There’s nothing “Insecure” about Issa Rae’s latest move.
The award-winning show creator, writer and actress recently added “entrepreneur” to her impressive resume by signing on as co-owner of Sienna Naturals. The business, which sells all-natural hair care products for Black people, was founded by Rae’s longtime friend Hannah Diop. In addition to co-owning it, Rae will also serve as its new celebrity “face.”
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“I’ve known Hannah for a long time, and I got to see the brand evolve from her home,” Rae said in a statement. “It’s expanded so much beyond that. The care and the research that has gone into this natural, safe, healthy brand, I knew that I wanted to be involved.”
Rae added that, for her, signing on to this brand is about more than just taking advantage of a business opportunity. “We [Black people] get coerced into manipulating our hair into styles not right for us, or using damaging products,” she explained. “I have an opportunity to make hair care digestible via my sense of humor, my openness to my own hair struggle journey.”
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Diop, a former banking and management consulting executive, agreed in her own statement on the idea of “empowering our customers to be who they really are,” and pointed to Rae’s fashion-forwardness and general style savvy as an embodiment of “the brand’s purpose.”
With Rae on board, the brand is in the process of re-launching with lower price points, new packaging and a wider range of product size options.
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