Bloomington council hears pitch for inclusive activewear business
Muna Mohamed, CEO of Kalsoni, presented her vision to the Bloomington City Council for opening a retail store and community space dedicated to modest activewear and women's health. The pitch was part of the Hatch Bloomington competition, which supports new business ventures in the city.
Mohamed founded Kalsoni to address a gap in the activewear market by creating culturally inclusive clothing designed for modest fit. Her company's products have already been sold at REI, a major outdoor retailer. But Mohamed's ambitions extend beyond simply selling clothes—she wants to establish a physical presence in Bloomington that serves as both a retail store and a community hub.
The proposed Bloomington location would offer more than merchandise. Mohamed envisions a space where women of all ages can participate in workout classes, learn about nutrition, and build community around health and wellness. This approach reflects her broader mission to remove barriers that prevent women from engaging in fitness due to fear or judgment.
Beyond business, Mohamed emphasized the importance of representation for young Black Muslim girls as leaders in athletics and entrepreneurship. As a coach and founder, she has made youth empowerment and community advocacy central to her work, particularly in promoting women and girls' participation in sports and healthy lifestyles.
The presentation was part of Hatch Bloomington, a local initiative designed to support entrepreneurs bringing new businesses to the city. While no votes were recorded in the available meeting documents, the council's consideration of Mohamed's proposal signals potential city support for the project. Next steps for the business pitch were not detailed in the meeting materials.
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Source document
[0:00] (upbeat music)
(children chattering)
[0:04] - A lot of young kids around the community
[0:06] know me as Coach Muna.
[0:07] Anything that I do,
[0:08] it's an opportunity to
become a representation
[0:10] for those who look like me.
[0:11] I think it's really important
for young Black Muslim girls
[0:14] to be able to see themselves
as business leaders,
[0:16] as athletes.
[0:17] Hi, my name is Muna Mohamed.
[0:18] I'm the CEO and founder of Kalsoni.
[0:21] Kalsoni in my language means confidence,
[0:23] and what I do is I create
culturally inclusive activewear
[0:26] for those looking for a modest fit.
[0:27] Did y'all knows 65% of women avoid the gym
[0:31] due to fear or judgment?
[0:32] I realized that Muslim
women are not the only ones
[0:34] who are lacking resources to fitness,
[0:36] and there are other women just
like you who may fear the gym
[0:39] because someone next to them is fit,
[0:41] and you may feel like,
"Oh, I don't look the part,
[0:44] therefore I'm not gonna go to the gym."
[0:45] There's all these barriers
that prevent a lot of women
[0:47] from hitting the gym.
[0:48] I entered the Hatch
Bloomington competition
[0:51] because I wanted to have an
opportunity to grow my business.
[0:54] I was able to bring my
products over into REI,
[0:57] but a really important aspect of myself
[1:00] is to be able to have that
connection with customers.
[1:03] My goal here in Bloomington
is to create a retail store
[1:05] not only sells my activewear,
[1:07] but also has a space for all
ages of women to come together
[1:10] and to be able to do workout
classes, learn about nutrition,
[1:14] just have a space that's
focused on women's health
[1:16] and women's bodies,
[1:17] and create that opportunity
[1:18] for communities to come together.
[1:20] I am a big advocate for
women and girls sports.
[1:23] I coached youth basketball
for about 11 years
[1:25] and did my undergrad and
master's in kinesiology
[1:29] with the hopes of getting more folks,
[1:31] especially those in my community,
[1:33] any young Muslim girl, Black Muslim girl,
[1:35] to be able to be more active.
[1:37] I always ask myself, "What's my why?"
[1:39] And my why is finding my
passion for basketball
[1:42] and creating into an opportunity
for folks who look like me
[1:45] to be able to get more women
[1:46] and girls out there just living a healthy
[1:48] and active lifestyle.
[1:49] If you're an advocate for
women and girl's health,
[1:52] women and girls and being
in sports, vote for me,
[1:54] and allow folks to be
confident in who they are
[1:57] and be able to bring that opportunity
[1:58] to Bloomington, Minnesota.
[2:00] (upbeat music continues)
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Other Topics from This Document
Youth Empowerment and Community Representation
Community-Focused Retail Development
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