Seven finalists have been selected to compete for $22,500 in awards in the Fall 2020 Skandalaris Venture Competition. In anticipation of the SVC finals, on December 8, 2020, we are publishing a Q&A series with the finalists. Today's featured team is Golden Roots Essentials.
About
Golden Roots Essentials is a natural, holistic, and luxurious lifestyle brand focused on personal care, beauty, and style. The venture utilizes overlooked centuries-old traditional African skincare rituals and ingredients to create innovative healthy skincare products.
Industry: Beauty (Skin and Body Care)
Number of Employees: 1
Total Funding (as of November 2020): $1,750
What problem are you solving?
Lack of effective, non-toxic, and healthy skincare products for women, particularly women of color.
About the Founding Team:
Fanta Kaba, a second MBA student at the Olin School of Business, is the founder and owner of the New York-based skincare brand Golden Roots Essentials. The self-care skincare brand aims to empower men and women in their self-care journey with healthy and safe skincare products. Fanta launched Golden Roots Essentials in 2019 after a self-discovery trip to her parent's native country, Guinea, where she learned about the great benefits of raw shea butter and the various ways her ancestors used it to maintain the health of their skin and hair. The company is operating between New York and St. Louis, currently, all Golden Roots Essentials products are exclusively available online and have been shipped to more than 30 states within the past year.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned since starting your venture?
The biggest lessons I've learned is the importance of believing in oneself and being apart of a community, trusting in yourself will not only get you through but will allow you to soar. If you fail, you will learn. Success is not linear but is a journey. Having a community of supporters, mentors, and other entrepreneurs to go to also makes the journey a little more joyful and wholesome.
What do you love about being an entrepreneur?
My favorite part of being an entrepreneur is the ownership it gives me in making an impact. As a one women team, everything Golden Roots related falls on me. While demanding, I enjoy seeing the effects and the impact of the products I create. I enjoy seeing our mission and vision in practice by the people we serve. That gives me the greatest joy!
What words of advice do you have for those interested in starting a business?
My biggest piece of advice for anyone who's looking to start a business is to know your why and take leaps of faith. Operating a business is tough, especially when at it alone. Different things can affect the journey, however knowing your why and truly believing in it, is what's going to keep you going when challenges arise. Another piece of advice I will give is to do your research and execute. When it comes to entrepreneurship, execution is key. If you have a great idea and all you do is ponder upon it, nobody will ever know about it and it won't make the intended impact. Know your why, do your research, and execute!
Website: https://www.goldenrootsessentials.com/
Instagram: @goldenroots.essentials
Twitter: @gldnroots