This new series helps to tell the stories of Black British entrepreneurship, looking back at each month to reflect on successes, lessons and developments.
It’s the New Year and I’m glad to say that the black entrepreneur community is continuing how it ended 2018 – on a high.
I have started this blog series to help tell the stories of Black British entrepreneurs and their businesses in short-form: a 5-minute-read to look at what’s happening in our world.
In my first round-up, I’ve chosen three newsworthy highlights from the British afro hair industry that have inspired me on a personal level. There’s nothing like good news to ring in 2019 and the beginning of this series.
Afrocenchix
Starting with Afrocenchix, one of the UK’s first homegrown major natural hair care brands, the company recently won a total of $530k from WeWork – a global office space provider – as part of their Creator Awards, which saw them pitch in front of Kirsten Green, Gary Vaynerchuk, Diddy. Ashton Kutcher and an audience of 6,000 people in LA.
Launched in 2009, founders Rachael and Joycelyn met at university and bonded over difficulties with finding products that worked for their coils and didn’t include harsh chemicals. They began the company by bootstrapping (building the company through personal finance, reinvesting revenues and equity-free awards) and have said previously that this ensured they followed the sales and developed an intricate knowledge of their customer base – nothing was more important than the sale.
In a start-up environment where raising rounds and looking for investors is seen as both a first-step and an end in itself, following their story has been refreshing. It’s a testament to the power of placing oft-overlooked core business principles at the forefront of your company – build a great product, know your customers and iterate in the face of feedback, re-invest your early profits.
In 2018, they made the decision to raise significant investment, and as part of this process, entered WeWork’s funding competition, which offered equity-free cash to its winners. After sailing through the London round in October (and picking up $350k in the process), they were invited to Los Angeles earlier this month to compete on the global stage. After Rachael’s impressive presentation, Diddy explicitly stated that Afrocenchix “stood out”.
This year, Afrocenchix will celebrate their 10th anniversary as a juggernaut in the industry. Started during a time when ‘natural hair’ was still a nascent movement, they built a community-facing business with a powerful message, and are often credited by natural hair influencers for starting them on their journey.
TreasureTress
Forbes.com is a global, iconic business magazine – the holy grail for some entrepreneurs – and this month saw TreasureTress CEO Jamelia Donaldson profiled as a founder “making real impact”.
Launched three years ago as a side hustle while Jamelia worked an intensive corporate role, Treasure Tress began as a way to help her niece look after her hair. However it soon evolved into a business with a mission: educate and equip young girls with knowledge and love for their natural coils through a monthly product discovery box. Consumers quickly saw the value, and before long orders picked up to a scale that required her attention full-time.
Her feature in Forbes is symptomatic of a shift in narratives: black entrepreneurs creating black businesses targeted at black people are finally being noticed, celebrated and respected. The fact that she’s interviewed by fellow afro hair entrepreneur Tommy Williams amplifies the story further. The tale of her journey from student to CEO is well worth a read.
Peckham Palms
In 2015 Southwark Council announced plans to renovate Peckham Rye station which would mean the demolition of premises where hair stylists currently operate, and have done so for years. Aware of the consequences of the redevelopment, they simultaneously announced plans to build a new location, 2 minutes away, behind Peckham High Street to house the displaced hairstylists.
Four years later and Peckham Palms is opening its doors. Led by Hazel and Monique, two formidable and inspiring women passionate about improving opportunities for the hairdressers, the project hails an advance in the afro hair experience for black women in London. Intended to be a new destination for hair, beauty and wellness for the black community, the Palms houses two salons, a barber shop, an event space with a wellness schedule and a black-owned cafe run by Sara of Sister Slush.
The design is stunning and had me in awe for my first few moments in there: room names are inspired by African queens, Roman-style pillars have braid styles as the columns and will soon be topped by 3D print-outs of the hairstylists’ faces. However, what makes Peckham Palms particularly interesting isn’t it’s look – it’s the level of care they have for their new inhabitants. As part of an effort to prepare them for the move, they have organised sessions with more established hairdressers to help the ladies improve their services and pricing, and are working with them intensively to develop their business skills. In any other context, their work would be considered an art form and the Palms is determined to see it treated as such.
All three stories are a symbol of the growing might of Britain’s afro hair industry. We’ve started the year with a significant new destination, a raise and recognition from one of the world’s most foremost business publications. It wasn’t so long ago that we were slathering Pink on our hair and the only black-owned hair brand we knew was Shea Moisture.
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