Mrs. Laura Fote
The Gatsby Showcase Foundation: Meet Our Exceptional Founders
Welcome to The Gatsby Showcase Foundation!
Our founders are the visionary architects of our mission, driving the powerful fusion of fashion and philanthropy. With unique expertise, unwavering dedication, and boundless passion, each founder plays a vital role in our journey to empower and uplift communities. Together, we channel our collective commitment to making dreams come true, one step at a time.
Laura AyukTakem Fote
Laura Fote is a trailblazing global entrepreneur and the visionary CEO of L&B Concepts, a dynamic company specializing in rentals for corporate and private clients, wholesale and retail operations, and import/export services. L&B Concepts boasts an impressive client roster, including Aramark, IBM, Georgetown University, Bowie State University, Geico, Aladdin, The Institute for Defense Analyses, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Under Laura’s strategic leadership, the company has also expanded its gifting division to meet the evolving needs of the entertainment and lifestyle industries.
A passionate advocate for women’s entrepreneurship, Laura is a proud member of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and the American Business Women Association (ABWA). She further demonstrates her commitment to community and education through her role as a board member of Sitar Arts Center in Washington, DC, where she helps provide enriching educational and arts opportunities to underserved families.
Under Laura’s guidance, L&B Concepts has earned numerous certifications, including:
– Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)
– Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) by the Small Business Association
– Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)
– Small Business Enterprise (SBE)
– Historically Underutilized Business (HUB)
These certifications, along with licenses to operate in the District of Columbia and several states, highlight Laura’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in business.
Central to her business philosophy is making high-quality products accessible at affordable prices. Laura has built a vast network of manufacturers across Asia and Europe, securing partnerships with suppliers of high-end U.S. brands. She has dedicated teams in key manufacturing hubs, including China, India, Thailand, Turkey, the Czech Republic, and Poland.
Laura’s leadership shone especially bright during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she leveraged her global network to import large quantities of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), turning a global crisis into an opportunity to support critical health efforts.
Her resilience and determination are deeply rooted in her upbringing in an affluent, nurturing family. Raised alongside four siblings and over twenty foster siblings, Laura’s parents instilled in her the values of hard work, compassion, and social responsibility. Her mother, a successful business owner, and her father, a high-ranking government official, were instrumental in shaping her commitment to giving back.
In a groundbreaking achievement, Laura became one of the few Black women to collaborate with and represent the prestigious Czech crystal glass company, Moser, in the U.S. Overcoming significant bureaucratic challenges, she proved her legitimacy as a global business leader.
Her contributions have earned her prestigious honors, including President Joseph R. Biden’s Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award and the Economic Development Award. In 2021, Laura launched the Gatsby Showcase through L&B Concepts, which includes a nonprofit arm, the Gatsby Showcase Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to empowering historically marginalized groups through education, business development tools, and a supportive network, furthering Laura’s mission to promote inclusivity and global equity.
Laura AyukTakem Fote
Laura Fote is a trailblazing global entrepreneur and the visionary CEO of L&B Concepts, a dynamic company specializing in rentals for corporate and private clients, wholesale and retail operations, and import/export services. L&B Concepts boasts an impressive client roster, including Aramark, IBM, Georgetown University, Bowie State University, Geico, Aladdin, The Institute for Defense Analyses, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Under Laura’s strategic leadership, the company has also expanded its gifting division to meet the evolving needs of the entertainment and lifestyle industries.
A passionate advocate for women’s entrepreneurship, Laura is a proud member of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and the American Business Women Association (ABWA). She further demonstrates her commitment to community and education through her role as a board member of Sitar Arts Center in Washington, DC, where she helps provide enriching educational and arts opportunities to underserved families.
Under Laura’s guidance, L&B Concepts has earned numerous certifications, including:
– Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)
– Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) by the Small Business Association
– Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)
– Small Business Enterprise (SBE)
– Historically Underutilized Business (HUB)
These certifications, along with licenses to operate in the District of Columbia and several states, highlight Laura’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in business.
Central to her business philosophy is making high-quality products accessible at affordable prices. Laura has built a vast network of manufacturers across Asia and Europe, securing partnerships with suppliers of high-end U.S. brands. She has dedicated teams in key manufacturing hubs, including China, India, Thailand, Turkey, the Czech Republic, and Poland.
Laura’s leadership shone especially bright during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she leveraged her global network to import large quantities of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), turning a global crisis into an opportunity to support critical health efforts.
Her resilience and determination are deeply rooted in her upbringing in an affluent, nurturing family. Raised alongside four siblings and over twenty foster siblings, Laura’s parents instilled in her the values of hard work, compassion, and social responsibility. Her mother, a successful business owner, and her father, a high-ranking government official, were instrumental in shaping her commitment to giving back.
In a groundbreaking achievement, Laura became one of the few Black women to collaborate with and represent the prestigious Czech crystal glass company, Moser, in the U.S. Overcoming significant bureaucratic challenges, she proved her legitimacy as a global business leader.
Her contributions have earned her prestigious honors, including President Joseph R. Biden’s Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award and the Economic Development Award. In 2021, Laura launched the Gatsby Showcase through L&B Concepts, which includes a nonprofit arm, the Gatsby Showcase Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to empowering historically marginalized groups through education, business development tools, and a supportive network, furthering Laura’s mission to promote inclusivity and global equity.