DeAndre Moore is the founder of Morris+Wade, a handmade body products brand based in the Bay Area. His intention with Morris+Wade is to harmonize culture and nature to aid in the transition back to healthy living.
Who are you?
I am an artist, designer, creative, and entrepreneur. I believe in people and I always want the best for people. It's my journey to spark the imagination of many through how I show up for myself.
Tell us about your business:
Morris + Wade is about harmonizing culture and nature. We’re bringing people to what’s natural and building community. The goal is to liberate our bodies with high quality, sustainable, and clean products while celebrating black culture along the way.
The company is named after my grandfather and brother. My late grandfather was a carpenter, and my brother had a deep love for music production. I keep their legacies alive through the business.
What inspired you to start Morris + Wade?
I always had an entrepreneurial spirit, I sold candy as a child! My Dad worked with different restaurants and I helped him from a young age which taught me to understand the value of service and customer service.
So many of the products available to us are not always the healthiest things. With Morris + Wade I wanted to create something that was beneficial to people, that could be lasting and impactful.
Can you share a bit about how you make your products and how you choose your ingredients?
We’re doing very small production, and growing day by day. We use local ingredients as much as possible, often wild harvested or from family farms. We get our olive oil from Sonoma County, our mushrooms from Far West Fungi, and our essential oils from Bay Area distributors. We utilize the smaller networks as much as possible. With things like shea butter, it comes from the other side of the world. But we try to build real relationships, and create supportive partnerships.
Our packaging is compostable and as much as possible we try to minimize waste.
What’s your favorite part about running your own business? And what is your biggest challenge?
I love witnessing people’s reactions after using the product. When people tell me how wonderful it feels to use, this warms my heart. People come to me with real problems, and when our products help them, when they can say my skin feels great — that feels so good.
My biggest challenge is time management. I am a designer and I have clients, and I have to manage the time between the businesses. One helps keep the other one going.
What’s the best advice you’ve received?
Following your own path. Do what’s unique to you and don’t waste time comparing yourself to others.. Be present with what is yours to offer.
What role does community play in your business?
Without community Morris + Wade is nothing. Otherwise it’s just an idea. As we grow we want to keep bringing more people in. I always bring samples everywhere I go. I love making the product accessible. Our core philosophy is to never turn anyone away.
What has been your most impactful interaction with ICA, and why?
The whole experience was impactful. You learn so much in a short time, and what you learn opens different doors: new networks, fundraising. The ICA staff was super supportive and always available for conversation.
What’s next for Morris+Wade?
We’re working developing more products including some new medicinal soaps, more herbal infusions, deodorants, and candles. We want to create a full immersive bath and shower experience.
Learn more about Morris + Wade at morrisandwade.com. DeAndre is a Lab at ICA alumni, our accelerator program designed for early-stage businesses generating revenue and looking to develop a plan to strategically grow.
