Saria Hawkins-Banda knows the value of a good notebook. Not just the kind with thick paper and elegant design, but the kind that captures your dreams, your to-do lists, your growth.
A lifelong planner and project manager, Saria relied on journals to navigate full-time work, Ph.D. studies, and motherhood. Along the way, she noticed a gap: the stationery she loved rarely reflected her identity or values. “I wanted to see myself, my culture, my creativity represented in the tools I used every day,” she says.
That realization sparked innovation. Saria launched Manifest Your Purpose, a lifestyle brand creating beautiful, functional stationery that affirms identity and encourages intentionality. “As Black women, we deserve to see ourselves reflected in the things we use every day,” she explains. Her mission goes beyond paper. It is about cultural affirmation and building generational wealth by serving a market long overlooked by traditional retailers.
Scaling Through Black in Business
In 2023, Saria joined the Goldman Sachs Black in Business program, an executive education initiative for early-stage entrepreneurs. As CEO of her brand, the experience was transformative. “Before, I focused on direct-to-consumer sales,” she says. “The program opened my eyes to corporate partnerships.”
“The program opened my eyes to corporate partnerships.”
That shift unlocked new markets. Today, Manifest Your Purpose provides custom gifting solutions for brands such as Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, PayPal, and Patreon, helping companies show care through intentional, inclusive tools. “We’re not just selling notebooks,” Saria says. “We’re helping companies meet real needs in ways that feel personal.”
Building Wealth and Community
The results speak volumes. By the end of 2023, revenue soared past $180,000, more than four times the previous year. For 2025, Saria projects nearly $250,000 in sales, with growth across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
“The women in my cohort became like sisters. We travel together, support each other’s businesses, and stay connected.”
But the most meaningful outcome has been community. “The women in my cohort became like sisters. We travel together, support each other’s businesses, and stay connected,” she says. That bond inspired her to host the Money Moves Summit in April of 2024, creating space for women entrepreneurs to discuss money, growth, and sustainability. Half the speakers were Black in Business alumni.
“It was important for me to pay forward the support I received,” Saria says. “Black in Business didn’t just teach me how to grow—it gave me the language, the confidence, and the network to do it.”
Building Tomorrow’s Stationery Industry
Saria’s vision is clear: deepen impact through strategic partnerships and cultural representation. “I want to be the go-to stationery and gifting brand for companies running campaigns that center women and employees of color,” she says.
No matter how much the business scales, her mission remains the same: helping women turn goals into reality through tools that reflect who they are. “Real change happens in daily rituals—writing your goals, setting intentions, and creating spaces that honor identity,” she says. “That’s how we manifest purpose and innovate every day.”
