An MBE Empowering Women Suffering From Hair Loss
National Hair Loss And Alopecia Awareness Month
In a recent article celebrating National Black Business Month, The Eastern Minority Supplier Development Council highlighted just a few of the amazing Black entrepreneurs and Black-owned businesses in the EMSDC family. For the past 50 years, our mission has been to stimulate and support economic development with minority-owned businesses (Asian, Black, Hispanic, and Native American) throughout Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, and Delaware.
Each August, National Black Business Month recognizes the valuable contributions Black business owners have made in the US economy. With that said, August is also National Hair Loss Awareness Month, as designated by The American Academy of Dermatology, and September is Alopecia Awareness Month. Therefore, it is the perfect time to shine a spotlight on another fabulous MBE — Kafune Amor Hair.
Serving A Need With An Entrepreneurial Spirit
Headquartered in New Jersey, Kafune Amor Hair (Growing Upscale Hair LLC) was founded by Shemika Jackson. After receiving a Business degree, Jackson worked as a professional tax accountant. Still, she dreamed of a career in the hair industry since she was a child, and after being diagnosed with Cicatricial Alopecia in 2004, she knew it was time to “charter a new path and purpose.”
According to Jackson, Cicatricial Alopecia is “an inflammatory condition that destroys hair follicles, causing scarring and permanent hair loss.” Dealing with hair loss of any kind can be an emotional experience, especially for women, and medical treatments are often invasive and unsuccessful. With first-hand knowledge of this experience, Jackson funneled her drive and passion into a business venture that would help service clients that were dealing with hair loss conditions, including cancer and other forms of alopecia. In 2007, she started upscalelacewigz.com, and in 2019, she expanded her business with kafunehair.com, offering lace wig accessories and hair loss solution products to the public.
A Simple Goal
“Almost half of Black women experience some form of hairloss,” according to John Hopkins Medicine, and the recent coverage of Jada Pinkett Smith and Massachusetts State Representative Ayanna Pressley is helping to bring awareness to the issue. Kafune Amor Hair has a simple goal: to “empower as many women as possible to look and feel like their best selves.” For over a decade, this Black-owned, woman-owned business has provided high-quality wigs and wig care products that are designed to protect wigs, skin, and hair, along with private consultations. Kafune Amor Hair has been featured by Black Enterprise, Business Insider, Forbes, Madame Noire, and more, and EMSDC is thrilled for its success!
Click here to learn more about Kafune Amor Hair, and click here to read stories about other EMSDC members in the food, technology, and professional services industries. For information on our mission at EMSDC and the minority businesses, corporations, and government organizations and agencies who partner with us, visit our website today.
The Eastern Minority Supplier Development Council (EMSDC), a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, is an affiliate of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). We certify and connect minority-owned businesses (Asian, Black, Hispanic, and Native American) throughout Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, and Delaware with member corporations that want to purchase their products, services and solutions. Our mission is to stimulate and support the economic development of minority-owned businesses and to better align them with corporations in an effort to initiate growth and opportunity through Supplier Diversity channels.