Benewaa Owusu - 1st Place Winner
Benewaa Owusu is a lover of makeup and skincare. However, after she underwent a lumpectomy in 2019, she only used clean and natural products. After extensive research, she discovered many beauty products labeled “paraben-free” that still contained carcinogens and toxins harmful to humans and the environment.
Again, many beauty products have alkaline pH, which can disrupt the skin’s acid mantle causing severe skin conditions such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, and hyperpigmentation. Lastly, some makeup products on the market contain toxic ingredients linked to cancer, reproductive health issues, congenital disabilities, and harm to the environment.
This led Benewaa to create Obaa Beauty. Obaa means woman in Twi, a language from Ghana, West Africa, as a side hustle to sell private label makeup. However, she noticed an opportunity to create a product line that would be a lot healthier for people’s skin. Benewaa decided to create makeup products that are effective and efficient. Obaa Beauty is formulated with microbiomes and superfoods to balance the skin’s pH level and minimizes severe skin sensitivities and irritation. They aim to educate consumers about the importance of the skin’s pH level and how natural ingredients to promote a healthy, thriving skin environment.
Obaa Beauty believes “less is more”; thus, their makeup products are multi-functional to serve multiple purposes to save money and time. They create multi-functional makeup that simplifies the daily beauty routine. Obaa Beauty creates conscious, clean makeup with skin-friendly ingredients that enhances a youthful glow.
Priscilla Wesson - 2nd Place Winner
Priscilla Wesson is the Founder of Cozy N Cute Kids Boutique. A leader in the mental health field and a mother to two beautiful Black daughters, her mission is to raise confident women. The confidence levels in Black children and children of color are lower than their White counterparts. This is apparent in media.
The desire to increase the self-esteem in young Black children and children of color inspired the launch of Cozy N Cute Kids Boutique to address the lack of Black representation in children’s brands. Positive representation in these children and their families is what drives Priscilla to change the faces of media. While also creating cozy and comfortable clothing that parents can feel comfortable with their children getting dirty.
Jazmin Alvarez - 3rd Place Winner
Jazmin Alvarez is a fashion and beauty industry veteran. Pretty Well Beauty is a multi-brand clean beauty and wellness marketplace that sets the highest and strictest standards for clean, natural, and sustainable beauty and wellness products from trusted brands that span the globe. Jazmin believes beauty is an inside job, and what you put on your skin should echo your standards for what you put into your body.
Pretty Well Beauty removes the guesswork of what is clean and what isn’t, so you don’t have to. Jazmin has been a leading and trusted clean beauty advocate having experienced herself that using products with fewer and non-toxic ingredients creates a happier, holistic relationship with your skin that radiates from the inside out.
BGV thanks our founders and partnerships that work with us to break down barriers so more Black and Brown founders can remain visible in the marketplace. We continue to thank the sponsors, the judges, the supporters, and various members of our community for supporting these women in their pitch competition. Together we will continue to create access to capital and education for our Black and Brown founders to continue to grow and sustain their businesses.
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