the BLK + GRN podcast

Shani Lincoln's motivation behind her haircare and skincare business, Loveleaf, stems from her passion for discovering the healing effects of using nature's most beneficial and nourishing ingredients. After spending a lot of time perfecting her formulations for her family and friends and seeing results, she was ready to share her creation. As she continues to navigate the barriers of maintaining a...

The practice of Yoga has been around for centuries, but it has become increasingly popular in today's busy society to help relieve mind pollution. The practice of Yoga is about more than just bending and stretching the body into different poses. Yoga is a spiritual practice that connects us to our bodies and souls and helps us find peace and calm, improving our physical and mental health. Get insp...

Elizabeth Dawes Gay, Founder and CEO of Ipade is sharing the new wave of inclusive co-working that serves Black women and people of color and combats microaggressions at the office. Stemming from the West African Yoruba word Ìpàdé (ee-pah-day), meaning "meeting or gathering," this co-working space doesn't just offer a place to work—it cultivates community. Despite being hit with a global pandemic...

Melabebe ft. Kelly While their immune system continues to develop, children are the one age group more vulnerable to the harmful effects of environmental pollutants and toxic chemicals. As parents want to do their best to protect their little ones, walking down the children's care aisle of a local supermarket or pharmacy can be an overwhelming experience. However, for one mother, a lifestyle with...

Yve-Car is the CEO and cofounder of Kreyol Essence and was driven by her vision to stimulate economic activity in Haiti. In this podcast episode, Yve takes on the role of interviewing Dr. Kristian Henderson, founder of BLK+GRN, and sparks an impactful conversation on what it means to walk in your passion. Despite a tragic life-threatening car accident in 2019 that left Kristian in a coma, her reco...

All too familiar with the big corporations that sell unsafe and far from caring products, OB-GYN Dr. Barb and ex-Pharmaceutical Sales Consultant Kimba came together to offer women pH-balanced, chemical-free, and natural-based alternatives for feminine care that are sensitive to women's sensitivities.  While feminine hygiene is a proper way in life to reduce exposure to unpleasant infections and sk...

Many people beginning their self-care journey struggle with finding the time or don't know where to start. To break down that barrier, Koya teaches us how to reclaim our time to optimize our well-being through the practice of breathwork, gratitude, breaking bad habits, and dealing with our "human emotions. Biggest Takeaways You Don't Want to Miss: The two main emotions that drive our actions and r...

Mom-preneur Sylvia Emuwa and her husband Augie, founders of Dinobi, were driven to create a gentle enough product to combat their family of six reoccurring skin irritations. With no response from the detergent companies to determine the ingredients used, they decided to take matters into their own hands by creating a safe detergent that's greener, cleaner, and gentle enough for people to use every...

Teni Adewumi has spent the last six years advocating for and educating black women on the hidden dangers found in the ingredients of personal care products. Using her background in industrial hygiene, health sciences, and as a PhD candidate at the University of California, Los Angeles, Teni is at the grassroots level working to find better solutions to limit the negative health impact of cosmetic...

There will likely come a time when the only person who believes in the true worth of your business is you. That's what happened to entrepreneur Kim Lewis. Kim and her husband, Tim, owners of the natural hair care product line, CurlMix, knew their company's worth going into the popular business reality TV show, "Shark Tank." So when they were offered a fraction of what they knew their business was...

Some things should be sacred, like our home spaces, our rituals, and the things we feed our bodies. Christina Arenas, one of our artisans and creator of Blue Sage, works to cultivate body-friendly, hand-poured, soy wax candles that are affordable and easily accessible to everyone who desires to live a healthier, more intentional lifestyle.   Christina believes everyone should celebrate themselves,...

There's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to skincare, but here's what we do know: Most of the products marketed to black women have toxins in it, and these toxins are known to have adverse effects on our overall health.   Our skin is different, and so, therefore, we have different needs than most mainstream products can't help us with, so it's time for us to make a big change in the p...

