This story is featured in our March/April 2025 Beauty issue. You can subscribe to the magazine here.
With beauty brands closing more frequently amid the changing economic climate—plus ongoing attacks on DEI and challenges to support for underserved founders—providing access and opportunity for Black business owners is more critical than ever. The New Voices Foundation, a sister company of ESSENCE Ventures, remains committed to decreasing the resource gaps for entrepreneurs of color. They do so via mentorship programs, investing more than $2.92 million in companies owned by women of color, and more.
To learn more about the brand founders this important organization supports, we interviewed four who are paving the way for the next generation of beauty bosses. Read below about their career journeys.
LaToya Stirrup
KAZMALEJE
What was the first product you launched? Which are you most excited about now?
When my sisters and I launched Kazmaleje (cos-mol-o-gy) in 2019, we released all three of our KurlsPlus detangling hair tools in our signature cobalt blue. We maintained this assortment for the first couple of years, to establish brand recognition. This year, we are most excited about the products we are developing—and we’re bringing our community along for the ride.
What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs as they launch and grow their businesses?
My advice would be to create a support system. There is no reason to go on this journey alone. Making decisions in a vacuum, with limited experience and/or expertise, can be costly in more ways than one. Therefore, identify your fellow founder friends, family members, organizations, community spaces, mentors, funding institutions, etc., and tell them what you are doing. Bring them in on your journey. Let them help you. The sooner you understand how to leverage your network to grow your business, the better.
What should founders have in place to ensure that entrepreneurship doesn’t negatively impact their mental and emotional health?
A coach or therapist who has experience working with entrepreneurs or business executives is a must-have. They can help you see certain behaviors or thought patterns that need to be changed for you to achieve your goals. Thanks to the New Voices Foundation and Black Ambition, I had the privilege of working with business coaches as part of their grant programs. Those sessions were transformational, as they helped me reframe my thinking and create more supportive systems that empower me as a founder.
Alicia Scott
RANGE BEAUTY
What was the first product you launched? Which are you most excited about now?
Range Beauty is “Makeup for Skin That Acts Up.” We provide plant-powered makeup essentials for those with melanin-rich and reactive skin. The first product I launched is our True Intentions Hydrating Foundation, in 21 “flexible shades.” This hero product addresses the problem that people with acne, eczema and sensitive skin often have: to choose between wearing makeup they love and keeping their skin calm. I focused on botanical ingredients that are clinically proven and
dermatologist-approved, to help soothe and calm reactive skin concerns with wear. I’m most excited about our new retail partnership with Sephora! We are joining just six other Black-owned makeup brands at the retailer—and truly filling an unmet gap in the market, providing a solution to a much larger audience.
What’s something that you wish you had known before starting your entrepreneurship journey?
I wish I had known more about the pros and cons of being a solopreneur versus being a cofounder. When I started Range Beauty, it was more of a side hustle than a business. Once traction and sales picked up, I needed to change that mindset—and with that came taking on many more roles. With limited funds, I couldn’t afford new hires. And it made me wonder
if things would’ve been easier having a cofounder, so I could focus on my strengths and them on theirs. I had no idea how to go about finding a cofounder, what that process entailed or if it would work, and I ultimately decided against one. I also wish I had known how underfunded Black women–owned businesses are, and the expectation to grow rapidly
without much capital infusion. Through this journey, the fact remains that we are the most founded but the least funded. Being scrappy and making something out of nothing isn’t typically rewarded in the VC world.
What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs as they launch and grow their businesses?
