We Are Oaklandish: Brianna & Ashley, duck + chick
The Town is known for growing resilient, unconventional leaders but few get started as early as the pint sized CEOs of duck + chick. Brianna and Ashley, the dynamic sister duo heading up this Oakland-based company, launched their business in 2019, when they were ten and six years old respectively.
As with most exceptional businesses, their mission is crystal clear. They want to raise money for organizations they care about, while proving that kids can make a difference.
duck + chick manufactures and sells stylish, quality leather goods like coasters, bracelets, card holders, earrings and journals and donates the proceeds from the sales to non-profit organizations. Their initial inspiration came from wanting to earn money they could use to buy flocks of ducks and chicks to give to hungry families for farming.
When their school closed its doors during the pandemic, Brianna and Ashley were saddened to discover how many students depended on school lunches to stave off hunger. So they stepped up to the plate, so to speak, and created a special key chain and donated the proceeds to No Kid Hungry, a non-profit working to end child hunger.
We’re thrilled to say that Oaklandish has joined forces with duck+chick to raise funds to support Oakland institutions we all cherish. Together we designed a coaster for each of the organizations including Children’s Fairyland, the Oakland Zoo, the Chabot Space and Science Center, and the Oakland Museum of California.
Brianna and Ashley are manufacturing the coasters themselves, cutting the leather, stamping the designs and packaging them.
Brianna says, “We’re really proud of our work and excited about donating to places in Oakland we love to visit.” Ashley says, “I like Fairyland because of the rides and the puppet shows. I like the Oakland Zoo because you can see all the animals, like elephants and bears, and pet the animals in the petting zoo. The Chabot Space and Science Center is fun because they have games that teach you science and you don’t even realize you're learning something.”
Do good and rep The Town > Shop duck + chick Leather Coaster Set.
Oakland is diverse and Oakland is proud. 'We Are Oaklandish' is a storytelling project created to highlight just that.
These are stories that shed light on the different experiences, memories, and opinions of the people in the city we all love. They are people who give our city its oddball spirit, its passion for justice, and its creative vigor. They lift us up with laughter, peace, nourishment, and authentic hard work.
They make us proud to call this town our home. They are Oaklandish.
Read more: We Are Oaklandish