It’s clear the beauty industry needs some work on diversifying the space, but thanks to Black entrepreneurs like Sherrel Sampson, the industry is seeing a shift occur as more Black women strive to shake things up.
Sampson is the founder and CEO of Canviiy, a haircare company dedicated to providing holistic products to promote healthy scalp care. Through her company, Sampson has made her products a go-to hair resolution for everyone.
Believe it or not, the idea for Canviiy stemmed from Sampson’s own experience with itchy scalp issues. After an unbearable encounter following a hair braiding appointment, Sampson searched for any and every way to relieve her scalp.
“I called my stylist and asked what could I do for my scalp,” shared Sampson. “In that moment, I said ‘Yes, there are scalp oils and products that exist, but the question is are they really effective?'”
This same question prompted Sampson to hunt for answers and in her research she discovered other people who also had scalp conditions. She discovered people needed more haircare beyond styling and set out to create a solution to this problem, one that would become a lifesaver for many.
Canviiy — which was over a year in the making — created a line of products to help treat itchy scalps and promote healthy haircare for people all over the country. Today, Canviiy finds a home on the shelves of Target stores, symbolizing success for Black entrepreneurs making it in the beauty industry.
The big step of getting Sampson’s product on Target shelves took a lot of preparation, but ultimately Target liked the sound of her business plan for the company and gave the scalp care collection a chance.
“The way that we positioned the product has made us very successful,” Sampson said.
The brand’s positioning labels it as a health and wellness brand that’s effective for all scalp types. Opening up its audience is the reason Canviiy was able to secure a business deal with Target.
In terms of the beauty space, Sampson wanted to bridge the gap between healthcare and haircare. She deliberately sought out natural and botanical ingredients for her products because she valued what her customers were looking for.
In line with the brand’s ethics, Sampson committed to ensure she was providing the very best products to her audience.
“In the healthcare space, people are dealing with soreness and dry scalps,” she said. “For me, I was determined that we weren’t going to settle on a subpar product, we were going to make sure we hit a lot of different facets.”
Ethics is a major key to Sampson’s success and how she’s built up her company.
“As a Black woman and professional in this space, I think we as a brand have a responsibility to make sure whatever we are offering our customers is going to be effective and drive the ethics that encourage repeat orders,” she said.
To Sampson, Canviiy was about giving customers exactly what they needed.
“I want to be known for being ethical, treating customers with respect, and driving innovation in different areas of the marketplace,” Sampson said.
Sampson’s ambitious strides in the beauty industry have earned her the utmost respect from her peers. Moving forward, she hopes to set a strong example for other Black entrepreneurs entering the space as well.
