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Kim and Tim Lewis, the founders of CurlMix, have always been certified self-starters when it comes to the rise of their business. From starting the haircare company as a do-it-yourself (DIY) subscription box to transforming it into a full-fledged clean, natural haircare line, the couple has made moves on their own terms.
The founders of CurlMix have taken the phrase “know your worth” to a whole new level! Tim and Kim Lewis launched CurlMix in 2015 as a do-it-yourself (DIY) subscription box but in order to improve sales, they pivoted the concept into a haircare line that has been thriving ever since. “ CurlMix was birthed from our first business as a DIY box for curly hair, so think like Blue Apron, but for hair,” said Kim in an exclusive interview with AfroTech. “We were sending people raw materials to make their own kits or products at home and one box emerged from all 24 that we produced and that was our flaxseed gel.” After customers loved the box, the Chicago couple shifted their entire business to focus on their flaxseed gel noting that customers weren’t able to get the product in stores because most brands would never consider making real flaxseed gel because of the way that it is produced is like cooking. “You have to boil real flaxseeds and then extract the gel,” Kim explained. “Then you...
These entrepreneurs are reaping all the benefits from having turned down an offer during an appearance on “Shark Tank.” Kim and Tim Lewis are the founders of CurlMix, a haircare line geared toward all textures of our tresses! AfroTech previously reported that while on “Shark Tank” the couple turned down a $400,000 offer. Now they’re slated to make history in the equity crowdfunding space having already raised over $3.6 million within 30 days of launching their campaign, per Black Enterprise. To date over 6,000 investors have tapped into their campaign powered by Wefunder. “Anytime you have a community backing you and they are hype about [your brand], what you are doing will be successful,” said Tim during an interview with Black Enterprise. “I don’t have rich people [involved] who put in half a million dollars. About 90% of our investors have contributed less than $1,000 so it really is the people that are driving this campaign.” In just four hours of launching the campaign, the...
Black-owned parent company Listener Brands — which is home to award-winning textured hair care brands CurlMix and 4C ONLY — has just announced the launch of its new equity crowdfunding campaign for CurlMix to aid consumers in unlocking their chance to achieve generational wealth. The brand shares that the campaign aims to empower consumers to invest in the brands they already shop with and also contribute to Listener Brands’ future growth as they make noise in the beauty and wellness spaces. “Many of us spend years supporting companies with our hard-earned dollars, but we see nothing for it when the brand eventually sells, transferring the wealth outside of our community,” Listener Brands CEO and Co-Founder, Kim Lewis, shares in a press statement. “Our goal is to create opportunities for our community to increase their wealth. Our vision is to change the narrative on what ownership looks like. We aim to become the first Black-owned publicly traded beauty conglomerate.” As told to...
CurlMix founders Kim and Tim Lewis aren’t newbies to the startup game. Founded in 2015, CurlMix started as a do-it-yourself (DIY) subscription box, then later turned into a natural hair care line featuring their then best-selling product, Pure Flaxseed Gel. “I was seven months pregnant at the time, in my kitchen working on a recipe for flaxseed gel,” Kim said. The founder revamped CurlMix into a brand that natural hair care customers would see as a necessity instead of a one-time DIY project. “We were getting ready to close the business because we didn’t really grow in our second year,” Kim said. After consulting their advisor, Kim and Tim decided to bottle their best-selling subscription box and launch it to customers via pre-order. Within hours of announcing the release of the new and improved product, the company’s sales exceeded the success it had seen in its two years since launch. “I figured out how to make a batch of 60, but I was like, ‘I’m not going to make a batch and then...
This Sunday, naturalistas will be able to catch the founders of CurlMix — a clean beauty brand for curly hair — debut on the mid-season premiere of “Shark Tank.” The episode will air on ABC at 10/9c. CurlMix was founded by Chicago couple Kim and Tim Lewis in 2015. The couple had quite the journey to founding their startup that included Tim making an appearance on “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire,” where he ended up winning $100,000. As the couple’s second startup, CurlMix has seen an impressive transformation. At first, it was the first-ever do-it-yourself hair care subscription box, where people were given the ingredients necessary to make different products. Now, the brand has evolved into a hair care line, and the opportunity to share their work on “Shark Tank” is one that the couple is ecstatic about. “I screamed,” Kim Lewis exclaimed when sharing her reaction to the news. “We were so nervous on the day of our audition because we couldn’t find a babysitter, but we were on a...
Better.com continues to show the world why it is imperative to have a proper strategy in place when it comes to a shift in the structure of the business because this is not it! As previously reported by AfroTech, the mortgage company has recently been under fire after laying off thousands of employees in two rounds of layoffs with some not even aware that their positions had been cut until seeing their severance packages show up in their bank accounts. Fortune now reports that the startup company is asking for voluntary resignations as they continue to work to scale down within the organization. In a newly implemented voluntary separation program, existing employees are being asked to step down on their own. And if so, those based in the U.S within the corporate and product sectors will receive 60 days of both severance and health insurance. While it has not been noted how many employees will be eligible for the package, Better.com did announce in yet another email that “eligible...
