Ten Talents owner Ena Nearon Menefield has long blazed a trail for women of color through her career choices. Originally from New York, Menefield was a promotion coordinator for a cosmetics company in the early 1970s. She travelled across the south training sales clerks to properly communicate with new customers when cosmetics were becoming widely available to African-American women.
“Stores had been segregated, so retail clerks didn’t have the knowledge and background with African American women, who did not have access to cosmetic lines. I created a relationship between them and opened the lines of communication in a way effective for new clients,” said Menefield, who operates her company from her Florence home.
She then moved to California where she developed a hair care product line for African-American women marketed to high-end salons.
Menefield eventually moved to Florence to be near family who lived in Cincinnati. That’s when she solidified the event planning business. Ten Talents reflects Menefield’s own expertise in coordinating and marketing complicated, fun and stylish events and fund-raisers for corporations, small businesses and non-profits across Greater Cincinnati.
She relies on a long culled network of talented speakers, performers and venue providers to offer tailored and memorable events.
“I’ve developed relationships with people are very good at what they do,” Menefield said.
Among recent events she’s worked are the recent Chinese Chamber of Commerce’s New Year’s event, as the auction corrdinator; the Cincinnati Art Museums Hair Affair and the Kids, Cultures, Critters & Crafts Festival at the Cincinnati Zoo, where she was the volunteer coordinator.
“I’m involved in promotions, coordination and planning … and evaluating the success of the event. I also get celebrity support behind different organizations so they become more visible,” Menefield said.
Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Ena Nearon Menefield Ten Talents owner