May 20, 2025 • 35 mins
Ep. 216 Candace Mitchell is Founder and CEO at Myavana, a pioneering beauty tech company which develops a suite of innovative textured hair care science and technology products that deliver unique data insights for personalized textured hair care solutions.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Will Lucas here, Black Tech, Green Money Pleasure, Joining you
guys again where my goal in this podcast is to
present the stories of successful black entrepreneurs, technologists, as well
as actionable advice and wealth building strategies for black from
a black perspective. Today I have the pleasure talking to
Kendus Mitchell, founder at Mayavana, a pioneering beauty tech company
(00:25):
or since twenty twelve, they have been aiming at revolutionizing
personal and professional texture to hair care through data driven
science and technology. And a little bit about her. She
found success in developing sophisticated technology in the beauty industry
that analyzes hair variables like type, texture, condition. Lord knows
we need that to develop personalized hair care plans that
(00:47):
support healthy hair and growth. Graduate of Georgia Institute of
Technology bring a ton of experience in cosmetology and computer
science to my Evana. So the company has perfected and
introduced a suite of innovative texture hair science and technology
products resulting in unique data insights or truly personalized textured
(01:08):
hair care solutions. So welcome Candice to the show.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Thank you so much. I'm so excited to be on today.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
It's a pleasure the pleasure is all mine, and so
I am interested because somebody who has your background and education,
how you settle on this is the idea I'm going
to pursue. Like you've been doing technology for a long time,
went to school for it, obviously had interest in it
growing up. How did you decide that I'm going to
solve his hair problem for us?
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Well, actually I went natural when I was in college
at Ordia Tech, and I was using all these products,
like from my roommates, my line sisters, and it was
like drying my hair out and breaking off. So I
was like, Okay, there has to be a science to
how different products react on your hair. And it just
(01:59):
inspired me to study like the science of hair because
I originally wanted to be a hair stylist when I was,
you know, in high school thinking about my career path.
But I was also very in love with technology and
software development, so I decided to go that route. But
I always wanted to go to cosmetology school at some point,
(02:20):
and so I was thinking, Okay, this could be my
chance to you know, put my cosmetology brain on. And
when I researched the science of hair, discovered that your
hair is as unique as your fingerprint. So that's why
the curl pudding for my hair wouldn't be the same
as yours as any other person, and that just really
(02:40):
truly inspired me to create an algorithm that could match
your type of hair with the products that would work
best for you. And so that's how it all started.
And this was actually right before the natural hair movement started.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
To wow, wow, Before I get off on the next question,
can you get more centered in the camera or turn
the camera or you over to your left a little bit,
a little bit more to your left. There, you are all right,
And if you need to stop any point, we can
stop any point. And so we are having a huge
(03:18):
conversation in our social discourse about AI and how AI
is changing everything. And I wonder how you've thought about
and implemented AI into your technology solutions, Like what are
you doing when you're thinking about this is something that
can be helpful for our people.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
Yes, well, we are the inventors of hair AI, which
can identify your unique hair type, texture, and condition. And
so think about like all the unique variables of your hair,
being able to instantly capture that and map it to
the right products based on your hair goals, hair challenges,
and product preferences. That's what our technology does and we
(03:58):
were actually on the path of creating this before ai
started to take over the world, especially, so we ended
up being, you know, the market leaders in terms of
bringing hair ai to market. And actually our first major
client was Unilever and we licensed it on shaemoisture dot
(04:18):
com and so integrating it with the textured hair care
brands at the time was very pivotal because again we
were all in this phase of figuring out our hair
and understanding like again what shampoo, conditioner, gel, cream, butter,
(04:39):
you know which which one works for me? Because the
product the product junkies were essentially starting to retire. Right
Like in the beginning, it was fun to figure it
out from experimental standpoint, but now, uh, with the timing
in the market, we want to eliminate the trial and error,
and so that's exactly what hair ai does by Mayavana,
(05:01):
and it also starts your personalized journey, meaning the next
time you change your hair you can get new recommendations
as well. So we're excited to be the market leaders
of that, especially because it's so important from a development
standpoint for us to own the development side of this.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
We are a team of black and brown engineers.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
It's our culture, it's our pride, and we know that
we can train the computers to essentially understand the cultural
differences of our hair because for a long time, of course,
our hair category, uh textured hair rather was always an afterthought.
(05:44):
So this was specifically designed to identify the uniqueness of
our hair because women of color have the greatest hair
texture variety out of any ethnicity in the world. So
we really wanted to own that and make sure that
it was done well and done right, with all textures,
all types represented.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
Yeah, I'm interested in the foresight, the forethought like you had,
like you you're doing this before you know, chat ept
changed everything for everybody. Yeah, and this is like you know,
two three years ago now, and so you saw something
coming and you started working on it pre all that,
And so I want so I wonder like what was
(06:26):
the trigger, like this is where we should be spending resources.
What was that?
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Yes, yes, that's a really good question.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
I believe it was at the time where you know,
e commerce has taken off a lot of retailers are
starting to expand their categories. But I know what set
out for me was personalization and being able to incorporate massive,
massive amounts of data to personalize the results. Meaning this
(06:58):
is a many too many analysis, meaning the many types
of variables in our hairstrands mapped to the many type
of variables in products. And I actually saw this being
done in other markets, in other industries well before this,
So I think it was just a matter of, you know,
(07:19):
having the foresight to know that eventually technology is transforming
every industry.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Right.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
So we had already went through the ride sharing transformation
with Uber and Lyft now leading the transportation category.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Airbnb is now the leading.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Marketplace for travel accommodations, right, So, seeing how technology was
so disruptive, I knew that it was bound to hit
our market at some point in time, right And what
better way to do this by again catering to the
unique needs of the consumer, because we are the heartbeat
(08:00):
of this industry, meaning we spend all the money in it, right,
We're spending it is a part of our culture, right,
It's a part of how we express who we are,
and so it was just a matter of seeing the
solution but also being in sync with the market. Timing
(08:24):
was the most important part of this because again with technology,
you do have to be a few years ahead to
really make a stamp, you know. Like so even if
you look at the history of social networks, right like
before these companies reached mass adoption, they had to start
(08:46):
in a particular niche that they were catering to. And
so with social network and even like for example, Facebook
starting on a college campus, Pinterest started with a group
of stay at home moms.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
You know, there was always a.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Niche that became the drivers of adoption for that platform.
