About Freeing Returns
Among the many business challenges identified during the COVID-19 pandemic, Barbara Jones-Brown saw a pressing need in the retail industry. As online shopping surged, so did the complexities surrounding loss prevention, which left many retailers frustrated.
"I had been doing point-of-sale consulting, working with retailers on their in-store, cash register software. In the first year of COVID, most stores had to close, and we ended up losing 50% of our customers in a matter of days. And I was faced with having to either let a lot of people go on my team or figure out something to do to keep people going. And that's exactly what happened. We decided to build a product. It's something we had been thinking about, and we had built a prototype, we'd won some pitch competitions, but we hadn't built it. The year of COVID, we decided to build it," Barbara recalls.
She and her team seized the moment to turn a tough situation into something positive, with a solution designed to streamline the returns process for retailers and consumers. Barbara's visionary approach allowed them to turn their aspirations into a tangible business, born from necessity and innovation. Barbara explains, "Our product helps retailers, especially their loss prevention teams that are responsible for mitigating loss or optimizing profits or mitigating losses. And so that team needs tools to be able to figure out where the losses are occurring."
Being a remote company doesn't stop Barbara and her team from maintaining a close relationship and a solid bond. "Slack is second nature to us. We have different channels on Slack where we can go work on things specifically. We do meetings where everybody's on camera, we can see each other. It does feel like we're in the office because we joke around and have fun while we work. We have contests like a song of the day where everybody puts in their music. We've gotten great at being a close virtual team, and we don't need to be in an office for that."
Navigating challenges in tech
Navigating a space that has historically been challenging for minorities and women, Barbara is proud to be a Black woman founder in the tech industry. More than once, she's experienced what she refers to as You Syndrome – as in "You? You're the founder?"
It does not take long to realize that Barbara Jones-Brown doesn't need anyone's permission to be here – she's a subject matter expert in the retail tech space, speaking on panels of fellow professionals, and solving million-dollar issues for companies around the world.
"'Don't you report to somebody? How do you know how to do this'?" Barbara was taken aback every time. "I was like, 'I'm like 20 years into this'. I had the accolades, so I couldn't believe I was being questioned. I was surprised that I was not able to raise money when we first started Freeing Returns, until George Floyd. The horrible death of George Floyd opened a lot of doors, especially for Black women founders trying to raise funding. I raised over $4 million in a matter of 12 to 18 months after that. It's sad that it happened that way, but it turned the floodgates on."
Choosing to build Freeing Returns in Atlanta was a deliberate decision rooted in the city's vibrant diversity and growing tech ecosystem. With an invigorating mix of culture and innovation, Atlanta presents an ideal environment for nurturing startups. Barbara observed Atlanta evolving into a significant hub for Black-owned and minority-led businesses, providing essential resources, networking opportunities, and incubator programs tailored for diverse founders, including Georgia Tech’s Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC).
The power of mentoring
Plugging into Atlanta’s tech scene helped her meet other founders and mentors like Mary Schroeder, a Founding Partner of MCS Ventures, mentor, and multicultural consumer specialist. With the support of mentors like Schroeder, who has championed her throughout her entrepreneurial journey, Barbara is now committed to paying it forward.
She aspires to invest in and uplift individuals like herself—those who face barriers to funding and opportunities—ensuring that the cycle of support continues for future generations.
Barbara's passion for her city resembles the rhythm of Atlanta’s lively music scene—diverse, inclusive, and filled with potential. With a community that celebrates uniqueness and fosters growth, Atlanta is not merely a location for Barbara; it’s a foundation she can help strengthen with her own success story.
