Founder Feature: Akua Boakye Okunseinde of Karité

Feb 21, 2025

Akua Boakye Okunseinde, co-founder of Karité, shares her journey in building a skincare brand that harnesses the power of ethically sourced shea butter from women-led cooperatives in Ghana. She discusses how she and her sisters merged their diverse professional backgrounds to create effective products that promote both wellness and simplicity. Akua highlights the challenges of scaling their business, the importance of retail partnerships, and strategies for customer engagement. Plus, she emphasizes their commitment to education and the rigorous clinical testing behind their offerings.

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Intro

00:00 • 3min

Exploring Karité: A Shea Butter-Inspired Skincare Line

03:00 • 2min

The Journey of Building a Shea Butter Brand

05:04 • 4min

Navigating Business Development and Retail Strategies

09:18 • 4min

Strategies for Successful Retail Launch and Customer Engagement

13:18 • 3min

Evolving Beauty Retail Strategies

16:17 • 14min

The Importance of Clinical Testing in Beauty Products

30:20 • 2min

Navigating Beauty Industry Challenges

32:45 • 7min

In this episode of Startup CPG, Grace Kennedy sits down with Akua Boakye Okunseinde, one of the co-founders of Karité, a skincare brand rooted in the power of shea butter. Akua shares the inspiring story of how she and her two sisters—each with distinct professional backgrounds—came together to build a brand that blends Ghanaian heritage with dermatologist-backed skincare.

Akua shares the brand’s evolution from a passion project to an established business, detailing key milestones such as securing retail partnerships, expanding to Amazon, and conducting clinical testing to validate product efficacy. She also provides insights into the challenges of scaling a beauty brand, the importance of omnichannel distribution, and the role of education in driving consumer engagement. Plus, Akua discusses Karité’s commitment to ethical sourcing through women-led cooperatives in Ghana, reinforcing the brand’s dedication to quality and impact.

If you're an entrepreneur looking for insights on brand differentiation, breaking into retail, and building a mission-driven business, this episode is packed with valuable lessons. Listen now!

Listen in as they share about:

About Karité
Retail vs. Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Strategy
Amazon & E-Commerce Expansion
Marketing & Brand Awareness
Clinical Testing & Product Differentiation
Challenges & Lessons Learned
Product Expansion & Future Plans

Episode Links:

Website: https://www.mykarite.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mykarite
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akua-boakye-okunseinde-345a7412/

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Episode music by Super Fantastics