SheaMoisture Turns #BrownGirlSwap Into a $250,000 Grant for Black-Owned Beauty and Wellness Brands

By Claudia Langella

Independent brands and small businesses need our support now more than ever before. Beauty brand SheaMoisture teamed up with Brown Girl Jane to extend the #BrownGirlSwap into a $250,000 grant for Black-owned independent beauty and wellness companies.

Brown Girl Jane is a CBD wellness brand who challenged their followers to swap five of their beauty products for products made by Black-owned wellness and beauty brands back in June. The hashtag #BrownGirlSwap blew up on social media and sparked SheaMoisture’s attention which led to the birth of the #BrownGirlSwap grant program. All Black-owned indie brands are encouraged to apply for funding that could turn small brands into a Fortune 500 company like SheaMoisture.

“Our partnership with Brown Girl Jane comes from our shared mission to support and uplift Black-owned businesses,” said Cara Sabin the CEO of SheaMoisture in a press release, and the women behind Brown Girl Jane are just as enthusiastic about the fund.

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We are BEYOND grateful to witness the #BrownGirlSwap in action and to see that this purpose-driven initiative has resonated with so many people. We see you taking the pledge, posting on your feeds, and highlighting your favorite indie brands...YES YES YES!! Change within this industry requires that we all pitch in and work collaboratively- the time is now.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Due to an overwhelming response, the $250,000 grant contest powered by @sheamoisture @vaselinebrand @itsbrowngirljane will be open until 11:59 EST on Monday, August 24th. Black woman-led beauty and wellness brands can apply for grants worth up to $20,000 each, at browngirljane.com/swap 💚⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Stay tuned for much, much more...we're just getting started!⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ #collaborationovercompetition #browngirlswap #beautyfounders #wellnessfounders

A post shared by BROWN GIRL jane ™ (@itsbrowngirljane) on Aug 22, 2020 at 9:46am PDT

“We are so proud to work alongside SheaMoisture to enhance the #BrownGirlSwap. Enduring change requires an evergreen, multifaceted program to begin creating equity in this industry,” said Mailaka Jones Kebede, Brown Girl Jane’s CEO. 

The program involves more than just funding for small businesses, and will work to close the gaps between the beauty industry, which is historically whitewashed. The five pillars that make up the initiative are: AMPLIFY, FUND, EMPOWER, DIVERSIFY and SWAP. Black female business owners will receive funding, mentorship and “a platform to amplify their brands,” according to the press release. A virtual summit is also in the plans for September where the public can learn more about small businesses owned by Black men and women in the industry. 

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WATCH #SheaMoistureBlackFriday Takeover w/ Keewa Nurullah. Founder and CEO of @kidochicago, sharing the impact we have made on her business through our Black Business Relief Fund. Swipe to watch her video!⠀ ⠀ "The grant from SheaMoisture came at the perfect time! January and February are generally slow months for retailers, but when the pandemic hit in March, we went from slow to an absolute halt. By receiving funding from SheaMoisture, we were able to pay our rent and purchase more inventory that was more useful for families during the quarantine. We added more toys, games, and puzzles to our website for parents and kids to enjoy. The fund also connected us to a phenomenal group of black business owners across the country. We will be forever grateful to Shea Moisture for helping our business survive during these unprecedented times!" - Keewa Nurullah⠀ ⠀ #TheSheaList #SheaMoisture #SupportBlackBusinesses

A post shared by SheaMoisture (@sheamoisture) on Aug 21, 2020 at 10:35am PDT

While the Black Lives Matter movement gains even more support on social media, it’s important to put action behind the posts you might be sharing on your Instagram story. That’s just what the #BrownGirlSwap is all about. SheaMoisture and Brown Girl Jane ask their audiences to take the pledge and swap out five of your favorite mainstream go-to beauty and wellness products for ones crafted by Black-owned businesses. Snap a picture and share your swap on social media using the hashtag!  

“This collaboration will bolster and create space for so many emerging brands and in turn, do far more than cutting a check,” said Tai Beauchamp, chief brand officer of Brown Girl Jane.