As the natural hair movement gained momentum in the mid-late 2000s, a wealth of digital information became available on YouTube, blogs and social media. However, the community remained physically disconnected and underrepresented in product development, beauty advertising and pop culture.

Strategy: Create experiences that connect this virtual community of women in real life, with opportunities for them to share tips, hear from brands directly and be celebrated for who they are.

Execution: What’s beautiful about CURLFEST is that it didn’t start as a festival, or even a business, but organically as a meetup I hosted at my apartment in Brooklyn. A group of us who were exchanging information over email all came over to meet each other, swap products, hear from my stylist and share hair tips. From there Curly Girl Collective was born from a group of 8 women who saw the need for that experience to be offered to a wider audience.

8 years later, Curly Girl Collective’s CURLFEST is a destination experience that has been attended by over 75,000 people worldwide. Despite its growth, our vision remains the same. To be a change agent in the beauty industry that connects, empowers and celebrates women of color around the world.

Recent Press:

Forbes
The Today Show
Full Press list on CURLFEST.com (I was also the writer for our site)