And given that, you know, black women spend nine times
more than the average consumer on hair products, we're the
ones searching, we're the ones buying, and so we.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Became the niche group to cater to.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
But it ended up putting us, you know, in a
position to now lead the market for AI in hair care.
And actually the way we did it was we started
exhibiting at trade shows. So our first trade show was
the Brown and Brothers Hair Show and this was in
twenty twelve. But we came with our first demo of
(09:42):
our product. It was a hair journey platform, and so
you know, the way we greeted everyone was, you know,
tell us your hair journey story, because everyone has one
right and so that actually became part of our secret
side because we realize that not only do I need
(10:03):
to understand your hair, I need to understand how it
changes over time and why, because that is what's driving
this buying behavior. And so by us tapping into those
things again, it's just like you have to. That's why
I truly believe founders have to follow their conviction, because,
(10:24):
like you know, by following that, we ended up becoming
in the forefront of this trend not only for hair
care but for all of beauty and now as we
see multiple industries too, So that's how it came together.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
Yeah, I love that because I think like what you're
displaying is both the need to have that foresight, you know,
that almost you know, prophetic view of the future, and
be able to move fast because I think about just
a few years ago and for a while we were
talking about we just need products that serve our texture
(11:00):
at all, and what you've gone to is like, Okay,
it's not just about us as a people, it's about
you as an individual. And so we've like you know,
super fast, went through black hair care products, African American
African hair care products that you know, our type of hair,
our type of skin, our type of whatever, to you,
(11:20):
the individual. We're getting down to the you. And so
my question is then for people who are building for us,
how fast and convicted, to use your words, do we
need to be in order to be competitive in the future,
(11:42):
because it's to the individual now exactly.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
Yeah, you have to move on it immediately. And what
I mean by that is, you know, the moments of
conviction is all leading up to something, and so on
the consumer side, you know, we can observe mini trends,
you know, even when it comes to TikTok, right, like,
there are many aspects of how certain features on other platforms.
(12:10):
You know, there may have been a a certain part
of the feature available on other platforms. But by focusing
on this one thing, which is to me, the consumer's
engagement on small consumable content, I believe that again, as
(12:32):
a builder, you see something and once you start building
towards it and create a platform that caters to that
one thing that drives a person. This is all like
human psychology. My focus was human and computer interaction because
it's that one thing typically that is setting your platform apart,
(12:53):
even in a saturated market, right, like, if we look
at social media, there was a reason why. You know,
originally with Twitter it was basically like the Facebook status.
You know that all gravitated us to Twitter, the one little, small, consuble,
consumable chunk of information. So what is the one thing
(13:14):
that is driving your customer? Is what I feel like
every founder needs to know and follow that thing.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
And so for us, the one thing is the hair journey. Right.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
One of my quotes, my favorite quotes is every hairstyle
has a story. Right, So if you go back, you
look at your your photos, your moments over time, you
know the story behind that style, Like what was going
through your mind? You know what error were you in?
Use it exactly? Yes, And so that is the driving
(13:52):
force because our whole experience is personalized, meaning it's it's
catered to you.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
It's the hair system.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
Those are the steps we take you through, consult, analyze, recommend, educate,
and when we have our consultations, we know that it's
it's more than just hair, right, It's about you. It's
about who you are at this point in time. It's
about how you're evolving. Some questions we like to ask
(14:23):
is if you could give your hair a name, what
would it be and why Right? Because your hair has
its own personality too, but it usually reveals something about you, right,
Like Minde's is sunshine, because I love to do blonde,
big hair. Also the name of my journey is rebirth
(14:45):
because I feel like every style shows how shows.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
The rebirth that I'm having over time.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
And so find the one thing that is driving your
customer because TI your platform is going to be built
around that one thing. And it just so happened that
for us to get to the one thing, there's this
major algorithm that's involved that took you know, twelve years
(15:14):
of research and development. But now imagine we can unlock
this for every person. Yeah, so that at every stage
of their journey, not only do they know what products
they need, but they are supported in who they are
at that stage of their journey. And that's what I
love the most about may Havana, And I feel like
(15:36):
we're just getting into that phase too, because first we
had to build it. But now the idea of catering
to the unique needs of every person on a personalized level,
that that gives me so much excitement.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
Yeah, with this rise of AI driven personalization, we're having
a huge conversation are in our community about retail and
I wonder, like, will traditional retailers struggle to keep up
with you are a product made for Candace and not
for black women. It's made for Candace, Like how do
(16:14):
how it's hard for them to put Candace on the shelf,
but they can put our people on the shelf. But
how do I do that?
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Yeah, that's a really great question.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
So two answers to that of course, Like these these
retailers need strong innovation teams, strong technology teams, right and
since that isn't their particular line of business.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
That that's why a company.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Like Mayavana is such a strong partner, because we can
own that innovation within any organization, right we can. We
can sync right in to be your product team for
hair AI, implement it into your environment and run with it.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Now.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
I love your question because here's the thing. There's a
product for everyone, right, There's a product for everyone. So like, yes,
this shampoo might be for Candice, but it also may
be for Lisa, for a Sandy, for a Tamika, you know,
and you know next month it will be for a
(17:18):
new set of women, right because again it's many to many,
meaning that it could be personalized, but it also can
have those same commonalities with other consumers that may have
my same hair ID. So to explain on the personalization
side how it works with AI, once we do your
(17:40):
unique analysis, you will now have a unique hair ID, right,
So think about face ID with Apple touched ID.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
You have a hair ID.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
With Mayavana and so therefore you can get personalized recommendations
everywhere you shop as we integrate more with the retailers.
