Dawn Myers Revolutionizes Curly Hair Care with Effortless Styling and Detangling Solutions

Dawn Myers, known for her big afro, understands the challenges of wash days in managing textured hair — a lengthy process involving detangling and styling.

Reflecting on her journey, Myers remembers watching an episode of ‘Shark Tank’ about a hair product aimed at curly hair about eight years ago. She was inspired to explore the available hair tools, such as blow dryers and curling irons, which primarily cater to straightening hair and fail to address the unique needs of her own texture. For Myers, this revealed a significant gap in the beauty hardware market — a clear lack of appropriate tools for textured hair. This area has often been neglected and is not only complex but also costly.

“Historically, our hair was often considered unacceptable,” she explained, tracing concerns back to the time of slavery. “The need to cover our hair led to the creation of do-rags.” Over time, tools like hot combs and chemical relaxers emerged, focusing on straightening textured hair. “Only in recent years have women of color, particularly Black women, begun to embrace their natural curls,” she added.

Inspired by her insights, Myers sketched a business idea on a legal pad and created an early prototype from materials sourced at local stores. This idea evolved into Richualist, a company recognized for its innovative product, Mint. This hair tool streamlines the process of detangling, conditioning, and styling in one motion, utilizing refillable pods and warming technology to enhance application.

“We cut down styling time to around seven to ten minutes,” she shared, emphasizing the relief it brings to those who dread wash days. This product, also available in a travel size, improves hair health by decreasing shedding and breakage by up to 70%, eliminating the need for excessive tugging.

Myers partnered with Dow, a materials science firm, after her initial prototype gained their attention during a startup accelerator. “Dow recognized the need for innovation in textured hair care and supported our development with engineering and manufacturing expertise,” she added.

Despite becoming one of the first 100 Black women to secure over $1 million in venture funding, the journey was fraught with difficulties. “Sequencing funding for hardware is already tough, even more so for niche markets,” she explained.

Myers recalled instances where she found herself in meetings with beauty industry executives who simply didn’t understand the operational nuances of wash days. “They weren’t familiar with the specific challenges our community faces,” she said, emphasizing the need for tailored technology due to the unique composition of textured hair.

To fund the early stages of her product, Myers sold her home and tapped into her retirement savings. “It was a risky move, but ultimately, it paid off,” she said, noting that she was able to bring in about $1.4 million for product commercialization. The development phase took roughly five years to ensure the product met customer needs, including conducting essential research on hair care specifics that previously lacked documentation.

In 2022, just as she prepared for market launch, Myers received a stage three colorectal cancer diagnosis. “I was finalizing funding while undergoing treatment,” she recalled, highlighting how challenging it was to manage her responsibilities during this time. She applied for ‘Shark Tank’ in 2023, appearing on the show later that year while still undergoing treatment.

Myers secured a deal from investor Mark Cuban and entrepreneur Emma Grede, providing the momentum needed to officially launch her product, which later made its debut on an online platform.

“We’re getting ready to announce that we’re sold out,” she confirmed, while also looking at further expansion possibilities.

Her company was selected as one of the Startup Battlefield 200 at a renowned startup conference, set to begin shortly.

When asked about her thoughts on the upcoming conference, she chuckled, “I mean, who doesn’t know about it?” As an introvert, she anticipates meeting many people and engaging in numerous conversations.

“What excites me most is seeing textured hair being highlighted alongside some of the most advanced technology in the industry,” she concluded.