Don’t be afraid to negotiate. That applies to manufacturers, vendors, sponsors, retailers, investors, all of it! As an early-stage business, it’s easy to fall into accepting whatever is given to you. Always negotiate—and remember it’s a partnership that you need to benefit from as well, not just the other party. In addition to this, hire a fractional CFO or accountant as soon as you can pay for one. Not only will this save you from tax trouble down the line, but they can also help lay out your finances—and advise where you can cut costs, where you can spend more. They can prevent you from overspending, based on projections. I hear so many times—and I’m guilty of it myself—of founders who overbuy on inventory based on a sales peak they had, just to be left with stale inventory that they can’t move. Don’t tie your money up if the demand is not there. Get yourself on track to take a salary within a year of launch! The mental toll running a business takes on us is amplified when you’re trying to do it while working another full-time job, or you’re anxious about how to pay your team or yourself. Have a savings net before you leave your full-time job. Lastly, don’t be so afraid of an opportunity missing you that you jump in too soon. This mostly applies to accepting investment or entering retail way before you’re ready. I’ve watched many brands launch into retail and then have to pull out because of low demand and high expenses, or partnering with the wrong investors. I’m taking the slow-and-steady growth route and have found it to work the best for me.
Dawn Myers
RICHUALIST
What was the first beauty product you launched? Which are you most excited about now?
Before I launched Richualist, my first tech-
enabled product was an electronic detangler engineered specifically for textured hair. Richualist took it a few steps further with a supercharged version of that first product called the Mint, an all-in-one treatment and styling device that gently warms and conditions your favorite curl products for ultra-fast, ultra-healthy detangling and styling. This product is a game-changer for tightly coiled naturals, significantly reducing washday times. The reception has been amazing—our first batch sold out within a month of release. More than anything, it’s been a blessing to hear from so many Black women whose lives have been changed. Black women have it hard enough, particularly given the current zeitgeist. My greatest joy is hearing from customers who feel like we’ve been able to improve their quality of life.
What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs as they launch and grow their businesses?
The most valuable skill to master early is discerning who to listen to—and whose advice and opinions to gently lay to the side. Investors, ecosystem leaders, other founders, your Tinder date and your mom’s cousin’s friend will all bombard you with their perspective. It’s important to be coachable, but not everyone is the right coach for your vertical, your level and your values. Don’t be afraid to respectfully interrogate these advisors about their experience, to better ascertain whose advice aligns. Keep in mind that prestige does not amount to the right expertise. Someone just a few steps ahead of you may have on-point experience for exactly where you are and what you need.
What’s something that you wish you had known before starting your entrepreneurship journey?
The entrepreneurship landscape has predatory players, and I was far too trusting when I started down this path. This does not mean that we shouldn’t lead with love. I repeat: Lead with love. But carry a big stick, in the form of astute sagacity. Business is about people. Build relationships with your partners, and only invest where there is a track record of right action and aligned values.
Unfortunately, many of the worst shenanigans get swept under rugs, because founders fear blowback that could affect their ability to operate. But here’s the thing: We are the assets. Retailers need brands, investors need deal flow, and corporations need new ways to grow. When an investor bails on a commitment, bring them to the table. When a manufacturer inflates pricing, demand an accounting. Be vocal. When you speak up, you save yourself —and the unsuspecting Black woman founder behind you—from big problems. Remember that there is value in what you have built, and that value deserves your protection.
Isfahan Chambers Harris
ALÓDIA HAIR CARE
What was the first product you launched? Which are you most excited about now?
Our Length Retention – Nourish Hair + Scalp Oilis our best-seller, and this makes me proud, because it’s the very first product that I created. I’m super excited about our expansion into Target and our launches in Walmart and CVS! We are so very passionate about using our medical and scientific expertise to create products that are clinically proven to solve problems such as hair breakage, scalp health and hair loss.
What’s something you wish you had known before starting your entrepreneurial journey?
I would have loved to understand how to price my products appropriately, from the beginning to maximize margin and profitability. I have learned this over time, but it’s a lot easier when this pricing is known from the start.
What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs as they launch and grow their businesses?
Be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Always be willing to step outside of your comfort zone to grow your business. Create networks, and share with your fellow founders. Don’t feel like because you have no business background, you cannot start a business. Do not try to force a perceived opportunity to work. If it doesn’t feel right, pass on the opportunity. Many of the mistakes I’ve made came from me going against my intuition. Don’t burn any bridges. Even if partnerships don’t work, always be respectful and professional.