Supermodel Winnie Harlow, who grew up in Jamaica, has been open about her experiences as an entrepreneur.
In 2022, she launched Cay Skin, an affordable and inclusive SPF skincare line. Her motivation stemmed from her personal diagnosis with vitiligo, an autoimmune disorder, leading her to develop sun care products that would be effective for everyone, regardless of their skin tone.
Cay Skin’s range of SPF products includes essentials like sunscreen, moisturizer, and lip balm, alongside specialized items such as sun sticks and lip masks.
“I have two skin tones, and it needs to work on me, and most SPFs don’t,” she told AfroTech during a press junket.
Obtaining an investment was a struggle, and Harlow admitted that the many rejections she received during the fundraising process nearly led her to drop the business idea. Harlow is optimistic about the brand’s long-term success.
She successfully secured $4.1 million in a seed round before Cay Skin’s official debut, bringing its total funding to $6.5 million, according to Fortune.
“When it came to even fundraising, I still got a lot of no’s, and I was unsure about even starting the business,” she recounted. “But it was something that I believed in, and also I was not used to, but I was familiar with getting no’s my entire career and continuing to persevere and not take no as an answer.”
Harlow is one of the small number of Black women who have successfully raised over $1 million in venture capital funding.
“I really wanted to not just trail blaze in the sense of being a part of that number, but also putting a spotlight on that number to continue to build forward Black entrepreneurs and making sure that we are not forgetting, although that we are growing, there is still more room to be grown,” she said.
Continuing her role as a disruptor in her field, she aims to inspire others to do the same. This drive is a key reason for her appearance on the new Amazon Prime show, “The CEO Club.”
“The CEO Club” will give audiences a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of various women who serve as CEOs.
Other prominent women in business who will be highlighted on the show, premiering on February 23, include Hannah Bronfman, Dee Ocleppo Hilfiger, Loren Ridinger, Isabela Rangel Grutman, and Serena Williams.
Jamaican-Canadian model Harlow first came into the limelight as a contestant on the 21st cycle of America’s Next Top Model in 2014. Born Chantelle Whitney Brown-Young, this fierce model dared to break into the fashion world by not allowing her skin condition to define her and her abilities.
Growing up, Harlow had to deal with taunts from her classmates and some shunned her because of her skin. She has since risen like a phoenix throughout her career and proven to everyone that no condition should stop them from living life to the fullest.
