Representation for generations to come: a Black and women-owned beauty brand encouraging people to embrace their skin
In honor of Black Business Month, we are thrilled to present our founder mini-series, where we spotlight inspiring stories of Black-owned businesses from the ICA Fund community that are making a significant impact in their communities and beyond. We sat down with Kenne Johnson, founder of skincare brand Terra & Self, to talk about finding her “why” for her business, her experience in the 2024 Lab at ICA, and her hopes for Black entrepreneurship in the future.
Why did you start your business?
I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur since I was 13. My mother is an entrepreneur, she had her own business since I was 4 years old, so that’s what was always modeled for me. Throughout college, I started a couple of businesses, but In 2020, I decided that I was going to open the business that I knew I was actually going to love and stick with. I sat down and asked myself, “What am I really passionate about?” and “What is something I can always keep learning about?” That was beauty and skincare. Soon after, I got my business license, used my graphic design skills to make a logo, and was like “Alright, I am starting a business.”
Terra & Self started off being about sustainability, with my products being vegan and cruelty free. But after a while, I realized that sustainability should be the basis of all skincare. So I really honed in on my why, what I love about beauty, and my own experience with beauty products. When I was 13, I saw a beauty ad that said, “Are you dealing with nasty, bumpy, chicken skin?” which refers to Keratosis Pilaris, a skin condition I have. Up until college, I was unable to wear short sleeve shirts because I was insecure about my bumpy arms. With Terra and Self, I want to change that narrative to help people know that you can embrace your skin while taking care of it.
What are your hopes and dreams for Black businesses and Black entrepreneurship in the future?
Black women already don’t have access to be in certain rooms and have certain conversations, and now we are dealing with an economic decline on top of a decline of support for Black-owned businesses compared to 2020. Having all that support and funding recede back is very difficult on top of not already receiving equal access to funding. Seeing Black beauty brands close because of this is very discouraging, but my hope is that that doesn't continue to be a trend. Representation is important, not just for black beauty brands, but for women of color in general to see themselves on the shelves. For Black women, a lot of us deal with hyperpigmentation and other issues that brands who don't understand our journey would not know how to target. I want to see diverse brands continue to thrive, because I want to walk into a Target and feel like I am represented on that shelf.
It’s also important to have representation for the generations to come, showing them what they can achieve. When I was opening my shop in Santa Cruz, on my window I had “Black owned, women owned”, and a man knocked on the door with his two kids. He said, “I just wanted them to see you. I wanted my daughter to meet you, and I wanted them to see that in this town that is 2% Black, they can still do anything that they want to do. They can be an entrepreneur."
You just graduated from the Lab at ICA. How did that experience influence the way you approach your business?
The Lab at ICA Fund made me feel more confident and lit a fire under me around my business. I was getting to a point where I didn't know where I was going, and as a woman of color that is a very real experience because we don’t have the same kind of access to the right people and the right funding. But being in the program and having a community of people going through the same thing brought me a lot of confidence to continue pursuing my business.
Shop Terra & Self products on their website and become a part of their community on Instagram. You can also visit their store in person on Soquel Ave in Santa Cruz, CA.