We're live with Ultra right now and we have more
that are being activated. So anywhere you shop, anywhere you go,
even salons, right, having trusted salon to know your hair,
(18:11):
know how to take care of your hair, it's all
going to be associated with your hair ID. And so
now when we look at the product assortments in retail,
they will have the data on the back end that
says this grooming section. You know, these ten products are
best for Will, right, they also may be best for John,
(18:34):
for Dominique, for you know, whomever is your key customer.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Right.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
So with the brands, we help the brands find your
target customer right, and not on a demographic level. We're
talking about hair care right, because most companies do have
demographic data. That's how you are targeting your customers right now,
That's how you're running your ads, right it's mostly on
(19:03):
demographic data interests, things that you clicked on, you know,
so on and so forth. But imagine now you have
data based on the unique hair care needs about that
consumer and beyond, because we are going to go beyond
here for those who are interested about that. Because think
(19:24):
about this, what companies actually know about you right what
companies know what you need right now? And so in
this understanding of what you know the power of personalization
can do, it helped me see that, you know, we
will help companies shift from being solely transactional to more
(19:45):
relational because now your products can align with the real
time needs of that consumer, and so their whole assortment
is now optimized to what their consumer needs actually are.
And that data actually shows them what products they should
be carrying too, because a lot of a lot of
(20:07):
them may be missing out maybe on some good brands too,
because we have emerging brands, we have, you know, a
much more vast representation. So it's the data that comes
from it that opens up so much more.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
So you're doing physical stores on the continent now and
so yes, we are tell me tell me about this.
How did this come about?
Speaker 3 (20:31):
Yes, well, this was always part of the blueprint, which
is to own the full supply chain in the hair industry,
from raw materials meaning knowing the ingredients that are needed
in certain products to the retail side. But I knew
our first phase would be powered by Mayavana, which means
(20:53):
making the existing retailers integrated with our technology and now
in our ecosystem. What was important as we looked at
market data was a lot of quality hair care products
that we have here are not available on a continent
and a lot of different nations.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
And so.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
This was actually spark when I was doing some ministry
work in Uganda because I started an entrepreneur's boot camp
there years ago through ministry, and so I did this
whole amazing presentation and the first questions I get were
about my hair. So they're like, you know, I'm focusing
(21:37):
all on like financial projection, you know, building your business model,
and the questions.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
I got were is your hair real? Yeah, that was
a first question.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
Number two what products can make my hair like yours?
And so I just had to take a step back,
and especially when they were wondering like if my hair
was real and if their hair could grow in this way,
because I'm like, our hair naturally grows like this, right,
but because you know, in many cultures, you know, they're
(22:11):
so influenced by other things like the media, like you know,
should their hair be straight? You know, a lot of
things that we went through in our culture. And so
it showed me that similar to like the natural hair
movement that we all went through, there's this same movement
that needs to happen on the continent so that they
(22:33):
can not only brace their own.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Hair, but have the right products to do it.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
Because it was the products when I went to like
you know, the marketplaces that were out there, you know,
the products that they had or.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Very very low.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
Par in terms of ingredients and from what I knew
was available, you know. So that showed me the opportunity
because from a retail standpoint, we always envision our retail
experience to be similar to like if you envision Apple,
but a beauty supply store, meaning that it's technology driven.
(23:16):
We could bring that same personalized approach into retail. And
so that was already part of the plan. But then
the aha moment was, oh, we could start it in
Uganda first, because again our market is already saturated, and
our strategy in the US was more so integrating with
(23:39):
the retailers and beauty supply stores here, and so we
did a retail innovation academy last year. We have seventeen
black owned beauty supply stores who were in that academy
and now powered by Mayavana, and so we wanted to
support the existing stores here. But as far as Africa,
(24:00):
it's an open market opportunity, right and so to me,
from a business standpoint, it made more sense for us
to start our franchise in the motherland and actually target
each nation to open up global product distribution. And so
I love the strategy so much because now we can
(24:22):
distribute black owned haircare brands.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
In Uganda and beyond.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
And so it feels multiple purposes because the main purpose
for Mayavana is to reclaim the wealth of the hair industry,
which we know have has gone to other cultures, you know,
over the years, So that that's part of how we
can strategically do that and especially through technology.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
And so talk to me about how you, just as
an operator, had to shift Gears from being a domestic
company to now an international company, different regulations, different gover
them is different ways, you know, maybe not capitalism, Like
how how does candas in the way candidates operates her
business have to shift.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
Yeah, that's a really good question.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
So you know, we did have to obtain our international
trade license, so that was a process, and obtaining a
business license and a whole other country, you know, was
a process too. But again, what it opens up is
new market opportunity. And I will say for the most
(25:37):
part it's just process and paperwork. But I would say
from a strategy standpoint, being able to now transform our
business model to a franchise model and now opens up
the monetization of intellectual property because the same IP that
(26:03):
runs hair Ai is very similar to how we will
run a retail footprint, how we run an e commerce integration.
And so it really showed me how we can expand
our concept of thinking when it comes to business models.
But of course, you know, you always have to do
(26:25):
your market research in every nation because I've learned a
lot and just terms of studying Uganda, Ghana, Liberia, South Africa, Nigeria,
you know, and they're all different. I will say that
they're all different. But being able to have the market
(26:46):
strategy with the right business model, it really opens up again.
