Elysia Randolph Is Celebrating Black Beauty With Online African Marketplace

Elysia Randolph is honoring the entrepreneurial spirit of her mother and late grandmother with a new online African marketplace.

Randolph left the corporate world to launch Kaiem which shines the light on a curated collection of colorful prints, handbags, skincare, and, even snacks, from her home country, Ghana, and other African countries. 

Now, she is using her business savvy to help “Black women connect to our collective African roots,” says Randolph. “It’s a joy to celebrate Black women with my business by highlighting their beauty and the diversity in the products that we consume, wear, and share.”

Sadiaa Black Beauty Guide connected with Randolph to learn more about her dive into entrepreneurialism, what it feels like to work in the beauty space, and the impact she hopes to make.

SADIAA: What inspired you to launch Kaiem?
ELYSIA RANDOLPH: I wanted to honor the most influential and important women in my life – my mother and late grandmother. Kaiem is named after these women and is based on a business they created in the 1990s – importing African food products to the U.S. I wanted to modernize their business idea by creating the Kaiem platform and offering products across categories.

SADIAA: What lessons do you carry from them in business? 
ELYSIA: I strive to always treat my customers like family and with love and kindness – like my grandmother and mother taught me. What they taught me is the foundation for all that I do and I hope Black women feel loved, celebrated and luxurious when they use Kaiem products. 

SADIAA: You have a broad selection on the site. How do you select items to sell?
ELYSIA: I luckily spend a good amount of time in Ghana each year, so each time I travel home, I look for up-and-coming brands that align with our values – modern, thoughtful, innovative brands that help shed light on the quality of the products and creativity of African artisans. My team and I usually test the products we are interested in carrying and then connect with the brand’s CEO or sales team and go from there. We also allow brands to apply to be featured on Kaiem.

SADIAA: What are some of your favorite products or top sellers on the site? 
ELYSIA: My personal favorite three products are the R&R Luxury Shea Oil, byKaiem Folding Fans, and R&R Luxury Liquid Black Soap. These also happen to be some of our best sellers!

SADIAA: Have you always been in beauty/fashion?
ELYSIA: I started Kaiem after working in management consulting for almost six years. 

SADIAA: What has been the most rewarding aspect of being in the beauty space so far?
ELYSIA: Helping Black women connect to our collective African roots. It’s a joy to celebrate Black women with my business by highlighting their beauty and the diversity in the products that we consume, wear, and share. I love hearing feedback from women who try our skincare products and express how the products are helping them bring the best out of their skin.

SADIAA: How do you see your business impacting the Black beauty space?
ELYSIA: I see Kaiem playing a role in simplifying beauty routines and highlighting how centuries-old methods and products can be modern and just as good for melanated skin as any other product. We broaden the conversation about beauty by selling products that are inclusive and all-natural. The products available on our site are not made for one skin type or the other. All the products are natural and can be used by any skin type and address several skin conditions. We aim to celebrate the simplicity and effectiveness of African beauty products and promote the natural beauty that we believe all people possess.