There isn't a lot of regulation for what goes into mainstream personal care products and how they're labeled, so it's really important to know there are people who are in our corner and producing products that will not only benefit us, but help us thrive.   One of our artisans, Annie White Brown, is doing just that. Owner of NaturalAnnie Essentials, Annie creates products using the ancient practic...

Welcome to the final episode of the BLK + GRN podcast. Each week during the discussion with the artisan we take time out to listen to a meditation by Dr. Crystal Jones. In this episode, we interview the woman behind the meditation. Dr. Crystal shares with us her definition of healing, finding healing and she provides tips on meditating. This is an amazing closing to season one of the BLK + GRN pod...

Welcome to Episode 13 of the BLK + GRN podcast. This week we have Shontay Lundy the founder and creator of Black Girl Sunscreen. Black Girl Sunscreen is one of our top-selling products and in this episode, we find out the reasons why. Shontay shares with us the reason behind the company, her beliefs and her experience as an entrepreneur working a full-time job. Tune in to this amazing episode and...

Welcome to Episode 12 of the BLK + GRN podcast. This week we have Angela Richardson the founder and creator of PUR HOME. In this episode, we take a deep dive with Angela to discuss all things clean ingredients. Angela shares with us her journey to entrepreneurship, the support from the black community and so much more. This is an episode you won't want to miss and don't forget to subscribe.

Welcome to Episode 11 of the BLK + GRN podcast. This week we have Chianti Lomax. Chianti is the founder and creator of The Happy Pop-Up. This episode is all about positivity and self-love. Chianti shares with us so many tips on how to not only bring happiness to your life but also how to be resilient in times of self-doubt. Make sure you bring your paper and pen to write down all the tips from Chi...

In this episode of the BLK + GRN podcast, I sit down with  Donica  Johns, the owner of the Natural Mixologist.  Donica  opens up about how the needs of her family led her to seek out chemical and toxin free skincare. We dig deep on the needs of the black community, her struggles with being a woman of color in the skincare industry and the importance of black-owned businesses in the black community...

Welcome to the ninth episode of the BLK + GRN podcast. This week we interview Gabrielle Lauren, the founder, and creator of H&B. In this episode, Gabrielle discusses how her high-paced and stressful job as an RN left her at a vulnerable place in life. After she took medical leave due to the current state of her mental/physical self at that time, she stumbled upon a DIY for candle making, and it pi...

Welcome to Episode 8 of the BLK + GRN podcast. This week we sit down with the inspirational Barbara Jacques the founder and creator of Jacq's organics. In this episode we Barbara shares details of the battle, she had with a tumor and fibroids. She provides amazing information about self-care and self-love. Barbara allows us an insight into the woman behind the brand. Don't forget to subscribe and...

Welcome to episode seven of the BLK + GRN podcast. This week we are speaking to the incredible Nydia Norville. In this episode, we dive deep into her journey to entrepreneurship and the decisions she has been faced with as a black woman in business. We learn more about how her passion was formulated for nature-based skin solutions. Tune in to here Nydia's "why" and learn more about the spirit and...

Welcome to episode six of the BLK + GRN podcast. This week we sit down with the innovative co-founders of Melanin Essentials, Olayinka Credle and Saba Williams. Olayinka and Saba experienced years of individual stunted hair growth before deciding to embark on a natural hair journey together. Their mission of finding affordable, natural and reliable hair products birthed Melanin Essentials. In this...

Welcome to episode five of the BLK + GRN podcast. This week we had the pleasure of interviewing Ibi Meier- Oruitemeka . Ibi is a natural and wellness beauty expert, creative entrepreneur and the founder and creative director of The Afro Hair & Skin Co. Her bestselling facial oil FLOW has attracted the attention of top beauty editors and was subsequently named as 'Best Skincare for and By People of...

Welcome to the f ourth  episode of the BLK + GRN podcast. This week we sit down with the owner of  Demosea  (formerly So Posh Beauty) , Ronni Wilson. Due to her struggle with an auto-immune disorder, Ronni's business So Posh was born out of necessity. In this episode, Ronni opens up about the biggest mistake she made while building her business, her experience being a black women entrepreneur deal...