We think the US is a big market, it is
like it is like nothing in comparison to the magnitude
of all other nations, you know, in Africa and abroad.
So so it was it was definitely an eye opening experience.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
So what were some in that effort to become more
international company and specifically work on the continent, Like, what
is some challenges that you know now that you could
have you know, maneuvered differently that other people who are
considering doing this should be aware.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
Yeah. Yes, So definitely learned a lot about this.
Speaker 3 (27:32):
We had a live broadcast at our store opening, and
I would say the questions that we got were very
different from questions that we typically get here. And so
I guess one of the major things that I learned
is there is a different perception about American products overseas.
(27:53):
And so you know, I think that the United States
and Western culture, we have been pained as the superior country, right,
superior economy and things like that, but I think it
has changed over time in terms of other countries perspective
(28:14):
of America.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
And even our economy and things like that.
Speaker 3 (28:19):
And so one of the questions was, you know, why
would I trust products from America?
Speaker 1 (28:26):
Wow?
Speaker 3 (28:27):
And I was like, okay, that's very interesting. You know
that that is a point of sensitivity. But you know,
for us, you know, it just really strengthens our mission
with this because we're specifically distributing black owned haircare brands,
and so it's not that it's like, you know, made
(28:48):
in America, similar to made in China, where you don't
know where in China this is made, right, I say
when we say and I have a whole now have
a whole philosophy about this, But the fact that I
could emphasize that these are actually black women owned hair
care brands, you know, women just like you who took
(29:10):
the time to understand the needs of our hair and
now create their own products. And so to me, that
showed how we need to just incorporate brand education as
we're selling, which we've already seen.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
This is that you know, consumers.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
Really buy into the trust of the brand too, Like
when you're making that buying decision. Even when we look
at founder stories of different brands, you may you know,
develop an affinity of the brand because of that founder's story,
their journey, and so that is just as much important,
an important part of our marketing process when we talk about,
(29:52):
you know, products that are best for you why and
that the why is important.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
And then it also made me think.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
Of what does made in Black America?
Speaker 1 (30:04):
Oh yeah, I like that.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
Yeah, I'm like, okay, we need to talk about what's
made in black America because that's different than America.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
So, how does a company, let's say, I have, you know,
a black owned haircare company. How do I get into
your pipeline for recommendations? How does that happen?
Speaker 3 (30:24):
Yes, so you can go to our website mayavana dot com,
click the tab for brands and go ahead and sign up.
We have been doing a lot of our market research
over the years, so we do have most haircare brands
in our database. But for example, if you're an emerging brand,
you know, maybe we have not heard about you before,
(30:44):
or maybe you are new to the market. It's a
very simple process to be added to our recommendation system.
It actually does include product performance testing so that you
can become Mayavana's certified. That's our new seal of approval
that we're releasing into the market so that you can
(31:05):
trust these products that you're using, Yes, because we've done
our own research on them, because actually the beauty industry
is not regulated.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
Yeah, that's wow when I learned that.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
Yeah, because your skin is the I've heard my dermatania
say that your skin is your largest organ and you're
putting things on your body. It can see into your pores.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
Which exactly. Yeah, and that includes your scalp.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
Yeah, think about it.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
Yeah, which is why the effects of wearing relaxers for
so many years is so damaging because all those chemicals
have been absorbed into our body one way or the other.
And so yeah, So that would be the process of
being added to our recommendation system because we now want
(31:49):
to create a symbol of trust for consumers that they're
being recommended the best products and there's you know, the
research and development behind it.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
Finally, like, how can entrepreneurs ensure that they're working on solutions,
whether they be technical or otherwise that can actually create
generational wealth.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
Yes, that is always at the forefront of my mind.
I will say, one, you have to think about products
and businesses that are generational and what that means is
it's a staple part of your routine, your lifestyle and
(32:34):
it's something that will stand the test of time, even
though it may evolve many forms. And then make sure
you do have the assets in place to protect that
and make sure you are thinking generationally.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
You know.
Speaker 3 (32:51):
And I think that has been kind of interpreted in
different ways, Like some people think about, you know, the wealth,
the money that comes from the businesses that we are building, right,
Meaning there's a lot of you know, different perspectives about
black owned companies being acquired and now is that generational wealth, right,
(33:13):
because now it's being sold to another company, So we
can look at it from the perspective of the actual
money and assets that come from that that allow you
to build a legacy, maybe pass that pass that on
to the next generation, but also the actual businesses because.
Speaker 2 (33:31):
I do believe that.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
If you look at other cultures, right, you have staple
businesses that will never go away in those communities as well.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
And I think that our.
Speaker 3 (33:44):
Legacy businesses have had a hard time maintaining that longevity
and that sustainability. So I do think that there is
especially a place to retain businesses and our portfolios so
that they are building the ecosystem of black culture. Because
(34:05):
the thing is, you know, every time a company gets
to a tipping point, it's acquired, right, So what is
left for the infrastructure of black culture, so that I
think that there's an opportunity to fill every position every
industry to now have like you know our Coca Colas, right,
(34:29):
you know our Chick fil A's, you know, like we
know that those brands tho these you know, American based
brands have now become staples and icons in their industries
and markets. I still believe that we need to do
with the same and I'm building may Havana in that
way to be a pillar in the beauty industry that
(34:53):
can be passed on for generations, especially since we're you know,
driven by technology and wanting to protect how technology is
created in the future too.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
Black Tech Green Money is a production of Blavity Afro
Tech on the Black Effect podcast network in Nighthearted Media.
It's produced by Morgan Debonne and me Well Lucas, with
the additional production support by Kate McDonald Jama McGee. Special
thank you to Michael Davis and Lovebeach. Learn more about
My Guessing Other Tech. This shop is an innovators at
afrotech dot Com. The video version this episode will drop
(35:26):
to Black Tech Green Money on YouTube, so'll tap it in.
