September, Willis connected with the JobsOhio team at the Black Tech Week Toledo Meetup, one gathering in a year-long series of regional, community-focused networking events that facilitate conversations among peers.
I had started doing my research to learn more about what resources were available for diverse-owned, women-owned, and minority-owned businesses,” Willis said. “I was really impressed by JobsOhio’s commitment to Black Tech Week and its huge presence at the Toledo meetup. They are facilitating awesome events.
An Ecosystem Ready to Connect
Willis is still early in her Ohio journey, but her early impressions are positive. She has a meeting set with the local chamber, is exploring grant opportunities, and is already speaking at regional events, including a recent panel on AI in retail.
The organizations that I’ve met have been excited about connecting with a business like mine,” Willis said. “They’ve been really open to sharing information and contacts. There are a lot of events in Ohio that connect entrepreneurs with resources — that’s something that surprised me, continues to surprise me, and that I’m really excited about.
Willis and Hudson are also launching a retail readiness course to help other founders get their products onto store shelves — and Willis sees Ohio’s support organizations as a natural way to reach them.
Opening Doors in Ohio
Willis’ story shows what happens when founders experience Ohio firsthand. Black Tech Week gives entrepreneurs a direct line to the state’s investors, partners, and resources, and a reason to see Ohio as a place where Black- and diverse-owned businesses can grow.
That platform is expanding. After hosting the conference in Cincinnati since 2022, Black Tech Week is moving to Columbus in summer 2027, where it’s expected to draw up to 10,000 attendees.
Willis has moved for opportunity before. Now, she’s putting down roots.
I’ve always traveled to grow my career, so really I can work from anywhere,” she said. “I like to immerse myself and contribute to the region I’m in.
That region is Ohio. And this time, opportunity found her.
Want to know more?
Learn more about resources for small business leaders at jobsohio.com/smallbusiness.
Ohio shoppers can find Black Paper Party’s 2026 holiday collection at more than 150 Family Dollar and Walmart stores across the state, including 12 in Toledo. Find a nearby store at blackpaperparty.com.
