After launching her skincare line in 2021, Naomi Osaka has recently onboarded new members to KINLÒ’s leadership team.
The tennis star and her partners at A-Frame Brands have added fellow athlete Colin Kaepernick to the brand’s board of directors, according to Black Enterprise. He will now be joining alongside Osaka, A-Frame co-founders Hill Harper and Ari Bloom, plus Osaka’s agent Stuart Duguid.
The announcement comes in addition to the news of him and his partners Jim Nikopoulos and Akim Aliu investing in KINLÒ’s seed round. Osaka’s brand advocates for the Black community’s skin health, which Kaepernick fully supports.
“Not only does KINLÒ produce compelling and sustainable personal care products, but it also calls attention to the ways that melanated skin-toned communities are often marginalized in research around sun care and often excluded from clinical studies on skin cancer. I believe KINLÒ has the capacity to right this wrong,” Kaepernick said, according to the outlet.
KINLÒ's New President
The outlet also revealed KINLÒ has appointed Mia Meachem as its new president. Prior to her new role, the marketing professional has worked with the likes of Drunk Elephant, The Estée Lauder Cos., and Burt’s Bees.
“I’m thrilled to be a part of the KINLÒ brand, and for me, it was really meaningful to join a brand that was both female-founded and mission-led,” Meachem said. “Raising awareness about skin cancer and the impact of the sun on melanated skin really resonated with me.”
Where It All Started
Osaka’s personal experience with not finding the right products for her skin pushed her to create a line for people of various skin hues that shared the same struggle, as AfroTech reported in April 2021. Through the help of dermatologist Dr. Naana Boakye, KINLÒ is designed to protect its customers’ skin at all times.
“This is a public health need,” Osaka told Business of Fashion. “I used to tell people that I didn’t need to wear sunscreen — but even if you have melanin, you need to take care of your skin, and I am passionate about that.”