Black Dollar Magazine

BLACK DOLLAR MAGAZINE

For Black entrepreneurs, creatives, decision-makers and executives

Sign up for FREE BDM newsletter
     

Mielle Organics joins P&G Beauty in major expansion deal

The brand will continue to be led by its founders, husband and wife team Monique and Melvin Rodriguez, as CEO and COO, respectively, according to a statement.

Mielle Organics joins P&G Beauty in major expansion deal
Mielle Organics logo. MIELLE ORGANICS PHOTO

Mielle Organics has announced it will join Proctor & Gamble (P&G) Beauty, a division of the consumer packaged goods powerhouse, for an undisclosed amount.

The brand will continue to be led by its founders, husband and wife team Monique and Melvin Rodriguez, as CEO and COO, respectively, according to a statement.

“I feel that every Black entrepreneur should be able to grow and scale their business … without being labelled a ‘sellout,’” Rodriguez said in the five-minute video above, adding that there were no plans to change product formulations and that the brand would “continue to provide opportunities for Black leadership in our company.”

The news comes following a recent saga involving several white TikTok influencers using a version of the product, most notably Alix Earle, who named it a must-have — sparking online debate about white creators appropriating Black beauty regimens.

Founded in 2014, Monique Rodriguez, a native of Chicago and registered nurse, cobbled together $10,000 and enlisted a local chemist to help her create Mielle’s first product, a concoction of scalp-stimulating peppermint and amino-acid-rich almond oil, according to Business of Fashion.

When Rodriguez received a rumoured $100 million investment from Berkshire Partners in 2021, she joined a select group of less than 100 Black female entrepreneurs who have successfully raised at least $1 million in capital for their businesses.

Today, Mielle's products can be found in more than 100,000 stores across the U.S. in retailers such as Ulta Beauty, Sally Beauty, Target, CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens and Walmart, a statement reads.

As part of the agreement, Mielle and P&G each promised to donate $10 million to Mielle Cares. The non-profit organization works to promote and provide resources to communities of colour in their pursuit of education and economic opportunity.