The road of entrepreneurship started for Trey Brown at age 12. Now, the 15-year-old’s clothing brand — reportedly projected to bring in $2.2 million in 2021 sales — landed an investment deal set to propel his dream of becoming a billionaire by age 21. Trey Brown is the founder and CEO of Spergo, a Philadelphia-based streetwear apparel brand. During an episode of ABC’s “Shark Tank” — which aired on Nov. 5 — the young entrepreneur pitched to the judging panel and landed a $300,000 investment deal from Daymond John in exchange for a 20 percent stake in Spergo, CNBC reports. https://www.instagram.com/p/CV6j1xqLWrM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link According to Brown’s mother and Spergo’s COO, Sherell Peterson, John’s investment will go toward hiring a fashion designer, upgrading the startup’s e-commerce technology and getting further ahead on upcoming production. The deal is perfectly aligned as John himself became a young CEO in the 90s with the launch of his iconic brand, FUBU. The two...
COVID-19 prompted millions of Americans to adopt new at-home practices to reduce the risks of contracting the disease. Do-it-yourself ( DIY ) routines have become a highly sought-after trend accelerated by COVID-19. About 41 percent of African American women relied less on professional hair services and became avid in-store beauty shoppers, Neilsen previously reported. African Americans attribute $1.2 trillion in consumer power, according to a 2018 report from Neilsen. The beauty industry has often been criticized for its absence of diversity with many Black individuals struggling to find quality products. Rising tension during the Black Lives Matter movement in conjunction with COVID-19 propelled many companies to diversify their products. Proctor and Gamble (P&G), one of the world’s largest advertisers, led efforts to advocate for change within the industry. P&G launched cultural campaigns shedding light on racial bias and challenged the beauty industry’s lack of attentiveness to...
CURLS just furthered its commitment to investing in wealth-building for Black woman entrepreneurs! According to PR Newswire , CURLS founder and CEO Mahisha Dellinger has partnered with Beauty by Imagination to launch the Black Women Making Millions Academy: Mastering the Business, the Money, & the Mindset. The goal is to empower 25,000 Black woman-owned businesses through a virtual initiative set to be held two days every weekend Between July 2021 and May 2022. Both current and aspiring business owners are encouraged to register for the free event which includes panels, presentations, and workshops for business success. The activities will be hosted by a range of experts in the business including CURLS founder and CEO Mahisha Dellinger who released a statement in an official press release: “I’m excited about this initiative because it’s about opening doors and building our communities. Black woman-owned businesses are up over 300% but only 4% of us will make it to millionaire status...
The venture capital world can be quite intimidating for ambitious founders looking for funding, especially those among underrepresented groups that are often left out of those opportunities. Back in 2015, Backstage Capital founder, Arlan Hamilton set out to create a venture capital fund that offered more opportunities for people like her –– Black, people of color, women, LGBTQIA+. In turn, she founded a company that in five short years has invested in over 150 underserved founders. As Backstage Capital celebrates its fifth impactful year in business, the firm has also released a five-year recap report — developed by The Plug and its contributors Sherrell Dorsey, Ashley Black, and Gizelle Clemmons — detailing all the progress it’s made in the venture capital world and its communities. Commissioned by Backstage and prepared by @Sherrell_Dorsey and @tpinsights , our 5 Years of Impact Report is live! It details our impact from 2015-2020 and what’s next for us. Check it out:...
The diversity numbers in venture capital (VC) are even worse than the numbers in tech as a whole. According to Tech Crunch, 81 percent of VC firms don’t have any Black investors at all. A study released by Harvard in 2017, indicated that women have accounted for less than 10 percent of the entrepreneurial and venture capital labor pool from 1990-2016 with about two percent having been Hispanics, and less than one percent African Americans. A more recent Stanford study indicates that even successful Black VCs have a tougher time in the industry than their white counterparts. Here are five Black VC making a mark: 1. BLCK VC According to their website , “BLCK VC was formed to connect, engage, empower, and advance Black venture investors by providing a focused community built for and by Black venture investors.” Their goal is to increase the number of Black venture capitalists from 200 to 400 by 2024. BLCK helps VC firms incorporate effective diversity and inclusion practices in their...
Entrepreneurship can be a tough road yet sometimes it is wise, not to try to re-invent the wheel, but follow the path of other entrepreneurs who paved the way for you. Go from a pocket full of dreams to launching your first startup with some of our favorite quotes from these successful Black entrepreneurs. 1. “If you have a dream AND you have a job. That’s amazing! You can learn how to navigate both. Your employer, or as I like to call it your “investor”, gives you the money to invest in your dream, and pay your bills while you chase your dreams.” [Twitter] Getty Images Lisa Nichols shared her story with Mindvalley about how she went from having $12 in her pocket to being Mindvalley’s A-Fest keynote speaker for seven consecutive years. Nichols is the CEO of Motivating the Masses, Inc. which lists her as a best-selling author of six books with a motivational speaking platform that has reached 80 million people globally. She is known for her contribution to the law of attraction hit...
Raising capital is a feat in itself, and in the venture capital (VC) game, being a Black entrepreneur brings about its own set of challenges. You could be low-balled on valuation due to cultural unawareness, or an investor can ask for a huge chunk in ownership for a minimum investment. Take CurlMix founder Kim Lewis , for example, whose commitment to majority ownership led the multi-million dollar startup down a non-traditional funding path. Since the glorified VC l funding approach is receiving a lot of attention in the startup world, many founders assume it is a must-do in the quest of having a successful company. However, the VC game can be tough and has unseen cons that are only recognized in hindsight. There is a myth that VC funding automatically translates into a successful company. When, in reality, funding is only the initial step. TechCrunch data shows that 5 percent of VC funds are successful, defining success as having a return of three times more than the initial...