Vending Machine Company to Bring Black Haircare Products to College Campus
The Beauty Genie is on the way to one college campus all with the hopes of helping Black and brown students access some much needed haircare products. The vending machine’s next stop will be at Olivet College. The haircare delivery system partnered with Olivet College student Rahya Kelley who is looking to improve her classmate’s access to products.
Olivet College is a private Christian school located in Olivet, Michigan. The Black population at the institution makes up about one-fifth of its student body. So, Black students understood all too well the difficulty of finding haircare products to fit their needs. According to Black Enterprise, any store within driving range of the campus typically doesn’t carry Black haircare products. As a way to address the pressing issue, Kelley decided to reach out to The Beauty Genie for assistance.
The vending machines will hit the college campus in August. Vending machines will be fully stocked with must-haves for Black women’s hair, including Black-owned hair products like Mielle Organics. The machines will also have videos from haircare professionals that will give the buyer hair tips and tricks to help manage their tresses.
“Some students may have not even experienced or even know certain things like possibly how often to get their ends clipped,” Beauty Genie partner Swanzetta Lewis told NBC News. “And so, if we can provide tutorials for those kids to take back and know that, it’s also educational for them as well.”
Ambassador Program
Beauty Genie is also developing an ambassador program to involve students in the business aspects of the vending venture. This includes restocking and marketing for the company. The business hopes to continue expanding its services with more colleges nationwide.
About The Beauty Genie
The Beauty Genie is a vending machine service that dispenses Black haircare products such as gels, braiding hair, and more. It was founded by HBCU alumni Ebony J. Karim and her two partners, Quintella Rodgers, and Swanzetta Lewis. They understood the lack of access to quality Black haircare products and changed that.
According to the company’s official website The Beauty Genie wants to bridge the gap between minority students and their limited access to haircare products.
“We strive to provide our customers with the best quality products for beautiful, healthy hair. We believe in celebrating the beauty and uniqueness of black hair and are committed to helping our customers along their haircare journey,” their official website read.
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