Black makers matter – Tori Rogers of Ebony Expats
It’s important to mention that this movement is not just about Black tragedy – it’s about seeing Black people as human. Equal. Extraordinary. Superhuman even.
Being Black is about constant innovation for survival, physically and emotionally. It’s about reinvention, switching and pivoting. So is entrepreneurship, so it’s no surprise that many of my friends moonlight with side hustles they’re deeply passionate about.
Over the next few weeks, I’m honored to share the stories of the Black super humans in my circle. Their stories aren’t told nearly enough. Give them the love they deserve.
Tori Rogers is one of my favorite people. Her drive. Her infectious laugh. There’s absolutely no faking that energy.
Tori Rogers of Ebony Expats
I first met her in Dallas while we were still working for the same tech company, but she’s pure Houston: busy like its highways, hype like its night life, cultured like its art scene, out of this world like NASA. So when she told me she was moving to Thailand to teach English in 2017, my first thought was (and take this in the best way): can they handle her?
In reality, her move out of America on the heels of a layoff at her marketing job in the oil and gas industry was both brave, and a necessity. “I was a Black woman who wasn’t thriving in America,” she recently shared with me. “I found the freedom to be me.”
Connection was always a top priority for Tori, so even before making the plunge, Tori set up a Meetup.com with the goal of finding just three Black friends when she landed. Fast forward three years, and she’s thriving in Bangkok with a growing enterprise: Ebony Expats (EE). EE grew from that small meet-up group of just a few acquaintances to a connected community of members in Bangkok with more than 500 Line group members from all over the world representing 12 countries and 28+ cities, over 1K Facebook and Instagram fans and 500 people on Meetup. Since becoming an LLC in 2019, EE also operates as a boutique, creative production agency, with a specialization in travel, entertainment and events.
As Founder, CEO and Creative director, Tori holds the vision for EE, and she’s dreaming big. In the past few years alone, she has launched a podcast, started a weekly Expat News show on Facebook, was featured in the Big Chili Magazine and was a part of the efforts to gather more than 100 Black expats for a casting meet-and-greet with Spike Lee, who filmed his recent movie “Da 5 Bloods” last year in Chiang Mai.
Courtesy: Ebony Expats
With everything going on in the world, Tori isn’t afraid to face the challenges of being Black, both in America and abroad. “I grew up in Houston, which comes with certain experiences for sure. Culture, Texas racism, all that,” she admitted. “[And in Thailand], I see the struggle with colorism amongst the Thai community, including the use of skin whitening products. And when I was an English teacher working in government schools, I faced different things from being told that certain schools don’t want Black teachers to direct conversations about my skin color. So I empathize with everyone in my community. I know the pain. It makes it easy for me to say what I have to say and not take ‘No’ for an answer.”
See EE’s dedication to George Floyd and Black lives on Instagram.
Tori recently spoke with BK Magazine about the impact of George Floyd’s murder and how his story is resonating across the world. A fellow Houston native, George Floyd moved from Houston to Minneapolis in search of new opportunity, a sentiment that resonates with Tori. In a video dedicated to him, she highlights and encourages black travelers seeking their “best self.”
“I’m grateful that EE is able to be at the forefront of the convo here in Asia,” said Rogers. “We [had] a virtual moment of silence with Thai organizers who wanted to do something to support [Black Lives Matter]. We’ve had a lot of people reach out recently and to have our community established gives us leverage to shift some change.”
As long as her list of accomplishments has grown, her vision is still bigger. Even with some restrictions due to COVID-19 in place locally, she recently hosted a watch party for the Spike Lee movie she helped to bring to life. In a chat recently she shared a glimpse of her roadmap, including having an app launched by the end of this year, dipping into more regional events and tourism in 2021 and moving into the festival, retreat and corporate consulting space in the next few years.
As I’ve watched her tick off her goals, milestones and dreams from afar in the past few years, I have no doubt she’ll make it happen. I’m so proud of her growth, and ready for her to sign me up for whatever’s next.
Check out her website, socials and contacts below:
Web | https://www.ebonyexpats.com/
Instagram | Tori Talks & Ebony Expats
Podcast | https://www.ebonyexpats.com/podcast
Email| info@ebonyexpats.com