There comes a time in your life when you get a call, a call to do something bigger than yourself, a call you can't ignore.
This happened to me for the first time when I was 23 years old. I was called to lead our people to a deeper connection with our roots, with our identity! And that’s why I founded Beyond Roots in 2016!!!!
I was amazed to see the wave of travelers from the United States who were eager to engage authentically and respectfully with Cuban culture, people and traditions. And I thought: these travelers deserve better than the typical tourist offer available in the market.
So I started bringing visitors to my hometown of Guanabacoa, the homeland of Afro-Cuban culture, where they could experience our traditions through music, dance, culinary arts and visual arts.
I jumped into the pool, and people like you opened their arms to receive me and lift me up.
Who am I? My name is Adriana. I am the CEO and co-founder of Beyond Roots. My life’s mission is to educate, inspire, and empower. This is the driving force behind everything we do at Beyond Roots. As someone passionate about connecting conscious travelers with our rich culture and ancestral heritage, I have witnessed the power of mindful tourism to uplift our communities. Today, I come to you to share our history.
Growing Together: A Community Effort
We started with only 3 people, but the acceptance of the experience and the desire of the neighbors to participate in the initiative led us to form an ever larger team and introduce new elements that allowed us to perfect the experience. We created a platform where community members could showcase their talents, share their experiences, and have an alternative source of income at the same time.
And so new, more specialized experiences were created in areas such as: music, dance, culinary traditions, visual arts, lifestyle and religion. Travelers would have the opportunity to delve into the aspects that most interest them. After two years, with a team of 28 people and an average of 260 guests per month, we have created five different experiences, which have been recognized as the most entrepreneurial on the Airbnb platform in Cuba.
In response to a demand from our guests, we began to design and market souvenirs that would serve as a memory of the Afro-Cuban experience they had with us and that they wanted to show to their family and friends. To do this, we began to identify local talent and create unique products with empowering messages, such as My Afro is not a matter of fashion, it is a matter of identity. Since we did not have a physical space, we decided to create a portable store.
Beyond Experiences: Creating Lasting Memories
The success of the initiative led us to consider the idea of designing products for people in Cuba. It was very difficult to find products on the island that would enhance the Afro aesthetic and identity, from jewelry or clothing to natural Afro hair care products.
Once the store opened, we understood that more than products, people needed guidance and support. Many people were discovering their natural hair for the first time and did not know how to take care of it. It was then that we understood that Beyond Roots was becoming more than a commercial brand, but a community that not only educated people, but also created spaces for sharing and support through workshops, lectures, conferences and events. A community that vibrates Beyond, of people walking down the street, educating without speaking, proudly showing off their Afro hair or simply wearing a sweater that says: It’s not fashion, it’s identity.
We dream of a space where people can find items that allow them to be proud of their Afro-descent and connect with their essence. On September 7, 2019, we were able to make this dream come true and inaugurate the First Afro-style store in Cuba. We saw this as an opportunity to promote local talent and establish collaborations with other cultural projects and other entrepreneurs. In this way, the Beyond Roots store has also become a platform for the visibility and promotion of other local brands.
The Next Chapter: Our Afro Hair Salon
Our SalonIn May 2022, we opened our own salon, a space for interaction, freedom, and reconnection with our roots through natural hair care. Our stylists, experts in afro-curly hair, offer personalized services that revive and empower natural textures. This salon embodies our journey—celebrating our heritage and transforming lives
Pride in People, Power in Roots
After 7 years, today Beyond Roots is a company, with a beautiful team of 44 people and 3 different lines of work. We are all very young and most of us are women. If you ask me: Adry, what is your greatest pride? I would answer, without a second’s hesitation: to have built a company that generates decent jobs and makes its people grow, while positively transforming the lives of the community that follows them.