Enjoy your black Tech green money. Shut us to somebody,
Go get your money piece some love,
Will Lucas here, Black Tech, Green Money Pleasure, Joining you
guys again where my goal in this podcast is to
present the stories of successful black entrepreneurs, technologists, as well
as actionable advice and wealth building strategies for black from
a black perspective. Today I have the pleasure talking to
Kendus Mitchell, founder at Mayavana, a pioneering beauty tech company
(00:25):
or since twenty twelve, they have been aiming at revolutionizing
personal and professional texture to hair care through data driven
science and technology. And a little bit about her. She
found success in developing sophisticated technology in the beauty industry
that analyzes hair variables like type, texture, condition. Lord knows
we need that to develop personalized hair care plans that
(00:47):
support healthy hair and growth. Graduate of Georgia Institute of
Technology bring a ton of experience in cosmetology and computer
science to my Evana. So the company has perfected and
introduced a suite of innovative texture hair science and technology
products resulting in unique data insights or truly personalized textured
(01:08):
hair care solutions. So welcome Candice to the show.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Thank you so much. I'm so excited to be on today.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
It's a pleasure the pleasure is all mine, and so
I am interested because somebody who has your background and education,
how you settle on this is the idea I'm going
to pursue. Like you've been doing technology for a long time,
went to school for it, obviously had interest in it
growing up. How did you decide that I'm going to
solve his hair problem for us?
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Well, actually I went natural when I was in college
at Ordia Tech, and I was using all these products,
like from my roommates, my line sisters, and it was
like drying my hair out and breaking off. So I
was like, Okay, there has to be a science to
how different products react on your hair. And it just
(01:59):
inspired me to study like the science of hair because
I originally wanted to be a hair stylist when I was,
you know, in high school thinking about my career path.
But I was also very in love with technology and
software development, so I decided to go that route. But
I always wanted to go to cosmetology school at some point,
(02:20):
and so I was thinking, Okay, this could be my
chance to you know, put my cosmetology brain on. And
when I researched the science of hair, discovered that your
hair is as unique as your fingerprint. So that's why
the curl pudding for my hair wouldn't be the same
as yours as any other person, and that just really
(02:40):
truly inspired me to create an algorithm that could match
your type of hair with the products that would work
best for you. And so that's how it all started.
And this was actually right before the natural hair movement started.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
To wow, wow, Before I get off on the next question,
can you get more centered in the camera or turn
the camera or you over to your left a little bit,
a little bit more to your left. There, you are all right,
And if you need to stop any point, we can
stop any point. And so we are having a huge
(03:18):
conversation in our social discourse about AI and how AI
is changing everything. And I wonder how you've thought about
and implemented AI into your technology solutions, Like what are
you doing when you're thinking about this is something that
can be helpful for our people.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
Yes, well, we are the inventors of hair AI, which
can identify your unique hair type, texture, and condition. And
so think about like all the unique variables of your hair,
being able to instantly capture that and map it to
the right products based on your hair goals, hair challenges,
and product preferences. That's what our technology does and we
(03:58):
were actually on the path of creating this before ai
started to take over the world, especially, so we ended
up being, you know, the market leaders in terms of
bringing hair ai to market. And actually our first major
client was Unilever and we licensed it on shaemoisture dot
(04:18):
com and so integrating it with the textured hair care
brands at the time was very pivotal because again we
were all in this phase of figuring out our hair
and understanding like again what shampoo, conditioner, gel, cream, butter,
(04:39):
you know which which one works for me? Because the
product the product junkies were essentially starting to retire. Right
Like in the beginning, it was fun to figure it
out from experimental standpoint, but now, uh, with the timing
in the market, we want to eliminate the trial and error,
and so that's exactly what hair ai does by Mayavana,
(05:01):
and it also starts your personalized journey, meaning the next
time you change your hair you can get new recommendations
as well. So we're excited to be the market leaders
of that, especially because it's so important from a development
standpoint for us to own the development side of this.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
We are a team of black and brown engineers.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
It's our culture, it's our pride, and we know that
we can train the computers to essentially understand the cultural
differences of our hair because for a long time, of course,
our hair category, uh textured hair rather was always an afterthought.
(05:44):
So this was specifically designed to identify the uniqueness of
our hair because women of color have the greatest hair
texture variety out of any ethnicity in the world. So
we really wanted to own that and make sure that
it was done well and done right, with all textures,
all types represented.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
Yeah, I'm interested in the foresight, the forethought like you had,
like you you're doing this before you know, chat ept
changed everything for everybody. Yeah, and this is like you know,
two three years ago now, and so you saw something
coming and you started working on it pre all that,
And so I want so I wonder like what was
(06:26):
the trigger, like this is where we should be spending resources.
What was that?
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Yes, yes, that's a really good question.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
I believe it was at the time where you know,
e commerce has taken off a lot of retailers are
starting to expand their categories. But I know what set
out for me was personalization and being able to incorporate massive,
massive amounts of data to personalize the results. Meaning this
(06:58):
is a many too many analysis, meaning the many types
of variables in our hairstrands mapped to the many type
of variables in products. And I actually saw this being
done in other markets, in other industries well before this,
So I think it was just a matter of, you know,
(07:19):
having the foresight to know that eventually technology is transforming
every industry.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Right.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
So we had already went through the ride sharing transformation
with Uber and Lyft now leading the transportation category.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Airbnb is now the leading.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Marketplace for travel accommodations, right, So, seeing how technology was
so disruptive, I knew that it was bound to hit
our market at some point in time, right And what
better way to do this by again catering to the
unique needs of the consumer, because we are the heartbeat
(08:00):
of this industry, meaning we spend all the money in it, right,
We're spending it is a part of our culture, right,
It's a part of how we express who we are,
and so it was just a matter of seeing the
solution but also being in sync with the market. Timing
(08:24):
was the most important part of this because again with technology,
you do have to be a few years ahead to
really make a stamp, you know. Like so even if
you look at the history of social networks, right like
before these companies reached mass adoption, they had to start
(08:46):
in a particular niche that they were catering to. And
so with social network and even like for example, Facebook
starting on a college campus, Pinterest started with a group
of stay at home moms.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
You know, there was always a.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Niche that became the drivers of adoption for that platform.
