Ebony Karim is curating black haircare vending machines across America

Written by: Deepa Somasunderam

The focus is quality products, affordable prices and convenient locations.

Welcome to our new series, the Foundery. Cult ingredients, beauty rituals, ancient medical systems: so much of the beauty industry is rooted in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean but usually when it comes to branding, entrepreneurship and mainstream industry recognition, we are left out of the conversation. So we spotlight innovative founders in and from these regions to build your brand awareness.

Ebony Karim is on a mission. She launched The Beauty Genie to address black hair care deserts in the US. This stemmed from her own experience when she was a student at Chicago State University: there was nowhere convenient to get haircare supplies. She realised years later that things were still the same and decided to do something about it.

The solution? Beauty vending machines that are curated with top quality black haircare products. After the success of the first vending machine at Chicago Union Station, this fall they will be launching at a number HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) and PWIs (Predominately White Institutions).

We caught up Ebony to chat about her upcoming launch and how she makes it all happen as a busy founder.

Tell us what a typical day looks like for you?

6:00 am - Wake up, drink my water with lemon and grab a quick 60- minute workout.
7:00am - Get children ready for school, prepare breakfast and pack lunches.
8:30am - School drop offs
9:00am to 10:30am - Review schedule, check emails and return phone calls.
10:30am to 12:00pm - Review product concepts, formulations, packaging, and branding to ensure they align with the company’s vision and market trends.
12:00pm to 1:00pm - Lunch Break
1:00pm to 5:00pm - Attend meetings, conferences, webinars, client engagements
5:00pm - Log off laptop

What inspired you to launch the Beauty Genie?

The inspiration behind The Beauty Genie came from a necessity to have access to quality hair care products for textured hair.

The idea initially spawned during COVID, when most hair salons and beauty supply stores closed.

Being HBCU alumnae, we’ve all experienced similar experiences as undergraduate students attending school in an urban area where we didn’t have immediate access to haircare products specific to our hair types and textures. Those without access to off-campus resources had to rely on family and friends to send them haircare packages.

We love the idea of vending machines! What made you think of this?

Vending is the one of the best solutions to offer 24x7 access to products. They can be placed both indoor and outdoor.

“Our current product offerings include but are not limited to: Mielle Organics, Luster products, Camille Rose, TGIN and Curls along with haircare accessories such as brushes and combs, bonnets and durags, bobby and hair pins, wig caps, hair glue and remover to name a few.”

— Ebony Karim

Can you tell us some of the products and brands that will be in the vending machines when they launch?

Our current product offerings include but are not limited to: Mielle Organics, Luster products, Camille Rose, TGIN and Curls along with haircare accessories such as brushes and combs, bonnets and durags, bobby and hair pins, wig caps, hair glue and remover to name a few.

How do you curate the products that go into the vending machines?

Our products are carefully curated by our Chief of Hair and Beauty Expert, Quintella Rodgers, a licensed cosmetologist, and hair salon owner with over 20 + years of experience.

Special consideration is taken in terms of the quality of ingredients and processing, ensuring that all our product offerings appeal to all hair textures allowing women (and men) to embrace their natural hair. We strategically partner with those brands whose vision and mission align with ours.

Tell us about the success story of your first vending machine at Chicago Union Station?

Our partnership with Amtrak was a no-brainer. They are one of the largest transportation hubs with a diverse customer base.

We’ve just approached our first 45 days at Union Station. This was a strategic placement with using them for our beta test. We will be able to gather better metrics after 90-120 days.

Since our initial launch on July 1st, our greatest sellers have been mainly our haircare accessories (edge control and brushes, durags and bonnets, heat protectant and shampoo).

Tell us about getting ready for the launch. Also, how many locations will you be launching in this fall?

To date, we have approximately 7-10 universities and colleges both HBCU’s and PWI (Predominately White Institutions) we are looking to onboard before the end of the calendar year.

What other locations do you have in mind for future vending machines?

We are currently looking at partnering with local and regional airports and military installations.

How have your experiences and identity shaped your views on the haircare industry?

As a woman with naturally curly hair, I spent my younger years trying to conform to the traditional Eurocentric standards of beauty which consisted of straightening my hair with chemicals.

Since the empowerment of the Natural hair movement along with the enactment of The Crown Act, it has allowed me to naturally embrace my own uniqueness and beauty by celebrating my natural hair texture.

How is your past experience helping you build your business?

My experience as a management consultant has enabled me to use my experience as an entrepreneur in client engagement, business development and project management. I also have an amazing public relations team that provides support in branding and marketing.

How did you and your co-founder meet and connect?

My co-founder happens to be my personal hair stylist and has been caring for my hair for years. It was a natural connection for us to form a business partnership as well.