Ella Russell, a child of Galveston with ever-deepening Houston roots, has become a business icon in the Tre (aka Third Ward).
But her business goes beyond selling delectable treats at Crumbville TX. At her foundation, Russell is in the business of building community.
An early childhood education major at Texas Southern, Russell envisioned owning a daycare for individuals with special needs. But long before college, eight-year-old Russell revealed what she was destined to do and become.
“At eight years old, I wanted to be a talk show host,” said Russell. “I wanted to be Sally Jesse Raphael, but without the red glasses.”
Though she doesn’t have her own talk show, Russell meets and impacts just as many people via her baking prowess.
“That’s something I love, meeting people and hearing their stories,’ shared Russell. “People always assume that I love baking. I don’t love baking, but it’s a conduit for me meeting people and getting to hear their stories.”
Crumbville TX founding
The fact that baking is not Russell’s first love is hard to believe for those who swear by the amazing cupcakes, cookies, and other treats she has regularly made available to the public for two decades. This December, Crumbville TX, will celebrate its 21st anniversary.
“Crumbville TX actually started off as E-Doublelicious Treats, a play on my poetry name, which was E-dub, short for E-double-L-A.” (Ella Russell)
When her sons were three and nine years old, and in need of treats for school holiday parties, Russell, who was going through financial hardships, did what Black women have done since the beginning of time. She made a way out of no way.
“I didn’t have the money to buy them treats, but I had flour, butter, sugar, and eggs, so I took what I had to make what I needed and made them both batches of chocolate chip cookies.” (Ella Russell)
Russell took the leftovers to her coworkers at Southwestern Bell. They loved Russell’s baked goods and began asking her to make them for their holiday parties and potlucks. From there, Crumbville TX was born.
New location, collaboration
Crumbville TX has been wildly successful in multiple locations, whether pop-ups, goods sold out of her backpack, after church to Awakenings Movement congregants, or brick-and-mortar spots in the Eldorado Ballroom and Project Row Houses.
Russell and her business are now located within a shop that houses the businesses of two of Russell’s close friends, Brandi and Nique Allen. The couple runs Daisies & Pancakes SK8 Shop, which provides “all things skate” and a vintage sports apparel shop called Curators of Dopeness.
Russell and Brandi were classmates at TSU. Their business collaboration is located literally in the shadow of their alma mater (3809 Sampson, Houston, TX 77004).
When it was time for Russell to transition from the Eldorado, the couple welcomed her with open arms.
“We immediately asked if Ella would like to share a space with us. It has been a perfect pairing; cross-pollination,” said Brandi. “We feel like our little TSU Wesley compound is another grassroots Third Ward small business conglomerate that will bring communities together and represent their ward culture in its most original and purest form.
“Since the collaboration, I’ve gained 10 pounds. I eat cookies for breakfast now. We need a pancake cookie asap.”
Nique agrees.
“We are really big believers in community and social currency as energy. Ella has been a staple in Greater Third Ward for over 15 years now,” said Nique. “She is one of our entrepreneurial heroes and inspirations when we decided to start selling vintage clothing in 2019 and all things skate in 2020… So, when the opportunity came up for Crumbville to transition into its next phase, we were honored to offer up our space to her.”
Connection to Galveston, Houston & Third Ward
Russell’s Galveston-Houston-Third Ward connection goes deeper than her matriculation from Galveston Ball High School to TSU. She’s the living embodiment of the historic connection between those two cities.
“My birthday is on June 19. So, for me to be a little Black girl who was born in Galveston on Juneteenth, to grow up and own a bakery across the street from Emancipation Park, I felt like that was destiny. I couldn’t have written that story if I wanted to,” shared Russell.
Now, the story continues in another locale, but with the same focus on building community.
Importance of community
“Community is important to me because it is like a lifeline. I feel like we cannot exist without community. There is healing in community. There is life in community. There is support in community,” stated Russell, who internalized that ethic from her family, who constantly moved in community, from holiday gatherings to family reunions.
“There’s just so much power in being in community when you have somebody to help kind of carry the weight with you of life and business,” said Russell, thankful for her current location with friends who are also business peers.
Tips for aspiring entrepreneurs
But Russell’s community ethic extends even further, as she is generous with her advice for other aspiring entrepreneurs.
“I would say, make sure that you have a good circle, people who will believe in you when you don’t believe in yourself,” Russell shared. “Secondly, always have integrity. It has to be non-negotiable.
“And make sure that anything you put on the internet is something that you would not mind repeating in a room full of investors or somebody that you wanted to grow your business with. Even when you’re not representing your brand, you’re representing your brand.”
DNVIDEO: More of Russell’s secrets to success.
