Changing The Narrative: Black-Founded & Woman-Led Mielle Organics Being Acquired By P&G Is Actually A Good Thing

Mielle Organics went viral earlier this week after announcing that it has been acquired by Procter & Gamble (P&G) Beauty. Brand fans (i.e., Black folks) questioned what the move looks like for them and the culture. Will it impact brand formula? Is this a brand sell-out? Will the whole thing end up being white-washed?

[SEE ALSO: Black-Owned Beauty Brand Mielle Organics Secures $100M Investment]

Yes, the acquisition now removes them from Black-owned conversations and listicles — and will require stores to rearrange shelf space. But the move also shows how far Black founders have come in the Black beauty space. It was not a quiet, hidden sell-off due to bad finances, but rolled out as a power move with major visibility. They are changing the narrative around Black beauty entrepreneurship.

Co-founders Monique and Melvin Rodriguez announced that the company will remain Black-led, as they keep their titles of CEO and COO, respectively. The company, itself, will operate as an independent subsidiary of P&G Beauty.

Basically, that means P&G now owns more than 50% (we are not sure how much more) of Mielle Organics, giving Mielle access to its resources, but also allowing Mielle to operate on its own, with its own bookkeeping, liabilities, and funding.

The brand positioned the announcement as “another glass ceiling broken.” At Sadiaa Black Beauty Guide, we see two plays. (1) Mielle Organics is breaking the ceiling based on its trajectory as a Black-owned brand, and (2) the founders are breaking another economic ceiling to position them for even more meteoric growth.

We are not mad at this at all.

I have previously written about having bigger issues than whether your favorite haircare brand is Black-owned. Yes, ownership is key in an industry where Black women outspend every demographic and are the most influential, yet also the least visible, funded, marketed to, and respected. We also know that entrepreneurship isn’t about just leveling the playing field with emotions and passion, but also economics.

“Every Black entrepreneur should be able to scale and have access to opportunities to grow and expand their business, like any other culture, without being labeled a sell-out,” said Monique in a social media post rolling out the news. “Because this is not a sellout. This is a sell-up. This is a level-up for our community. This is growth. When we have more, we can do more to give back and uplift our community.”

And Mielle Organics has been doing that since launching in 2014. Monique has been vocal about building a global brand for underserved women and textures, as well as seeding opportunities through their “More Than A Strand” initiative for other Black women entrepreneurs to access education, resources, and funding to build their own brands.

We also appreciate that this partnership actually already has Black leadership in executive roles and will not have to performatively hire staff to give the appearance of connecting with women of color. While no organization is perfect, it is key to note that P&G North America President Monica Turner is a Black woman. So are Anitra Marsh, P&G Beauty’s VP & Chief Communications Officer; Tomeka Williams, VP Hair Care Sales; and Lela Coffey, VP, Multicultural Haircare. The company is behind the “My Black Is Beautiful” campaign we have loved for years and also hired a team of Black chemists and researchers to reformulate their products back in 2017.

In addition, the partnership aligns with Mielle Organics’ strategic trajectory as one of the fastest-growing natural hair companies in the industry over the past few years. In 2019, they partnered with SheaMoisture founder Richelieu Dennis’ New Voices Fund to secure funds and elevate their brand resources. They grew over 160% in sales in 2020.

In 2021, Mielle Organics secured a ground-breaking $100M investment from Berkshire Partners, joining a list of less than 100 Black woman founders who had ever secured $1M or more in investment funding for their companies.

Founders Monique and Melvin Rodriguez are also now part of a growing list of Black entrepreneurs who didn’t just level up for themselves but are creating tangible opportunities for more Black entrepreneurs to succeed. Think Dennis, Courtney Adeleye, founder of The Mane Choice, Lisa Price, founder of Carol’s Daughter, and Curls founder Mahisha Dellinger. It was Dennis’s $100M fund that helped push Mielle’s growth. Adeleye launched a $30M financial literacy fund for women, and Dellinger launched an academy to empower and educate 25,000 Black women entrepreneurs.

In addition to More Than A Strand, Mielle Organics also launched Mielle Cares, a nonprofit to help provide resources, education and economic opportunities for underserved communities. With the new partnership, both Mielle and P&G have committed $10M to Mielle Cares.

“Mielle remains committed to leading with purpose and impact and serving as a beacon in historically underserved communities,” said Melvin Rodriguez. “Expanding our impact in Black and Brown communities will become an even greater focus in the years ahead.”

We look forward to seeing how the brand moves its mission forward through this new acquisition.