Katrina Brooks is the founder and president of Put It In A Book and the owner of Black Pearl Books, a Black woman-owned independent Austin-based bookstore dedicated to promoting diversity, inclusion, and representation through literature. She launched Black Pearl Books in 2019 as a pop-up and quickly grew it into a thriving brick-and-mortar business, co-run with her husband.
Driven by faith, creativity, and a deep belief in the power of books to transform lives, Katrina brings years of business, marketing, and public relations experience to her work. She holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Clark Atlanta University and an MBA in marketing from the University of Texas at Dallas.
Prior to launching Black Pearl Books, Katrina worked in corporate communications, ran her own PR consultancy, and owned both an interior design firm and a vintage retail shop. Her entrepreneurial journey is fueled by a passion for education, equity, and service. A lifelong volunteer, Katrina now extends her bookstore’s mission through her nonprofit, Put It In A Book.
Originally from Chicago, Katrina lives in Austin with her husband and two teenagers.
