Navigating the Funding Jungle

In 2010, a tragic personal event changed the trajectory of Nancy Twine's life. Suddenly, her promising job at Goldman Sachs no longer seemed fulfilling; she wanted something more.

Drawing inspiration from the homemade hair treatments she once made with her mom, Nancy created a line of shampoos and conditioners that catered to all textures of hair without using harmful additives. But as a Black entrepreneur pitching beauty products to white, male investors, she had a tough time raising money.

Finally, in 2013, with an investment of $100K, Nancy launched Briogeo and eventually landed it in Sephora. Today the company’s sales revenue is $100M a year.

This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Daryth Gales. Our audio engineer was Josh Newell.

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