And given that, you know, black women spend nine times
more than the average consumer on hair products, we're the
ones searching, we're the ones buying, and so we.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Became the niche group to cater to.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
But it ended up putting us, you know, in a
position to now lead the market for AI in hair care.
And actually the way we did it was we started
exhibiting at trade shows. So our first trade show was
the Brown and Brothers Hair Show and this was in
twenty twelve. But we came with our first demo of
(09:42):
our product. It was a hair journey platform, and so
you know, the way we greeted everyone was, you know,
tell us your hair journey story, because everyone has one
right and so that actually became part of our secret
side because we realize that not only do I need
(10:03):
to understand your hair, I need to understand how it
changes over time and why, because that is what's driving
this buying behavior. And so by us tapping into those
things again, it's just like you have to. That's why
I truly believe founders have to follow their conviction, because,
(10:24):
like you know, by following that, we ended up becoming
in the forefront of this trend not only for hair
care but for all of beauty and now as we
see multiple industries too, So that's how it came together.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
Yeah, I love that because I think like what you're
displaying is both the need to have that foresight, you know,
that almost you know, prophetic view of the future, and
be able to move fast because I think about just
a few years ago and for a while we were
talking about we just need products that serve our texture
(11:00):
at all, and what you've gone to is like, Okay,
it's not just about us as a people, it's about
you as an individual. And so we've like you know,
super fast, went through black hair care products, African American
African hair care products that you know, our type of hair,
our type of skin, our type of whatever, to you,
(11:20):
the individual. We're getting down to the you. And so
my question is then for people who are building for us,
how fast and convicted, to use your words, do we
need to be in order to be competitive in the future,
(11:42):
because it's to the individual now exactly.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
Yeah, you have to move on it immediately. And what
I mean by that is, you know, the moments of
conviction is all leading up to something, and so on
the consumer side, you know, we can observe mini trends,
you know, even when it comes to TikTok, right, like,
there are many aspects of how certain features on other platforms.
(12:10):
You know, there may have been a a certain part
of the feature available on other platforms. But by focusing
on this one thing, which is to me, the consumer's
engagement on small consumable content, I believe that again, as
(12:32):
a builder, you see something and once you start building
towards it and create a platform that caters to that
one thing that drives a person. This is all like
human psychology. My focus was human and computer interaction because
it's that one thing typically that is setting your platform apart,
(12:53):
even in a saturated market, right, like, if we look
at social media, there was a reason why. You know,
originally with Twitter it was basically like the Facebook status.
You know that all gravitated us to Twitter, the one little, small, consuble,
consumable chunk of information. So what is the one thing
(13:14):
that is driving your customer? Is what I feel like
every founder needs to know and follow that thing.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
And so for us, the one thing is the hair journey. Right.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
One of my quotes, my favorite quotes is every hairstyle
has a story. Right, So if you go back, you
look at your your photos, your moments over time, you
know the story behind that style, Like what was going
through your mind? You know what error were you in?
Use it exactly? Yes, And so that is the driving
(13:52):
force because our whole experience is personalized, meaning it's it's
catered to you.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
It's the hair system.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
Those are the steps we take you through, consult, analyze, recommend, educate,
and when we have our consultations, we know that it's
it's more than just hair, right, It's about you. It's
about who you are at this point in time. It's
about how you're evolving. Some questions we like to ask
(14:23):
is if you could give your hair a name, what
would it be and why Right? Because your hair has
its own personality too, but it usually reveals something about you, right,
Like Minde's is sunshine, because I love to do blonde,
big hair. Also the name of my journey is rebirth
(14:45):
because I feel like every style shows how shows.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
The rebirth that I'm having over time.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
And so find the one thing that is driving your
customer because TI your platform is going to be built
around that one thing. And it just so happened that
for us to get to the one thing, there's this
major algorithm that's involved that took you know, twelve years
(15:14):
of research and development. But now imagine we can unlock
this for every person. Yeah, so that at every stage
of their journey, not only do they know what products
they need, but they are supported in who they are
at that stage of their journey. And that's what I
love the most about may Havana, And I feel like
(15:36):
we're just getting into that phase too, because first we
had to build it. But now the idea of catering
to the unique needs of every person on a personalized level,
that that gives me so much excitement.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
Yeah, with this rise of AI driven personalization, we're having
a huge conversation are in our community about retail and
I wonder, like, will traditional retailers struggle to keep up
with you are a product made for Candace and not
for black women. It's made for Candace, Like how do
(16:14):
how it's hard for them to put Candace on the shelf,
but they can put our people on the shelf. But
how do I do that?
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Yeah, that's a really great question.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
So two answers to that of course, Like these these
retailers need strong innovation teams, strong technology teams, right and
since that isn't their particular line of business.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
That that's why a company.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Like Mayavana is such a strong partner, because we can
own that innovation within any organization, right we can. We
can sync right in to be your product team for
hair AI, implement it into your environment and run with it.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Now.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
I love your question because here's the thing. There's a
product for everyone, right, There's a product for everyone. So like, yes,
this shampoo might be for Candice, but it also may
be for Lisa, for a Sandy, for a Tamika, you know,
and you know next month it will be for a
(17:18):
new set of women, right because again it's many to many,
meaning that it could be personalized, but it also can
have those same commonalities with other consumers that may have
my same hair ID. So to explain on the personalization
side how it works with AI, once we do your
(17:40):
unique analysis, you will now have a unique hair ID, right,
So think about face ID with Apple touched ID.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
You have a hair ID.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
With Mayavana and so therefore you can get personalized recommendations
everywhere you shop as we integrate more with the retailers.
