Abstract

The case focuses on how Nyakio Kamoche Grieco (Nyakio), a first-generation Kenyan American, founded her own skin-care line in 2002, and the various challenges she experienced firsthand as a woman of color in the US beauty industry. The case touches upon the issue of systemic racism in the US with specific reference to the beauty industry.The case then describes how Nyakio created an inclusive brand having a greater purpose followed by the various challenges she faced as a black female entrepreneur. Nyakio successful exited her business in 2015. The case then touches upon her second stint as an entrepreneur. She first founded Thirteen Lune, an inclusive beauty e-commerce platform in 2020. Thirteen Lune used a 90-10 strategy, with 90% of its brands being BIPOC. By 2022 the start-up had won several industry awards. Nyakio launched a second cosmetic range, Relevant: Your Skin Seen, in 2022 and focused on an omnichannel strategy to grow the brand. The question was would Nyakio be able to replicate her previous success in her second stint. What should she do to ensure inclusivity on her platform and at the same time offer scalability and create space for Black beauty brands and secure the future of these founders?

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Understand systemic racism in the beauty industry
• Evaluate the importance of brand purpose and ethos in building a firm
• Describe the challenges faced by BIPOC-owned brands
• Identify the importance of persistence and decision-making for women entrepreneurs

Keywords

Entrepreneurship Development; Idea Generation; Building the Organization; Wealth Creation and sharing; Leadership; Systemic racism; BIPOC Leaders; BIPOC business; Inclusive business; Inclusive brands; Women Entrepreneurs