Kristen Wells-Collins, a graduate of Prairie View A&M University, is working hard to interest and guide young girls into the world of chemistry, especially the growing area of cosmetic chemistry.
Wells-Collins grew up in Beaumont, Texas, a place she has described as having few resources for strong Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. This lack of early learning meant Wells-Collins started with very little knowledge or hands-on experience in the field, which she openly discussed in an interview on “The Jennifer Hudson Show.”
Even with this early lack of education, her natural curiosity and effort led her to complete a chemistry degree. It was only after this first success that she found the specific and creative job of cosmetic chemistry.
This discovery was a key moment, starting a strong interest that has become the focus of her career and her efforts to help others. Her work now focuses on making chemistry easy to understand and on showing its real, fun uses in everyday products, thereby opening up many new opportunities for the next generation of female scientists.
Driven by a powerful mission to address the underrepresentation of Black girls in STEM fields, Wells-Collins has dedicated her professional life to becoming a change agent.
This commitment led her to found Black to the Lab in 2020, an innovative organization designed specifically to dismantle perceived barriers to entry for young Black girls. Black to the Lab goes beyond traditional classroom learning by providing meticulously designed activity kits that deliver rich, hands-on learning experiences.
These kits are centered on creating real-world, everyday consumer products, such as custom lip glosses, exfoliating body scrubs, and moisturizing lotions, as she recently shared with celebrated personality Jennifer Hudson.
“We know that they know makeup, so they know science. We want young girls to know that their voices are important. I’m extremely passionate about the field of cosmetic chemistry and youth education, and I felt like that I was truly called to this,” Wells-Collins said on “The Jennifer Hudson Show.”
She told Dallas Weekly, “Not only do the girls get a chance to create their products, but they also get a chance to learn about branding and marketing those products.”
Wells-Collins has already educated more than 3,000 young girls through her program, Black to the Lab, as noted on her LinkedIn. This impressive figure is expected to grow following the launch of the Tulsa Beauty Collective. This new storefront in Tulsa, OK, includes a dedicated STEM classroom.
As reported to AfroTech, the space is designed as a STEM Beauty Bar & Studio where both children and adults can learn about the intersection of science, scent, and skin care while creating their own custom beauty products.
Wells-Collins started the Tulsa Beauty Collective™ because she saw a need for STEM to be more welcoming to everyone. Her main belief is that “science should feel like home for every learner.”
Her organization especially focuses on helping people who don’t usually get involved in STEM.
“My husband is a Tulsa native, and getting to build here, following the footsteps of our ancestors and our family’s legacy, felt like alignment with something bigger than myself,” she told AfroTech.
“In a city shaped by innovation, resilience, and creativity — and with the support of Downtown Tulsa Partnership and Build in Tulsa — it not only felt right, it felt like a responsibility to create something that invests in Tulsa’s youth, celebrates Black identity, and builds pathways for the next generation of scientists, creators, and innovators,” she added.