We're live with Ultra right now and we have more
that are being activated. So anywhere you shop, anywhere you go,
even salons, right, having trusted salon to know your hair,
(18:11):
know how to take care of your hair, it's all
going to be associated with your hair ID. And so
now when we look at the product assortments in retail,
they will have the data on the back end that
says this grooming section. You know, these ten products are
best for Will, right, they also may be best for John,
(18:34):
for Dominique, for you know, whomever is your key customer.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Right.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
So with the brands, we help the brands find your
target customer right, and not on a demographic level. We're
talking about hair care right, because most companies do have
demographic data. That's how you are targeting your customers right now,
That's how you're running your ads, right it's mostly on
(19:03):
demographic data interests, things that you clicked on, you know,
so on and so forth. But imagine now you have
data based on the unique hair care needs about that
consumer and beyond, because we are going to go beyond
here for those who are interested about that. Because think
(19:24):
about this, what companies actually know about you right what
companies know what you need right now? And so in
this understanding of what you know the power of personalization
can do, it helped me see that, you know, we
will help companies shift from being solely transactional to more
(19:45):
relational because now your products can align with the real
time needs of that consumer, and so their whole assortment
is now optimized to what their consumer needs actually are.
And that data actually shows them what products they should
be carrying too, because a lot of a lot of
(20:07):
them may be missing out maybe on some good brands too,
because we have emerging brands, we have, you know, a
much more vast representation. So it's the data that comes
from it that opens up so much more.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
So you're doing physical stores on the continent now and
so yes, we are tell me tell me about this.
How did this come about?
Speaker 3 (20:31):
Yes, well, this was always part of the blueprint, which
is to own the full supply chain in the hair industry,
from raw materials meaning knowing the ingredients that are needed
in certain products to the retail side. But I knew
our first phase would be powered by Mayavana, which means
(20:53):
making the existing retailers integrated with our technology and now
in our ecosystem. What was important as we looked at
market data was a lot of quality hair care products
that we have here are not available on a continent
and a lot of different nations.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
And so.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
This was actually spark when I was doing some ministry
work in Uganda because I started an entrepreneur's boot camp
there years ago through ministry, and so I did this
whole amazing presentation and the first questions I get were
about my hair. So they're like, you know, I'm focusing
(21:37):
all on like financial projection, you know, building your business model,
and the questions.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
I got were is your hair real? Yeah, that was
a first question.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
Number two what products can make my hair like yours?
And so I just had to take a step back,
and especially when they were wondering like if my hair
was real and if their hair could grow in this way,
because I'm like, our hair naturally grows like this, right,
but because you know, in many cultures, you know, they're
(22:11):
so influenced by other things like the media, like you know,
should their hair be straight? You know, a lot of
things that we went through in our culture. And so
it showed me that similar to like the natural hair
movement that we all went through, there's this same movement
that needs to happen on the continent so that they
(22:33):
can not only brace their own.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Hair, but have the right products to do it.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
Because it was the products when I went to like
you know, the marketplaces that were out there, you know,
the products that they had or.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Very very low.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
Par in terms of ingredients and from what I knew
was available, you know. So that showed me the opportunity
because from a retail standpoint, we always envision our retail
experience to be similar to like if you envision Apple,
but a beauty supply store, meaning that it's technology driven.
(23:16):
We could bring that same personalized approach into retail. And
so that was already part of the plan. But then
the aha moment was, oh, we could start it in
Uganda first, because again our market is already saturated, and
our strategy in the US was more so integrating with
(23:39):
the retailers and beauty supply stores here, and so we
did a retail innovation academy last year. We have seventeen
black owned beauty supply stores who were in that academy
and now powered by Mayavana, and so we wanted to
support the existing stores here. But as far as Africa,
(24:00):
it's an open market opportunity, right and so to me,
from a business standpoint, it made more sense for us
to start our franchise in the motherland and actually target
each nation to open up global product distribution. And so
I love the strategy so much because now we can
(24:22):
distribute black owned haircare brands.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
In Uganda and beyond.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
And so it feels multiple purposes because the main purpose
for Mayavana is to reclaim the wealth of the hair industry,
which we know have has gone to other cultures, you know,
over the years, So that that's part of how we
can strategically do that and especially through technology.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
And so talk to me about how you, just as
an operator, had to shift Gears from being a domestic
company to now an international company, different regulations, different gover
them is different ways, you know, maybe not capitalism, Like
how how does candas in the way candidates operates her
business have to shift.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
Yeah, that's a really good question.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
So you know, we did have to obtain our international
trade license, so that was a process, and obtaining a
business license and a whole other country, you know, was
a process too. But again, what it opens up is
new market opportunity. And I will say for the most
(25:37):
part it's just process and paperwork. But I would say
from a strategy standpoint, being able to now transform our
business model to a franchise model and now opens up
the monetization of intellectual property because the same IP that
(26:03):
runs hair Ai is very similar to how we will
run a retail footprint, how we run an e commerce integration.
And so it really showed me how we can expand
our concept of thinking when it comes to business models.
But of course, you know, you always have to do
(26:25):
your market research in every nation because I've learned a
lot and just terms of studying Uganda, Ghana, Liberia, South Africa, Nigeria,
you know, and they're all different. I will say that
they're all different. But being able to have the market
(26:46):
strategy with the right business model, it really opens up again.
We think the US is a big market, it is
like it is like nothing in comparison to the magnitude
of all other nations, you know, in Africa and abroad.
So so it was it was definitely an eye opening experience.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
So what were some in that effort to become more
international company and specifically work on the continent, Like, what
is some challenges that you know now that you could
have you know, maneuvered differently that other people who are
considering doing this should be aware.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
Yeah. Yes, So definitely learned a lot about this.
Speaker 3 (27:32):
We had a live broadcast at our store opening, and
I would say the questions that we got were very
different from questions that we typically get here. And so
I guess one of the major things that I learned
is there is a different perception about American products overseas.
(27:53):
And so you know, I think that the United States
and Western culture, we have been pained as the superior country, right,
superior economy and things like that, but I think it
has changed over time in terms of other countries perspective
(28:14):
of America.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
And even our economy and things like that.
Speaker 3 (28:19):
And so one of the questions was, you know, why
would I trust products from America?
Speaker 1 (28:26):
Wow?
Speaker 3 (28:27):
And I was like, okay, that's very interesting. You know
that that is a point of sensitivity. But you know,
for us, you know, it just really strengthens our mission
with this because we're specifically distributing black owned haircare brands,
and so it's not that it's like, you know, made
(28:48):
in America, similar to made in China, where you don't
know where in China this is made, right, I say
when we say and I have a whole now have
a whole philosophy about this, But the fact that I
could emphasize that these are actually black women owned hair
care brands, you know, women just like you who took
(29:10):
the time to understand the needs of our hair and
now create their own products. And so to me, that
showed how we need to just incorporate brand education as
we're selling, which we've already seen.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
This is that you know, consumers.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
Really buy into the trust of the brand too, Like
when you're making that buying decision. Even when we look
at founder stories of different brands, you may you know,
develop an affinity of the brand because of that founder's story,
their journey, and so that is just as much important,
an important part of our marketing process when we talk about,
(29:52):
you know, products that are best for you why and
that the why is important.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
And then it also made me think.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
Of what does made in Black America?
Speaker 1 (30:04):
Oh yeah, I like that.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
Yeah, I'm like, okay, we need to talk about what's
made in black America because that's different than America.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
So, how does a company, let's say, I have, you know,
a black owned haircare company. How do I get into
your pipeline for recommendations? How does that happen?
Speaker 3 (30:24):
Yes, so you can go to our website mayavana dot com,
click the tab for brands and go ahead and sign up.
We have been doing a lot of our market research
over the years, so we do have most haircare brands
in our database. But for example, if you're an emerging brand,
you know, maybe we have not heard about you before,
(30:44):
or maybe you are new to the market. It's a
very simple process to be added to our recommendation system.
It actually does include product performance testing so that you
can become Mayavana's certified. That's our new seal of approval
that we're releasing into the market so that you can
(31:05):
trust these products that you're using, Yes, because we've done
our own research on them, because actually the beauty industry
is not regulated.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
Yeah, that's wow when I learned that.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
Yeah, because your skin is the I've heard my dermatania
say that your skin is your largest organ and you're
putting things on your body. It can see into your pores.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
Which exactly. Yeah, and that includes your scalp.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
Yeah, think about it.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
Yeah, which is why the effects of wearing relaxers for
so many years is so damaging because all those chemicals
have been absorbed into our body one way or the other.
And so yeah, So that would be the process of
being added to our recommendation system because we now want
(31:49):
to create a symbol of trust for consumers that they're
being recommended the best products and there's you know, the
research and development behind it.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
Finally, like, how can entrepreneurs ensure that they're working on solutions,
whether they be technical or otherwise that can actually create
generational wealth.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
Yes, that is always at the forefront of my mind.
I will say, one, you have to think about products
and businesses that are generational and what that means is
it's a staple part of your routine, your lifestyle and
(32:34):
it's something that will stand the test of time, even
though it may evolve many forms. And then make sure
you do have the assets in place to protect that
and make sure you are thinking generationally.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
You know.
Speaker 3 (32:51):
And I think that has been kind of interpreted in
different ways, Like some people think about, you know, the wealth,
the money that comes from the businesses that we are building, right,
Meaning there's a lot of you know, different perspectives about
black owned companies being acquired and now is that generational wealth, right,
(33:13):
because now it's being sold to another company, So we
can look at it from the perspective of the actual
money and assets that come from that that allow you
to build a legacy, maybe pass that pass that on
to the next generation, but also the actual businesses because.
Speaker 2 (33:31):
I do believe that.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
If you look at other cultures, right, you have staple
businesses that will never go away in those communities as well.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
And I think that our.
Speaker 3 (33:44):
Legacy businesses have had a hard time maintaining that longevity
and that sustainability. So I do think that there is
especially a place to retain businesses and our portfolios so
that they are building the ecosystem of black culture. Because
(34:05):
the thing is, you know, every time a company gets
to a tipping point, it's acquired, right, So what is
left for the infrastructure of black culture, so that I
think that there's an opportunity to fill every position every
industry to now have like you know our Coca Colas, right,
(34:29):
you know our Chick fil A's, you know, like we
know that those brands tho these you know, American based
brands have now become staples and icons in their industries
and markets. I still believe that we need to do
with the same and I'm building may Havana in that
way to be a pillar in the beauty industry that
(34:53):
can be passed on for generations, especially since we're you know,
driven by technology and wanting to protect how technology is
created in the future too.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
Black Tech Green Money is a production of Blavity Afro
Tech on the Black Effect podcast network in Nighthearted Media.
It's produced by Morgan Debonne and me Well Lucas, with
the additional production support by Kate McDonald Jama McGee. Special
thank you to Michael Davis and Lovebeach. Learn more about
My Guessing Other Tech. This shop is an innovators at
afrotech dot Com. The video version this episode will drop
(35:26):
to Black Tech Green Money on YouTube, so'll tap it in.
Enjoy your black Tech green money. Shut us to somebody,
Go get your money piece some love,
Host
Will Lucas
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